Pursued Exploratory Drilling - looking for possible fluid in the shell

Craniectomy PerformedAt this step, the rotary tool was converted from drill mode to cutting mode.

The Inner Workings Were RevealedThe section that was disconnected from the outer shell was removed, revealing the top of what appeared to be a cylinder

Cylinder RemovedThe white top was grasped and pulled, and the inner cylinder was removed. The opposite end of the cylinder is composed of clear plastic, and forms the window through which erudite answers are viewed. The cylinder seems to have two chambers, one which contains the mysterious "answer device", and another which seems designed to trap bubbles

An Opinion was ObtainedThe cylinder of fluid and device are still able to render opinions without the protection of the outer shell.

Drain Holes DrilledIn order that the presumably harmless blue fluid could be drained, the authors drilled two drain holes in the cylinder

Cylinder ExsanguinatedAs soon as the second drain hole was drilled, the cylinder began to lose fluid quite rapidly

Discovered Icosahedral Answer Device

A Note About the Blue Fluid- Two human subjects including one of the authors volunteered for a non-blind Type I safety trial of the blue fluid. The investigators initially believed the fluid to be water with dissolved dye. The trial subjects self-administered small doses of the fluid to their tongues. Trial subjects reported the following side-effects: Hideous taste 100 Numbness of the application area 100 Blue fingertips 100 Headache 50

Further Examination of the Answer IcosahedronPictured here, the answer device was examined carefully. It was found to have the following distribution of answer types: 50 Positive e.g. "Yes - Definitely" 25 Negative e.g. "My Sources Say No" 25 Vague e.g. "Better Not Tell You Now" The typeface used on the answer icosahedron is a sans serif small-caps font.

Shell DetritusPictured here, the authors examined the 8-Ball shell and found that the equatorial region near the seam contained a plastic support to hold the cylinder upright. Nothing else of interest was discovered

Cylinder RemainsThe authors also examined the cylinder which contained the actual answer icosahedron