[meteorite-list] Ad - Please Ignore!!!! Way off topic!!!! Statingthe OBVIOUS!?? - About Cubes

From: Robert Verish <bolidechaser_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Feb 19 03:53:39 2005
Message-ID: <20050219085303.2911.qmail_at_web51708.mail.yahoo.com>

To those who come across this post via a Google search

--
Now that we've gone full circle on this "subject",
which is neither an "Ad" nor is "Way off topic!!",
just wanted to add some background history about these
centimeter cubes used for scale and orientation.
To the best of my memory the first time I saw a cube
scale used by a meteorite dealer was by Eric Twelker.
I believe they were made out of wood and were without
markings.  I thought it was a great idea.  He would
have many pieces of a meteorite he was selling, all in
various sizes, but in the images they would all look
the same size regardless of their weight.  The only
way to judge relative size was by looking at the
"wooden block" in the image.  In each successive
image, as the "block" got smaller, you knew the
specimens were getting larger.  
To the best of my memory the first time a cube with
"NASA markings" was used with a meteorite specimen in
an eBay auction was by . . . . me!
And here is how that came about.
It goes back to the time that UCLA was working on the
LA Mars rock, ~1998.  One of the researchers, Paul
Warren, gave me a cube scale to use in photographs of
LA 001 before it was to be cut.  I recognized it as
looking just like the centimeter cubes used on the
Antarctic meteorite web pages.  Paul confirmed that
the cube had been made by NASA.
This is the cube that appears in the Ron Baalke images
of LA 001 & 002.  I used this same cube in all of my
in-situ images of the meteorites I found in 1999 and
2000.  It is the same cube used in the Willcox Playa
002 images.  It was still in my camera bag when it was
stolen out of my truck.
It turns out that this cube was irreplaceable.  NASA
had made less than a handful of them and none of them
were obtainable.  Hearing of my plight, a good friend
of mine (a skilled arts & crafts person) offered to
make me a replica cube.  I liked it so much that I
requisitioned a dozen more to be made.  These are the
cubes that were made by Moni Waiblinger-Seabridge.
I shared these cubes with my meteorite-recovery team
members.  After these cubes appeared in images that I
used on eBay auctions, I got requests for them from
Rob Wesel, Matteo, and Peter Scherff.  Although it was
not necessary, Peter asked permission to improve upon
the "design".  And Peter has done just that.  I've
been recommending Peter to everyone requesting a
flat-black marked, centimeter cube scale, ever since.
Regardless of any concensus that meteorite dealers may
reach in regards to which style of cube scales are
politically correct, I will continue to use the black
centimeter cube with the white markings for all of my
scaling purposes.
  
With properly scaled regards,
Bob V.
--------------- Original Messsage ----------------
[meteorite-list] Ad - Please Ignore!!!! Way off
topic!!!! Statingthe OBVIOUS!??
drtanuki drtanuki at yahoo.com 
Fri Feb 18 22:49:58 EST 2005 
Dear Alexander, Martin, and List,
  I think that the cubes are wonderful IF they are
properly used; but I see many photos with the user not
understanding the orientation for the cube.  And for
many viewers outside of the US it is understood that
the dimension is 1cmX1cmX1cm; but for the common
"uneducated" ebay buyer the cube has no meaning.
Therefore by stating the dimensions in the text would
provide more clear information for most viewers.
  As for field geology,  the cubes would be useful;
but commonly the field geologist is left with using a
coin, lens cap, pen, pocket knife, rock hammer, or
something else that he/she happens to have available.
  Now about Planetary material.  Science is a dynamic
and hopefully progressive method to explain what is
being studied. Science cannot say with 100% certainty
that this or that meteorite came from this or that
planetary body.  We can state the evidence we have
that indicates, with some degree of certainty, that
this or that rock came from where....sometimes.  The
types of rocks and environments on most planetary
bodies should be highly variable....look at the
variety of rocks and minerals on the Earth for
example.
Planetary bodies are dynamic, and atmospheric gas and
rock formation processes are variable throughout the
formation and life of the planetary bodies.  Impacting
meteorites from another source  can "contaminate" the
surface samples that are/have been collected.
  Thank you both and list members for this debate. 
Sincerely, Dirk Ross...Tokyo
  

Received on Sat 19 Feb 2005 03:53:03 AM PST