Dr. Pepper and the Tater Tot

So this morning I went to Sonic to get a giant Dr. Pepper because I woke up with a migraine from lack of it (don’t try telling me they don’t put crack in that soda).  As I was sitting in the drive thru, patiently waiting for my fix, er uh…soda, yeah, soda, I noticed there was a really large poster of tater tots and it got me thinking:  Tater tots are pretty complicated little characters.  They are barrel shaped.  Why?  I have no idea, but they are.  How do they hold together?  How do you get a teaspoon of shredded potatoes to stick together in the bag in the freezer until such time as you decide to bake or fry them?  Fairy magic?  Sheer will-power?  I don’t have any answers here people.  Only questions….only questions.