If it wasn’t for bad luck, some of us would have no luck at all. Or at least that’s how it feels some days. So watching someone taunt the “luck gods” like they’re bulletproof? That’s not confidence, that’s bolt-action arrogance.
Enter TikTok creator and dedicated Swiftie, Ayden Quinn (@artisteditz14), who decided to solve the mystery of what’s actually inside a Magic 8 Ball. But considering Quinn’s video got 2.3 million views, it seems the internet had to know, too.
What’s Inside A Magic 8 Ball?
On-screen, under text that reads, “I needed to see what was actually inside an 8ball,” a hand grips a gigantic carving knife. It’s menacing a Magic 8 Ball that’s placed on a stack of folded paper towels. The fortune-telling sphere is about to get cut open, and honestly, it’s kind of uncomfortable. Sure, the Magic 8 ball is just a toy. But somehow, watching it faced with imminent destruction, feels viscerally wrong.
“Clunk, clunk, clunk” goes the heel of the knife as it bashes into the 8 Ball’s clear plastic window—the place where it “answers” you. And then, since it’s on white paper towels, viewers get a good glimpse of the blue liquid inside that starts to leak out. Then, Quinn touches his finger to the small crack and rubs the blue liquid between his fingers. It’s creepy, even more so because Sabrina Carpenter’s “We Almost Broke Up Last Night,” is the soundtrack for this 43 seconds.
Quinn keeps banging away for a few more seconds, and shakes out a little more blue liquid. Keep watching… and, nothing. Just like that, the video is over, leaving viewers wondering if maybe we’ve missed something.
If you’re still wondering, the liquid inside the Magic 8 Ball is blue-tinted alcohol, not mystical goo.
Per Magic-8ball.com, the liquid is “dark blue or black liquid, usually alcohol and contains one 20-sided die.”
The blog notes, “While the magic 8 ball does look like it is completely filled with dark liquid, it is actually constructed around a much smaller cylinder that contains the liquid and the answer die. The reservoir is tucked into the sphere. This provides a much smaller area for the die to move around in and makes sure that it settles at the bottom of the ball after shaking.”
Bad Luck Or Something Else
Even though the video is captioned, “I couldn’t resist,” it’s kind of anti-climactic and incomplete, as the TikToker doesn’t fully cut it open.
And the first comment calls that out, writing, “What’s inside a Magic 8 Ball.” You can just hear the flatness of the pronouncement.
Another felt empathy for the inanimate object, writing, “Why do I feel bad for it. You’re hurting him.”
Some were more concerned for the rug than the mystical toy. “Take it outside, not on mother’s carpet,” instructed Allison Castillo (@.allisons.knew.ac).
And others don’t think it’s bad luck at all. “It’s literally a toy designed by a huge corporation,” noted user @kaylefsloy7.
And they’re right: The Magic 8 ball was developed in the 1950s by Albert C. Carter and eventually manufactured by Mattel (yes, the same company that makes Barbie). But it didn’t start out as a children’s toy—or even as a ball.
Magic 8 Ball Origins
Originally, the fortune telling toy we all know and shake was designed as a novelty for adults. Marketed as the “Miracle Home Fortune-Teller,” it looked more like something you’d find in a magician’s den than in the toy aisle. Initially it was a cylinder with a window at each end so the user could see the worded dice as they rose through a dark goopy liquid—originally rumored to be molasses.
But there’s more to the story: YouTube creator Jessii Vee points out that the Magic 8 Ball’s origins can be traced back to Carter’s mother. She was a clairvoyant [a person who claims to perceive events beyond the normal range of senses] who also said she could communicate with spirits.
So Carter, inspired by his mother’s otherworldly communications, set out to create something that mimicked that connection to the beyond. Twenty possible responses were developed in conjunction with Dr. Lucien Cohen, a psychology professor. Ten are positive, five are negative, and five are indifferent, leaving lots of room for interpretation and inevitable follow up questions. Because when the 8 Ball says “ask again later,” two seconds suddenly feels like “later.”
In fact, those follow ups are a part of what makes it such an engaging toy, perfect for youngsters, asserts the Medium site Two Guys Who Blog. “It taught us early on about the importance of asking questions and follow up questions.,” reports the blog.
So whether you’re going to let the Magic 8 Ball make all your decisions for a day, or, just query it about the wisdom of breaking one open, it’s not really about the answer, it’s about the ask.