The Miracle Machine made its way around the Internet this past week, exciting potential buyers (7,000 people signed up to crowd-fund) and journalists (around 600 media outlets worldwide covered it). Mashable quoted the machine maker's press release explaining that more than 200,000 people watched the below video:
Turns out the device with "Jesus-like" abilities (just add a few quality ingredients) was a hoax. The founders explain below:
The Miracle Machine was a marketing campaign for Wine to Water, a nonprofit organization. Fake products with remarkable abilities have proven to be the latest advertising trend. Unlike other marketing hoaxes like HOVr from Funny or Die or LIVR from comedian Matt Mayer, this was to promote an organization that aims to provide access to clean water to communities in need.
According to Water.org nearly 1 billion people worldwide lack access to potable water, and 3.4 million die from water-related diseases. Water resources also affect cultural issues. According to Voss Foundation, women in sub-Saharan Africa sacrifice educational opportunities because they spend their days walking miles to fetch water. Engineers are working to create effective, easy ways to filter both pathogens and poisonous contaminants. It is not as simple as filling up a Brita pitcher, which isn't designed to remove contaminants like fecal matter.
If the Miracle Machine made potable water, now that would be miraculous.
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