About this tool
Magic 8 Ball
Magic 8 Ball answers yes or no questions with one of the classic responses.
How to use it
- Think of a yes or no question.
- Shake or tap the ball.
- Read the answer.
Where it came from
The Magic 8 Ball was created in 1950, developed from a fortune-telling device made by a clairvoyant's son. The icosahedron inside has twenty faces: ten affirmative, five non-committal, and five negative, floating in dark liquid.
The tilt toward positive answers is deliberate and is much of why it endures. Half the answers are encouraging, which makes it more fun than a coin and rather less useful as an actual decision device.
Worked example
What is inside:
- Faces20, on an icosahedron
- Affirmative10
- Non-committal5
- Negative5
Result: Half the answers are positive, which is much of why it stays fun.
When it helps
- Settling a trivial question quickly.
- A party or classroom novelty.
- Breaking a deadlock on something that does not matter.
- Noticing your own reaction to the answer, which is often more informative than the answer.
Common mistakes
- Asking open questions. It only answers yes or no.
- Re-shaking until you get the answer you wanted, which is itself a useful signal about what you wanted.
- Taking it seriously.