Magic 8-Ball: A Clairvoyant’s LegacyTurning a spirit communication device into a toy

From the show

The Secret Life of Objects

The iconic toy originated as a serious tool for contacting the dead. Invented by Albert Carter to commercialize his mother's psychic abilities, the device struggled until a billiards partnership transformed it. This history reveals how a son's tribute to the occult became a mass-market plastic gag.