[meteorite-list] "SNEAKY LITTLE DEVILS" NJO CONFIRMED METEORWRONG

From: Darryl Pitt <darryl_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 12 May 2007 06:26:42 -0400
Message-ID: <C3236CDA-1FC4-45F9-B9EC-35C190D32E09_at_dof3.com>

It has finally been determined by experts that the NJO is not a
meteorite.

In Friday's AP story, Rutgers University geologist Jerry Delaney was
quoted as saying,"I was wrong. Sneaky little devil."

The second sentiment is not even remotely accurate.

As I mentioned to the list in January, there was absolutely nothing
about the NJO which resembled a new meteorite. I advised the Newark
Star Ledger, The New York Times and AP in writing that the NJO was
not a meteorite. I contacted the museum at Rutgers prior to their
exhibition of the object---which generated the largest attendance on
a single day---that this was not a meteorite.

The only "sneaky little devils" are the folks at Rutgers University.

Stories are released on Friday nights so the story will miss the news
cycle. It's for stories that would cause embarrassment; it's for
those moments where you hope the story disappears.

This is just so deplorable---and it's not an isolated instance of how
an institution with something to gain---and the media---work. But
for scientists to be so sloppy in THEIR work is just
so....disappointing. As I wrote to the list several months ago:
"While [this] may ultimately be among the most unusual freshly fallen
meteorites known to exist, such an assessment cannot and should not
ever have been made by simply passing it around for a casual analysis
and singing kumbaya."

Here is the latest story....in case you missed it.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070511/ap_on_sc/fallen_object


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