According to the History Channel, the game of eight ball was invented shortly after 1900 and popularized after the 1961 film “The Hustler.” Billiards, a similar game on a pocketless table ...
The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Pose a question to a Magic 8 Ball, and it’ll answer yes, no, or something annoyingly indecisive. We think of it as a kid’s toy ...