Algebra Textbook Cover Goes Viral for the Most Unbelievable Reason

Most textbooks we get as students have generic pictures of animals or the great outdoors on the cover, but one textbook cover has people on social media wondering how the cover is even possible.

This College Prep Algebra textbook cover isn’t just a diverse group of kids smiling while holding other textbooks. They’re smiling while holding the very textbook they’re featured on!

https://twitter.com/riarklerise/status/733389885038428161

The Twittersphere is going crazy trying to justify how they can be posing for the picture they are about to take while already having it displayed on the books they are holding.

Perhaps they took two pictures? Or maybe they used a green screen?

Twitter users seem to agree on the most plausible reason – time travel.

Woah woah, time travel isn't taught till Calculus BC, not Algebra. https://t.co/FV6CljirtC

— Kuya (@Joshua_Not_Josh) May 21, 2016

This proves that algebra is a gateway skill for time travel.

— Jim, VoR (@JimYoull) May 21, 2016

Spoiler Alert. The answer is in the sequel: Algebra II, Using Time Travel To Kill Hitler.

— the other Paul (@fuzzycloud) May 21, 2016

As great as that theory is, BuzzFeed reported the real reason the students appeared to time travel.

As it turns out, the photo of the students is just a stock photo where they are carrying average notebooks.

The publisher just used Photoshop magic to put the textbooks in the students’ hands.

With the mystery solved, students can get back to focusing on what’s inside the book – boring algebra – unless there are more secrets waiting to be discovered.