# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**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 26, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/21 "2004-12-26T01:42:49Z")
> [@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. IIRC If you experience numbness or tingling in your extremities, discontinue use of Mysterious Blue Liquid Mysterious Blue Liquid may suddenly accelerate to dangerous or fatal speeds for no apparent reason. Keep Mysterious Blue Liquid in its storage case inside your refrigerator when not in use. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/22 "2004-12-26T02:26:07Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Mazal Tov? > > Wouldn’t that make him a Jewdi? Actually, it would make him Druish. May the Schwartz be with you. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/23 "2004-12-26T02:35:01Z")
:shrug: I thought Magic 8 balls had plutonium inside them? Or was that bowling balls? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/24 "2004-12-26T02:46:01Z")
[This](http://www.vvdailypress.com/travel/kidstuff/) site seems to have an answer. > [@](#): > > The blue liquid inside the Magic 8-Ball is a combination of water, coloring and antifreeze (to prevent the solution from turning solid during shipping). The ethanol in the antifreeze would explain the numbness on application to skin. ---
**Author:** ![Josh\_dePlume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Josh\_dePlume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Josh_dePlume)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/25 "2004-12-26T15:54:37Z")
> [@DarrenS](#): > > [This](http://www.vvdailypress.com/travel/kidstuff/) site seems to have an answer. The ethanol in the antifreeze would explain the numbness on application to skin. “Antifreeze” could mean a lot of things, but a likely candidate is ethylene glycol. This is a poison; don’t drink this stuff. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/26 "2004-12-26T20:00:32Z")
‘ethylene’, not ‘ethanol’, Darren! :smack: (dim memories of high-school chemistry) ---
**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, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/27 "2004-12-26T20:18:24Z")
> [@DarrenS](#): > > ‘ethylene’, not ‘ethanol’, Darren! :smack: (dim memories of high-school chemistry) Yeah. Ethanol is _good_ for you. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/28 "2004-12-26T23:37:43Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Yeah. Ethanol is _good_ for you. Although if consumed in sufficient quantity, the magic 8-ball will be _smarter_. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/29 "2004-12-27T10:50:34Z")
Ahhh, a plausible answer! Thank you for all of your help, everyone. If anyone still thinks it is a mystery worth delving into, or perhaps knowledge that should be shared with the world, I will still e-mail it the staff. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/30 "2004-12-27T13:59:46Z")
The mysterious blue liquid in the magic eight ball is fnord. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985/31 "2004-12-27T15:55:44Z")
Antifreeze, if ethylene glycol, does not expain the horrible taste. Car antifreeze is sweet, the reason dogs will lap it up and die. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-blue-liquid/279985.md?page=1)