Well, drat. Just when we thought miracles were possible, it turns out the water-to-wine Kickstarter project aptly named 'The Miracle Machine' was a hoax.
It's not all bad news, though. Though the machine that magically turned water into wine with the support of an iOS or Android app and the addition of grape concentrate, yeast, and a sachet of mystery ingredients turned out to be a hoax, it was a hoax with a heart of gold. Wine entrepreneurs Kevin Boyer and Phillip James spun the story to encourage donations to the Wine to Water charity, an effort that sees the purchase of three bottles of wine produce enough drinking water for 30 people in poverty-stricken regions.
"It would be a miracle if we truly could turn water into wine with minimal effort and just a few ingredients. The reality is, the Miracle Machine does not exist," said Boyer. He continued: "In just under two weeks, the Miracle Machine went viral with over 500 million media impressions as more than 200,000 people watched the Miracle Machine video, nearly 600 media outlets around the world covered the story, 6,000 people tweeted about it, and 7,000 people signed up for a potential crowd-funding platform to invest in the faux machine." The duo has no reservations about their ploy. "If by lending our reputations, we could bring a broader reach [to Wine to Water] and save one life, we'd do it 10 times over again," confirmed Boyer to NPR's The Salt.
The story wasn't a complete dupe, with no operating Kickstarter page ever set up for the faux-product. While it may have seen like a technological delay to those eager to chip in, it's now apparent that there was never a real need for one. The real option saves some considerable cash, as well - while the so-called Miracle Machine was said to retail for $499, the real option of purchasing three bottles of wine from Wine to Water for anywhere from $75-93 means more clams in your pocket and more clear, drinkable water for those in need.
By Wine to Water's estimation, one child is killed by contaminated water-related diseases every 21 seconds. Now that's a sobering thought.
