by Ava Gayl, Aranya Bava, + Clarissa Goddard (8th)

Hey y’all! We are back with our 4th article of WUT? (Why U Think?), where we answer the age-old question of why a person’s brain needs to function properly when they can have fun facts think for them.

Mars isn’t actually a sphere?

While most of the other rocky planets are said to be perfectly round despite their rocky nature, scientists have actually discovered that Mars, the red planet, is actually more rugby ball shaped than anything else. This is due to Mars’ rotation around the sun, which causes what is called a major equatorial bulge, which is when centrifugal force pushes outwards, causing the planet to appear almost pear-like.

There’s no such thing as no calorie foods

All foods contain some amount of fat, protein, or carbohydrates that provide energy. The idea of "negative-calorie" foods, which are supposed to require more energy to digest than they provide, is a myth. Foods marketed as zero-calorie, such as certain drinks and products, can contain trace amounts that are not enough to be counted or are so low that they can be labeled as such.

Hot water can freeze faster than cold water

Although it might sound counterintuitive, it is true - sometimes. It’s called the Mpemba effect, and it can only occur during variables and effects. Hot water loses mass quickly through evaporation, so it will have less water to freeze if put in a cold environment. It also has less gases, which affect its freezing properties positively. Another phenomenon can cause the hot water to freeze faster - but it happens to the cold water. If water is so cold, without turning/turning to ice, it can actually supercool when brought to a below freezing temperature. 

Celeb Facts: Orpah

So, apparently we have all been lied to by one of America's greatest treasures. Oprah Winfrey, known commonly for her talk show, her philanthropy, and “You get a car, and you get a car” has held a big not-so-secret from the public for a while now. You see, she wasn’t originally born with the name Oprah. Originally, her aunt named her Orpah, after the biblical character in the Book of Ruth, but since literally no one in her family was able to pronounce her name, they switched the p and r in her name to make it a bit more pronounceable.

Happy Holidays! The origin of the Holiday Card

According to the Smithsonian, way back in the “dark ages” (1843) a Victorian elitist named Henry Cole, proud founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in England, was trying to find a way to answer his piles of HAPPY HOLIDAYS mail from all of his other elitist friends. It would take him absolutely forever to answer all of it, so he came up with a solution. He teamed up with his artist friend J.C Horsley, and together the two set about designing a card that he could create to send holiday greetings to all of his friends; the final copy was 5 ⅛ by 3 ¼ inch card picturing a family at holiday dinner. The card still serves as a basis of the classic Christmas card, and the original card still exists, with a couple of copies preserved.