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Comment by netcraft | Hacker News Reader

The first I have heard of Don Juan Pond (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Juan_Pond) although I wouldn't say it looks like a swimming pool (http://www.lakescientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/don-...).

Edit: Here is an article from brown that also draws parallels between Don Juan and Mars: https://news.brown.edu/articles/2013/02/antarctica

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Pretty sure it features in Kim Stanley Robinson's Antartica (AKA "White Mars") - where an unfortunate character takes a taste of the pond and everything tastes of salt for quite a while afterwards.

NB I learned about the nearby Airdevronsix Icefalls from Antartica - they are really quite impressive:

http://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/An/Antarctica/Antarctic...

It once looked like a swimming pool. From the wikipedia entry you linked:

"According to the USGS topographical map published in 1977, the area was approximately 0.25 km2 (62 acres). However, in recent years the pond has shrunk considerably. The maximum depth in 1993–1994 was described as "a foot deep" (30 cm). In January 1997, it was approximately 10 centimetres (3.9 in) deep; in December 1998 the pond was almost dry everywhere except for an area of a few tens of square meters."

Well, I definitely wouldn't choose that picture if I was trying to convince somebody to swim in it. This one looks better, although still not sure I could actually "swim".

http://www.worldalldetails.com/article_image/natural_phenome...

Not so long ago it was stated frequently and with certainty that there was no liquid water on Mars. That there could be no liquid water on Mars. Which having read into the topic I thought was obviously non sense. Now every one is like there's water on mars, we've know for a while - you can see the flows. In fact we deliberately don't go to places likely to be wet for fear of cross contamination. I feel like I have been fed spin. Why don't other people see this and more importantly why aren't other people angry at being mislead? I feel like there is a consistent attempt to manipulate the truth before it is presented for public consumption, in many spheres of life. Who are these people that deem themselves entitled enough to decide what is known and what is unknown?

I don't think most people intentionally do this. It just makes someone look smart if they proclaim things confidently and so they do it. I try to be as honest as possible when communicating and I have caught myself sometimes stating things with more confidence than I had. I think it might just be part of how humans communicate...

[citation required]

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