How Accurate is the Magic 8 Ball? Can you trust it?

Accuracy is more of a subjective intuition. It is the voice inside you that always tells you whether or not something or someone can be trusted. Everyone needs a tool to enable the expansion of this consciousness and awareness. Magic 8 Ball can be your tool.


But, are Magic 8 Balls accurate? Can you trust them? Yes, you can. You can trust its answers too, just as much as your intuitive voice tells you to. The Magic 8 Balls responses are very carefully and statistically designed to be accurate, but that would also depend on how wisely you frame your question.

But, Are the Responses Accurate?

As for how accurate its predications are, there can be three Mathematical propositions –

  1. Hypothesis Number 1 – There is only one correct answer out of the twenty possibilities. Hence, the odds of receiving the correct one is only 5%.
  2. Hypothesis Number 2 – A closer analysis of the twenty answers, as follows:
    • 10 of the 20 responses are affirmative, that is, Yes. Which is 50%
    • 5 of the 20 responses are negative, that is, No. That is 25%
    • 5 of the 20 responses are non-committal, that is, variations of Ask Again. Again 25%
  3. Hypothesis Number 3 – Open area of answers, that depend on the question.

Ask the Right Question!

The three broader propositions outlined above also depend on the kind of questions you’re asking the Magic 8 Ball. For Yes and No questions, like, Should I go for a run today or tomorrow, you fall into Hypothesis Number 2, whereby your chances of an answer are fifty-fifty – it will be either a Yes, a No, or a try again.

However, if you decide to go for a more sweeping question, like, What should I have for breakfast today, you’ve got a more open area of responses, which depend entirely on what you make of them – which is Hypothesis Number 3. The prediction, Signs point to yes, could mean yes, go ahead have breakfast or yes, we know you’re thinking of French toasts deep down. Essentially, we think it is the Ball helping you make sense of what you already know.

In the third scenario, however, you could be asking the Ball a question that can only have one possible answer for you. In that case, for Hypothesis Number 1, you only have a 5% chance of getting the right answer. Perhaps like the one below.

Q: Will the Magic 8 Ball official iTunes App continue to double its gross sales and popularity in 2022 as they did in 2021?
A: Yes.

(of course, it will. It is ours and everyone’s favourite tool. Only one response we are looking for, right?)

Conclusively, it is important to know what you want to know before you ask the Magic 8 Ball your burning question. For example, a single question framed in a number of different ways, to get diverse responses, could be as follows:

  1. Is it raining outside right now?
  2. Was it raining all night?
  3. Will it rain tonight?
  4. How long will it rain today?
  5. Will it rain for the next two days?
  6. Will the sun come out today?
  7. Should I stay in and work today?
  8. Should I go out for a run today?
  9. Will I bump into my ex-girlfriend on my run today?
  10. Will I get my favourite chocolate croissant at the Bakery on my way back from my run today?

And the list can keep going on.

Bottomline – Before you ask the Magic 8 Ball a question, dig deeper down within yourself: What do you really want to know?

What kind of decisions should be made from the responses of the Magic 8 ball?

Consider this our Expert tip for you.

While we know how daring and soothing it is to ask your Magic 8 Ball all your life’s essential questions and get responses that are easier to implement than thinking and ruminating about them, we have a soft reminder for you here. Issues that depend on you and your loved ones, like financial issues (for e.g. Should I invest in a new business venture in spite of the latest Market Crash?), health concerns (for e.g. Does my constant stomach ache mean a serious underlying intestinal health issue? OR Will my loved one survive his/her medical operation?), or other serious decisions (for e.g. Should I immigrate to Canada?) should be avoided on the Magic 8 Ball. Sure, it could give you some right answers and be your guiding light, but life-altering decisions and concerns are too serious and co-dependent on way too many people to be risked with your Magic 8 Ball.

That being said, the ball still is and will possibly be your favourite support in many other matters.

