[meteorite-list] Yet another gimmicky expensive meteorite"collectable"

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2009 11:45:02 -0400
Message-ID: <e51421550907070845r258db362u65d9c471d5975612_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Steve and List,

My curse/talent for oversimplification strikes again. Yes Steve, you
are right on the money with that.

I think science should always get first look at
scientifically-interesting new meteorites. But, outside or freelance
hunters should not be ignored either - look at the Tagish Lake debacle
for example.

Frankly, if another H chondrite or common coarse octahedrite lands in
the Australian Outback or the Canadian Yukon, why should science want
a monopoly on the material, or to severely restrict it? Is there some
hidden meaning inside an L6 chondrite that has not been revealed with
decades of research on thousands on similar specimens? What benefit
are scientists reaping by keeping the gates closed on lands around
Canyon Diablo? Have any new insights come from the study of these
materials that is sufficient to justify their restriction? IMO, no.

Look at the new Martian announced on the list recently by Chaldni's
Heirs and the Hupes - sure, some ended up on eBay and into private
cabinets, but much more of the material ended up going to institutions
and universities for study. But where would this new Martian be if
private individuals had not found it, traded it, brought it to light,
classified it, and distributed it? It would have been buried by the
next sandstorm and perhaps never found. Or maybe one of the hundreds
of government and institutional expedition teams would have found it -
you know, those teams that are out in there in droves tripping over
each other to find specimens. ;)

Buzzard Coulee is a good example - why the holdup on export permits?
Have the Canadians used this new H4 chondrite to unlock quantum
teleportation? Does it cure Alzheimers? Let the private market have
a crack at it already. And if something exotic is discovered later
and the H4 chondrite turns out to be something special, then there is
plenty of material to go around anyway - the 41kg TKW stated in the
Met Bulletin is very conservative.

Why can't their be a synergy between the freelance hunters and the
institutions/universities/governments? Why does the private market
and the science have to be segregrated? On the one hand, lay people
can join the Meteoritical Society and help support it's efforts
financially (which many members voluntarily do through the endowment
fund, myself included), yet as private collectors we are threatened
with arrest if we try to park on the side of taxpayer-funded road and
stoop down to pick up a 5gr piece of oxidized shale. It's silly and
unnecessary.

Best regards and happy huntings,

MikeG





On 7/7/09, MeteorHntr at aol.com <MeteorHntr at aol.com> wrote:
> MikeG and all,
>
> You said: "It is in nobody's best interest to restrict the search for,
> discovery
> of, and trade of meteorites."
>
> I want to correct you. It is in the financial short term best interest
> for researches and their institutions in a country to get grant money to
> study their new meteorites. If they let the new meteorites out of their
> borders, that is potentially millions of dollars those institutions won't
> get of
> grant money that someone else will get.
>
> That is the ONLY logical reason. A bad reason, but it is a reason.
>
> And that greed and selfishness is strong enough in some places to get the
> stupid laws past. As Martin pointed out, in many cases it might just be
> one researcher the nudges the right person to get such a law passed.
>
> Of course the results of such thinking is bad in the long term, but
> nowadays, no one seems to care about the long term, only the short term.
>
> Steve Arnold
> of "Meteorite Men"
>
>
> In a message dated 7/7/2009 9:41:36 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
> meteoritemike at gmail.com writes:
> Hi Martin and List,
>
> Well analyzed Martin. Reading your posts on these matters is like
> receiving an education. Now if we could just get the governments in
> question to read this list and consider what Martin has written
> extensively on, then we might see a return to reason.
>
> It is in nobody's best interest to restrict the search for, discovery
> of, and trade of meteorites.
>
> Best regards and clear skies,
>
> MikeG
>
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>

-- 
.........................................................
Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA)
Member of the Meteoritical Society.
Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network.
Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com
..........................................................

Received on Tue 07 Jul 2009 11:45:02 AM PDT