Gif of a Baby Trying to Drink a Shake Through a Window
 The Magic viii-Ball. | |
| Type | Novelty toy |
|---|---|
| Inventor(due south) | Albert C. Carter Abe Bookman |
| Company | Mattel |
| Availability | 1950–nowadays |
| Materials | Plastic Alcohol Blue coloring |
| Official website | |
The Magic viii-Brawl is a plastic sphere, made to look like an oversized eight-ball, that is used for fortune-telling or seeking advice. It was invented in 1946 by Albert C. Carter and Abe Bookman and is currently manufactured by Mattel. The user asks a yes–no question to the brawl, then turns it over to reveal an respond in a window on the ball.
Origin [edit]
The functional component of the Magic eight-Brawl was invented by Albert C. Carter, who was inspired by a spirit writing device used by his female parent Mary, a Cincinnati clairvoyant.[1] When Carter approached store possessor Max Levinson about stocking the device, Levinson called in Abe Bookman, Levinson's brother-in-police force, and graduate of Ohio Mechanics Found. In 1944, Carter filed for a patent[2] for the cylindrical device, assigning it in 1946 to Bookman, Levinson and another partner in what came to be Alabe Crafts, Inc., combining the founder'south names, Albert and Abe. Alabe marketed and sold the cylinder as The Syco-Slate. Carter died sometime before the patent was granted in 1948. Bookman made improvements to The Syco-Slate, and in 1948 information technology was encased in an iridescent crystal ball. Though not successful, the revamped product caught the attending of Chicago'due south Brunswick Billiards, who in 1950 deputed Alabe Crafts to brand a version in the course of a traditional black-and-white 8-ball,[3] which was possibly inspired by a gag in the 1940 Three Stooges brusk flick, You lot Nazty Spy!.[4]
Cultural impact [edit]
Although originally sold as a paperweight, the Magic 8-Brawl would remain popular for several decades. It was popular as both an role toy and a children'due south toy.[ citation needed ]
In 1971, Bookman sold Alabe Crafts, Inc., to Platonic Toys[five] who marketed the ball firmly at children. In 1987, the rights were once more sold to Tyco Toys,[6] spurring on another marketing campaign and resurgence in involvement. Despite its numerous owners, the Magic 8-Ball has changed piddling in design and implementation.
Design and usage [edit]
Ane of the possible responses of the Magic 8-Ball.
The Magic viii-Ball is a hollow plastic sphere resembling a blackness-and-white 8-ball. Its standard size is larger than an ordinary pool brawl, only information technology has been made in different sizes. Inside the ball, a cylindrical reservoir contains a white plastic regular icosahedron die floating in approximately 100 ml (iii+ one⁄two United states of america fl oz) of alcohol dyed dark blue. Each of the dice's xx faces has an affirmative, negative, or non-committal statement printed in raised letters. These messages are read through a window on the brawl's bottom.
To use the brawl, it must be held with the window initially facing downwards to allow the die to bladder within the cylinder. After request the ball a yep–no question, the user and so turns the ball then that the window faces up. The die floats to the meridian, and one face presses against the window; the raised letters displace the bluish liquid to reveal the message as white messages on a blue groundwork. Although nearly users shake the ball before turning information technology upright, the instructions warn against doing and so to avoid white bubbles.
Many users find entertainment with this device. Information technology has continued to be a popular gift item since its release.
While the Magic 8 Brawl has undergone very few changes, an add-on in 1975 by new owners, Ideal Toy Company, fixed the bubble trouble.[vii] Their patented "Bubble Free Dice Agitator", an inverted funnel, rerouted the air trapped inside. The solution has been utilized ever since.
Possible answers [edit]
A standard Magic eight Ball has 20 possible answers, including 10 affirmative answers (●), five non-committal answers (●), and 5 negative answers (●).
| ● Information technology is certain. | ● Equally I see it, yeah. | ● Reply hazy, try again. | ● Don't count on it. |
Electronic version [edit]
An electronic version appeared in a 1980 result of Popular Electronics magazine as a structure project. It expanded the number of possible answers from 20 to 63. The Magic Black Box used a ROM to generate the sixteen-character alphanumeric messages on an seven-segment LED display. Information technology could non generate Yard, Thousand, V, West, or Ten but it could generate a question mark. Upon ability-up, information technology displayed "your QUEstIOn?" This odd capitalization was a result of the seven-segment brandish'southward limited ability to output alpha characters. A momentary push of the respond push button picked a random message which was then displayed. Of the 63 possible answers, 25 were affirmative answers, 25 were negative answers, 13 non-committal answers.[8]
Live-activity picture adaptation [edit]
A live-action thriller film based on the toy is in development at Blumhouse Productions, with Jeff Wadlow signed on equally the manager.[ix] [10]
Run into also [edit]
- Flipism
- Divination
Patents [edit]
- U.South. Patent 2,452,730—Liquid Filled Dice Agitator ca. 1944
- U.S. Patent iii,119,621—Liquid filled die agitator containing a die having raised indicia on the facets thereof, 1962
- U.S. Patent 3,168,315—Entertainment Device ca. 1961
References [edit]
- ^ "Where Did the Thought for the Magic 8 Brawl Come From?". Encyclopedia Britannica . Retrieved 2021-04-14 .
- ^ Coopee, Todd. "Magic eight Brawl from Alabe Crafts (1946)". ToyTales.ca.
- ^ Walsh, Tim. (2001). The Playmakers: Amazing Origins of Timeless Toys, pp. 94–5. Keys Publishing, Sarasota. ISBN 0-9646973-four-iii.
- ^ Minichiello, Mia (2015). "The Great Dictator (film)". Salem Press Encyclopedia. Salem Press.
- ^ "A Brief History of the Magic eight Ball". www.mentalfloss.com. 2015-08-24. Retrieved 2021-06-04 .
- ^ "Abe Bookman, UC alum, created everlasting Magic 8 Ball". University of Cincinnati . Retrieved 2021-06-04 .
- ^ "Today I Constitute Out". Today I Found Out.
- ^ Friese, Michael (January 1980). "Ekectronic Magic Box" (PDF). Popular Electronics. 17 (1): 61–66. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 3, 2019). "Mattel Films & Blumhouse Team For 'Magic viii Ball', 'Truth Or Cartel's Jeff Wadlow Set up To Direct". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ Whitten, Sarah (July 25, 2019). "Mattel is making a Magic eight-Brawl motion picture with horror picture titan Blumhouse". CNBC . Retrieved September eighteen, 2021.
External links [edit]
- "The Inscrutable Magic 8 Ball Revealed!". eBaum'due south Earth . Retrieved September 24, 2017.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_8-ball