How to Interpret the Response

Its important to understand that the Magic 8 Ball cannot change the physical reality, the past, present or the future. It will only tell you the truth you want to or need to hear. You will also not always get the right answer – which makes it trustworthy. Just like real life, most of the times it’s a yes, other times a no, and sometimes it is also a non-committal response.

Figure 2 – Looking at the Original Magic 8 Ball packaging, with its original suggested questions to ask

Lets look at a few examples to understand how to interpret the many responses of the Magic 8 Ball. We’re borrowing a question from the suggested ones on the original packaging of the first Magic 8 Ball.

Magic 8-Ball, inquiring minds want to know:

Q: Can our team win?

A1: You may rely on it.
Obviously means a Yes, the team can definitely win. However, if you read between the lines, it means that the win can possibly be relied upon, but is not a sure shot Yes.


A2: Signs point to yes.
This response is a surer shot Yes.


A3: Most likely.
An answer more tilted towards a Yes than a No.


A4: Very doubtful.
A less sure shot No, but somewhere in the middle. So the team might win, higher chances are that it might not.


A5: My sources say no.
A definite No for an answer!


A6: Don’t count on it.
A heart-sinking Negative response.


A7: Cannot predict now.
Definitely one of its more non-committal answers. More like the Magic 8 Ball saying try again if you still want an answer, or accept this as one.


A8: Concentrate and ask again.
In our opinion, this response is Magic 8 Balls absolute best. More like the Ball telling you that you aren’t concentrating on your question and on what you really want enough – Consciously concentrate on what you want, ask again and the Ball (the universe?) will give it to you. In other words, find the thing that opens your wonderful, adventurous, compassionate, intelligent heart.

Conclusion

Yes, the Magic 8 Ball is accurate. And yes, the Magic 8 Ball can be trusted. It can be as much as you want to trust it, and yourselves – all about how much you know what you want to ask it, how well you know how to interpret and read its answers and how much you really trust it. But, as you frame your questions and set your intentions, be sure to remember –  life altering decisions are sometimes too sensitive to be thrown to a Magic 8 Ball. This is where your own and others life experiences can be of more benefit to you.

Tekstfelt: Figure 3 - All signs point to YESIntro to Magic 8-Ball | Learn how to build apps: Magic 8-BallStatistically, it has a 50% probability of giving you a positive response, 25% chance of giving you a negative response and another 25% chance of giving you a non-committal try-again-or-accept-this response.

In our opinion, there cannot be a better, more accurate tool to trust.

Good luck spinning!

References

Reference 1: Ad Week “Why the Magic 8 Ball Still Holds Our Fascination”
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/why-magic-8-ball-still-holds-our-fascination-163322/


Reference 2: 8-Ball – Creating a “Magic 8 ball game using TouchDevelop
https://touchdevelop.weebly.com/magic-8-ball.html


Reference 3: Ask the Magic 8 Ball
http://eightball.tridelphia.net/


Reference 4: Press Herald “Here’s Something: Predictions from the all-knowing Magic 8-Ball”
https://www.pressherald.com/2020/12/28/heres-something-predictions-from-the-all-knowing-magic-8-ball/

Reference 5: Taking the Long Way Home “Five Running Questions I’d ask the Magic 8 Ball”
https://www.takinglongwayhome.com/2017/04/5-running-questions-id-ask-magic-8-ball.html

Reference 6: Britannica “Where Did the Idea for the Magic 8 Ball Come From?”
https://www.britannica.com/story/where-did-the-idea-for-the-magic-8-ball-come-from

Figure 1- Illustration from StockPhotos

Figure 2 – Looking at the Original Magic 8 Ball packaging, with its original suggested questions to ask
https://www.museumofplay.org/2018/11/08/outlook-good-magic-8-ball-inducted-into-the-national-toy-hall-of-fame/

Figure 3 –  All signs point to YES
https://makeschool.org/mediabook/oa/tutorials/learn-how-to-build-apps–magic-8-ball/intro-magic8/

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