# Mysterious Blue Liquid **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985 "2004-12-15T16:29:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/1 "2004-12-15T16:29:31Z")
What is that mysterious blue liquid inside of a **Magic 8 Ball**? I’ve read the [page](http://8ball.ofb.net/procedure.html) about the disassembly of the 8 Ball, and they mention that the liquid doesn’t seem to be fit for human consumption - but what the heck _is_ it, anyway? According to the site I linked to above, the liquid tastes “hideous”, numbness to application area, and caused some headaches. So I would assume it’s not just water with blue food dye in it. Is it? Maybe it _is_ food dye - just not diluted with water. What the heck is that stuff? If this has been answered already, my apologies, it didn’t turn up in any of my searches - the one that came closest linked to the same page I linked above. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/2 "2004-12-15T16:31:29Z")
> [@Anastasaeon](#): > > the liquid tastes “hideous”, numbness to application area, _causes_ numbness to application area, sorry. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/3 "2004-12-15T17:14:05Z")
WAG - Given that it stains and tastes terrible[sup]1[/sup], and based on its appearance, I’d guess that it’s ink. They don’t require any special properties other than color, as far as I can see, and the toy is a sealed unit which precludes the need for filling it with something non-toxic and/or non-staining. They might use very cheap ink, perhaps watered down a bit. Or maybe in an alcohol base, which would explain a numbing effect. Although, if that were the case, you would think they would have noticed the smell. [sup]1[/sup] - ever chewed on the end of a ball pen which turned out to be leaky? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/4 "2004-12-15T17:47:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Mysterious Blue Liquid BAND NAME!! 😃🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/5 "2004-12-15T17:50:15Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > BAND NAME!! 😃🆒 Long have I waited for this day! I never thought I’d write something worthy of the “BAND NAME!” post. _sniffle_ I’m having a moment. 😃😛🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/6 "2004-12-15T17:54:15Z")
> [@Anastasaeon](#): > > Long have I waited for this day! > > I never thought I’d write something worthy of the “BAND NAME!” post. _sniffle_ I’m having a moment. > > 😃😛🆒 Congradulation, young Padawan! Today you are a Jedi! Mazal tov. ;j ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/7 "2004-12-15T18:08:35Z")
Maybe it’s the same as the blue toilet cleaning liquids? If you took one apart, would you see the TidyBowl man in there? ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/8 "2004-12-15T18:43:41Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Maybe it’s the same as the blue toilet cleaning liquids? If you took one apart, would you see the TidyBowl man in there? My sources say no. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/9 "2004-12-15T19:21:59Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Maybe it’s the same as the blue toilet cleaning liquids? If you took one apart, would you see the TidyBowl man in there? I thought it was the stuff they pour on tampons in TV commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/10 "2004-12-25T22:20:23Z")
Went back to see if you ever got an answer to this. Seeing that you didn’t, IMO it would be a superb entry for a Staff Report. Send it via e-mail. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/11 "2004-12-25T22:28:43Z")
The MBL is the life-giving fluid of [Tobor, the Eighth Man](http://www.funpic.hu/swf/numanuma.html). One of the original anime characters, Tobor was the afternoon hero of 1960s kid TV. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/12 "2004-12-25T22:29:04Z")
I cracked one open once (pretty damn tough to do BTW) to get the floating dodecahedron message unit out. What Yabob said. It looks to be (and stains like) watered down ink. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/13 "2004-12-25T22:44:06Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Congradulation, young Padawan! > Today you are a Jedi! > Mazal tov. ;j Mazal Tov? Wouldn’t that make him a Jewdi? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/14 "2004-12-25T22:56:25Z")
> [@Duck Duck Goose](#): > > Went back to see if you ever got an answer to this. > > Seeing that you didn’t, IMO it would be a superb entry for a Staff Report. Send it via e-mail. That’s a good thought. I spent a while digging around in the Magic 8 ball world, and got nothing. Yet there _must_ be an msds, or toxicology report on the stuff somewhere. The liquid isn’t so special that it’d reasonably be hidden away as a trade secret. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/15 "2004-12-25T23:00:56Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I cracked one open once (pretty damn tough to do BTW) to get the floating dodecahedron message unit out. What Yabob said. It looks to be (and stains like) watered down ink. Now, correct me if I’m incorrect. Inform me if I’m misinformed. But, I believe it’s an _icosahedron_. A dodecahedron has twelve equal pentagon faces. An icosahedron has twenty equal triangle faces. Having also taken one apart, I say it’s either a dilute nontoxic ink, or the blood of Smurfs. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/16 "2004-12-25T23:21:57Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > That’s a good thought. I spent a while digging around in the Magic 8 ball world, and got nothing. Yet there _must_ be an msds, or toxicology report on the stuff somewhere. The liquid isn’t so special that it’d reasonably be hidden away as a trade secret. Hmm…Magic 8-Ball® is a registered mark of Mattel, Inc. [http://www.mattelgames.com/magic8/noflash/history.asp](http://www.mattelgames.com/magic8/noflash/history.asp) Here’s the media contact phone numbers: [http://www.mattel.com/Contact\_Us/default.asp#mc](http://www.mattel.com/Contact_Us/default.asp#mc) I can’t find a media contact e-mail, but calling those numbers should be able to get it. I’m fairly certain that they wouldn’t mind at least giving a general description of what the liquid inside is. It’s gotta be non-toxic, as they wouldn’t want lawsuits. And if they were evasive about what is in that liquid, if this was reported on a website this could look suspicious. However, is this such an important issue one of us wants to track down the real answer? And would this site consider the answer important enough to devote a page to it? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/17 "2004-12-25T23:25:20Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Now, correct me if I’m incorrect. Inform me if I’m misinformed. But, I believe it’s an _icosahedron_. A dodecahedron has twelve equal pentagon faces. An icosahedron has twenty equal triangle faces. > > Having also taken one apart, I say it’s either a dilute nontoxic ink, or the blood of Smurfs. It was umm… the “budget” version ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/18 "2004-12-26T00:43:45Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > I’m fairly certain that they wouldn’t mind at least giving a general description of what the liquid inside is. Unless of course the liquid contains a secret tincture of energized ectoplasm, or concentrated orgone fluids which render it uniquely sensitive to ‘electronic voice phenomena’ (evp) or some such nonsense. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/19 "2004-12-26T01:15:06Z")
Ingredients of Magic 8 Ball include a Mysterious Blue Liquid which fell to Earth, presumably from outer space The Mysterious Blue Liquid, if exposed due to rupture, should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at. Do not taunt Mysterious Blue Liquid. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/20 "2004-12-26T01:25:47Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > Ingredients of Magic 8 Ball include a Mysterious Blue Liquid which fell to Earth, presumably from outer space > > The Mysterious Blue Liquid, if exposed due to rupture, should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at. > > Do not taunt Mysterious Blue Liquid. It’s **David Bowie** ’s blood? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985.md?page=2)