The blue liquid you see floating inside the Magic 8 Ball looks alluring, inviting, almost attractive. Sometimes, it even look appealing for a quick sip, like a fizzy blue soda can. But, is the liquid inside the Magic 8 Ball poisonous or safe to drink?
While some Magic 8 Ball packaging claims to be safe—only colored water and oil, most of them, going back to the earliest origins—have a clear cautionary section on their packaging, “The liquid contains aniline colorant dye and isopropyl alcohol”. This liquid is poisonous and is not intended for intoxication! This can have serious consequences such as vomiting blue vomit or worse.
We certainly wouldn’t recommend drinking it, let alone handling the liquid without wearing protective gloves.
The exact percentage of alcohol for dyeing has not yet been determined, but the full volume of liquid inside a plastic container is usually about 100ml (3½ fl. oz.).
What’s the liquid inside the Magic 8 ball?
Although it looks like the Magic 8 Ball itself is filled with a blue liquid, it is actually inside a tightly closed cylinder that is fixed inside the ball.
This is for obvious reasons – the liquid is not safe and since the ball is also child-friendly, it is designed in such a way as to avoid any spillage outside the shell – this could potentially Can be dangerous, toxic and staining – especially with your clothes, sink, etc. Also, any liquid with such a strong, Mercury smell cannot be eaten.
The liquid inside the Magic 8 Ball is mostly aniline colorant dye (blue dye) with an alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) or water base. The exact percentage of alcohol for dyeing has not yet been determined, but the full volume of liquid inside a plastic container is usually about 100ml (3½ fl. oz.).
By definition, Isopropyl alcohol is a colorless, flammable chemical compound with a pungent odor. Isopropyl group is the Simplest Example of Secondary Alcohol because it attached to a hydroxyl group, where the alcohol carbon atom is linked to two other carbon atoms.
Isopropyl alcohol is often diluted with water to be used as a rubbing alcohol disinfectant and as a solvent in aftershave lotions, hand lotions, and other topical ointments to help prevent bacterial infection from minor cuts or scrapes. It is also used to prevent infections in healthcare settings due to needle puncture.
Isopropyl alcohol is also used as a topical rub to alleviate minor muscle aches.
However, when we examined the packaging of some of the ointments containing the chemical compound, we discovered that it warned against taking by mouth or using on open wounds, sunburnt, windburned, dry, chapped, or irritated skin, as well as rinsing with water if the product got into the eyes, nose, mouth, or rectum.
They mostly also stated that isopropyl alcohol was not to be used as a substitute for other types of alcohol and should not be consumed.
According to medical journals, Isopropyl Alcohol can cause allergic reactions in some people, such as hives, difficulty breathing, swelling, and a burning sensation on the face, lips, tongue, throat, or internal organs when ingested.
Furthermore, when used as a solvent, particularly for oral application, it is mixed at a precise chemical percentage in a laboratory setting to avoid any immediate reactions.
The liquid in the Magic 8 Ball is primarily isoporyl alcohol with aniline colorant dye in an unknown chemical percentage, making it extremely dangerous and risky.
Furthermore, Isoporyl Alcohol is a flammable compound, making it extremely hazardous if released from its original container.
Some studies also suggest the presence of Methanol, which, if ingested, can cause blindness.
Conclusion
We also conducted a research experiment to determine whether the liquid in our Magic 8 Ball was actually toxic. We poured it on some apple slices to see how it reacted with the fruit and left them for 72 hours.
All of the slices turned brown because apples oxidize when left out in the air. However, the slices treated with blue dye appeared to decay faster than those left in the open air. They turned a darker black and almost dehydrated, resulting in a decaying crumple.
While the experiment was not conducted in an enclosed scientific laboratory (or on humans), the results and all research strongly indicate that the liquid is toxic at some level. In any case, whether oil, water, alcohol, or dye, our findings show that the liquid is more dangerous than we realize, definitely toxic to drink, and only safe when sealed in a plastic container.
References
Reference 1 – Teacher Vision “Is the Magic 8-Ball Really Magic?”
Reference 2 – Britannica “Where Did the Idea for the Magic 8 Ball Come From?”
Reference 3 – The Attention Economy and How Media Works (pp.139-147) by Karen Nelson-Field
Reference 4 – So, Whats Inside of Magic 8 Ball?
Reference 5 – Drugs “Isopropyl alcohol (topical)”
Reference 6 – Britannica “Isopropyl Alcohol”
