Behind the Magic 8 Ball Trivia Quiz

Answer: icosahedron - twenty sides

The icosahedron inside the Magic 8 Ball contains 20 answers. Ten are positive. Five are negative, and five are non-committal, such as, "Ask again later." For the record, a thirty-two side polyhedron and an octagonal prism would not have the same shape for each side, so they wouldn't be good fits for the Magic 8 Ball.

A dodecahedron could work, having twelve pentagon faces, but really, twelve is just not enough possible fortune-telling results!

Answer: Four inches (ten centimeters)

It seems like it would have a larger diameter than a mere four inches, or about ten centimeters, doesn't it? If you were holding it in your hand, it would be a bit wider than your palm. The average width of a human palm is around eight centimeters, or a little over three inches. That should help put it into perspective.

Answer: I don't think so

None of the twenty answers from the ball contains any form of the word, "think." Perhaps this is because the Magic 8 Ball cannot think, as it lacks an actual brain. It will never tell you what it thinks. However, it may reply, "As I see it, yes."

Answer: Better not tell you now

"Better not tell you now," is one of the five non-committal answers. Of course, again, none of the answers contains any form of the word, "think." To the standard Magic 8 Ball there are no stupid questions; it will give every question you ask it the same amount of serious consideration! Of the five negative answers, none are totally "absolute." If you get a non-committal answer to your question, the best course is often to, "Concentrate and ask again." You may rephrase your question to make it clearer. Whatever method you choose to employ, there is a 75% chance you will get either a positive or negative answer to any question.

Answer: blue

When the white icosahedron floats to the glass, the raised letters on the side that meets the window displace the fluid. As a result you can view the answer as white letters on a blue background. Doh! I didn't need to break one open to find that out! Did I say, "Doh?" That could be because there was a "Simpsons" variation of the Magic 8 Ball.

Answer: Should my family buy a new car this year?

Of course, you must ask a yes-or-no question if you expect to get a meaningful answer from the Magic 8 Ball. It certainly does not contain any kind of answer that will tell you that most people think an unladen swallow flies at around 40 kilometers per hour, something perhaps no one considered before a bridgekeeper asked that question in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Will you get an "A" on your next test? If you got this question right, "It is decidedly so."

Answer: Aye Ball

The "Aye Ball" was a white plastic skull with a red head scarf and a black eye patch. The plastic patch was hinged so it could be flipped open to read the answer. Magic 8 Ball, is the Aye Ball still being sold at online auction sites? "Most likely."

Answer: Tyco

The inventor of the working core of the toy, Albert C. Carter, joined with a few partners to file the patent for it in 1946. By 1950 they had invented the spherical housing. The Magic 8 Ball in the form we know it today was originally sold by Tyco in the 1950s. It became a Mattel product when Mattel purchased Tyco in 1997.

Answer: Yes

"Yes," is the shortest answer. Nine other positive answers mean the same thing, including, "Yes definitely." The shortest negative answer is, "Very doubtful." The shortest non-committal answer is, "Ask again later."

Answer: Forecast the stock market

Al Lewis publishes an interesting article each year where he reports on his use of the Magic 8 Ball to forecast the stock market. Concerning using the Magic 8 Ball to forecast the stock market, Mr. Lewis writes, "Sometimes it's right, sometimes it's wrong, but usually it's more accurate than a poll of economists." It is a fun and interesting way to see if the experts can make more accurate predictions than random chance.

However, Mr. Lewis is a lot better than most people at knowing the right questions to ask the Magic 8 Ball. If you are not him, you should probably go with a financial adviser.