Eerie Erie

Lake Erie to the north of Ohio and to the south of Ontario is flat and relatively shallow as the Great Lakes go. It is near and dear to me because I've lived almost my whole life on its shores so I was surprised by this story of a "mirage" on the lake. According to the story, in perfect weather conditions, you can see across the 57 surface miles to Canada (or vice versa for our Canadian friends).

The idea itself is interesting, but what really caught my eye was the contradiction in the headline, the lede, and the story itself. The headline reads, "Scientists say Erie mirage could be real." The story quotes two professors (physics and aerospace & mechanical engineering) who say it's possible. But the lede (the story's first line that is supposed to give you a brief, general summary of the story) says, "Scientists say it's a mirage, but others swear that when the weather is right, Clevelanders can see across Lake Erie and spot Canadian trees and buildings 50 miles away." No where in the story do scientists say it's a hoax, a mirage, a myth, a fallacy. Nothing. This writer should be embarrassed for such a pitiful piece of writing on what in my (admittedly biased) opinion is a cool topic.