[meteorite-list] Museum investigation: 'Probably a rock, not meteorite'

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:36:35 +0200
Message-ID: <002701cadc01$69932750$07b22959_at_name86d88d87e2>

"If I pick anything up off of the surface of the earth, at this point in
time, it already belongs to someone - unless I manage to find it in
international waters,...."

Not correct, Jason.
There exists the concept of "ownerless objects".

The third stone of the Neuschwanstein-fall was such an object, said the
court.

Btw if we now start to discuss about to whom the dirt sticking on the bottom
side of our shoe soles might belong,
then I think we will converge the intellectual content of meteorite
legislation.

Cooee!! Meteorite laws are SILLY !! And very TRIVIAL.

There is nothing to sophisticate about.

Why there are meteorite laws and what is the simple intention of them?

A few men and women decided:

We want meteorites. We want them:

1) for free
2) without any efforts
3) we don't want to have to find them

Plain and simple.

With 2) and 3) everyone agrees, with 1) not.

What the problem is, that some don't get it, that with 1), 2) and 3)
together, they don't get no meteorites at all.
Says the Meteoritical Bulletin published by the Meteoritical Society,
London.

And that some care, some not.

That's the whole secret.

Best.
Martin

-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Jason
Utas
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 14. April 2010 19:53
An: Meteorite-list
Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] Museum investigation: 'Probably a rock,not
meteorite'

Carl, All,

I wouldn't equate it at all to the pole analogy, because...well, it's
different. The pole is already owned by someone to begin with.

You can't really argue that, if I hit a pole with my car, I will gain
the right to own it. Even if my car is parked and a telephone pole
falls on it, that pole is still the property of whoever owned the pole
- if it weren't, the pole would become mine and I would have to pay
for the damages caused by *my* pole.
And if anything that hits my car becomes mine...well, let's just say
that I'm sorely tempted to try to drive my way into the lobby of the
AMNH and give good ole' Willamette a nudge with my bumper.
Received on Wed 14 Apr 2010 02:36:35 PM PDT