[meteorite-list] Lorton, Smithsonian and "cool" scientists thinking
From: Gary Fujihara <fujmon_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:52:36 -1000 Message-ID: <A8003908-C827-4A57-93BC-14896AA965B6_at_mac.com> ... and may I add that not only are scientists these days sporting "ponytails, dreadlocks and tattoos" (and I know several), but more are of the female persuasion. Girl Power dude. On Jan 29, 2010, at 9:44 AM, Galactic Stone & Ironworks wrote: > Hi Steve and List, > > Great post and unfortunately very true. > > Something I have noticed in the last couple of years - more and more > scientists have ponytails, dreadlocks, and tattoos. When I watch > science documentaries on TV now, you often see a young scientist with > a goatee and dreadlocks. It's funny and encouraging at the same time. > Times are a changin and people are becoming more open minded and > tolerant. > > When I grew up in the early 70's, all scientists on TV had buzz-cuts > and looked like cops. So, perhaps this archaic anti-collecting > attitude we go the same way as the dinosaurs. Just give it time. > > Seriously, next time you watch a science documentary (especially the > ones about astronomy), take a look at the scientists they interview - > you see a few "old school" types, but you also see the next young crop > of up and coming scientists, and if looks are any gauge, then I feel > hopeful that these exclusionary attitudes and snobbish views will > disappear along with the buzz cuts and pocket protectors. ;) > > Best regards and happy hunting, > > MikeG > > PS - isn't the Smith publicly subsidized by tax payer money? If so, > what right do they have to deny access to the specimens? > > > > On 1/29/10, MeteorHntr at aol.com <MeteorHntr at aol.com> wrote: >> Hey List, >> >> It was my understanding that a local news station was called to the Lorton >> doctor's office, and then that TV news crew actually drove the meteorite >> to the Smithsonian for verification. At that time, it became obvious that >> it >> was a genuine meteorite and then efforts by the museum personnel were >> started to acquire this specimen for the museum. >> >> In any case, when I arrived at the fall site the next day after the story >> broke, with a Meteorite Men camera crew on my heels, Smithsonian personnel >> were there at the fall site, which I thought was great. You can't blame >> them for wanting to obtain the rock. In fact, there would be something >> wrong >> if they didn't want to acquire it. >> >> I will say that our Meteorite Men producers made extensive attempts to >> gain permission from the Smithsonian for me to come to the U.S. National >> Collection with a camera crew and shoot footage of Earth's newest alien >> visitor >> to appear in one of our upcoming February episodes. If the Lorton story >> would have played out big enough, it could have become its own episode, >> most >> likely running at the end of February or in March of this year. >> >> We were willing to pay the $1,000 shooting fee that the Smithsonian >> normally charges, but we were flatly denied ANY access to the Lorton >> specimen for >> our TV show. I am not sure of all of the reasons, and who made the actual >> decision to deny us and our audience the opportunity to see it first hand, >> but it seems that because the Smithsonian now has their own new cable TV >> network, and as such it is now their policy to not give any competing TV >> networks any access to shooting any of their stuff in their collections. >> >> We also wanted to film the actual Tucson Ring specimen, that is the >> centerpiece in the National Collection's public display, for this next >> Wednesday's episode of Meteorite Men, but we were flatly denied access a >> few months >> ago to shoot that as well. The February 3rd episode of Meteorite Men goes >> into the historical story of the Tucson Ring and of course, as the center >> piece to our National Collection now on display in Washington D.C., it's >> final resting place is an important part of the story of the greatest >> legend in >> all of meteorites. >> >> However, I was told that the "powers that be" at the Smithsonian did offer >> to sell us a black and white still photo of the Ring for $400 to use on >> the show. Nice of them, wasn't it? So, I don't think the problems we had >> this last week were related to the Lorton fall in particular, but seems to >> be >> a bigger bureaucratic problem elsewhere. >> >> Apparently, other networks have had severe access challenges lately in >> wanting to get footage of other national treasures since the Smithsonian >> cable >> network was formed. In our case it seems to be a real shame as it would >> have generated great PR for both our TV show and for the Smithsonian and >> for >> meteorites in general. >> >> Well, maybe one day, a few years down the road, we can look forward to the >> Smithsonian Cable TV Network running their own TV show about meteorites in >> general and maybe the Lorton specifically and we will all get to see it >> again. >> >> It is not my intention to paint the meteorite professionals at the >> National Collection in a bad light. In fact, I would invite them to >> respond here >> to give their side of the story. I have traded with the Smithsonian in the >> past and I even sold the Smithsonian some West specimens this last year. >> While the process was complicated and took a very long time, the people I >> worked with were great, and I consider them friends and colleagues in our >> celestial quest. I get the feeling that the challenges we face are in >> other >> departments other than theirs. >> >> I do know there is still some prejudice against the collecting community >> among some in governmental employed academia. There are those that still >> think all meteorites should be owned by governments and that there should >> be >> no private hunting for, collecting and owning of meteorites. There seems >> to be a few dinosaurs holding onto the idea that if someone earns a buck, >> or God forbid -- a living, in the meteorite business, it is a bad thing. >> (Ironically, I am still looking for the list of scientists and curators >> that >> donate 100% of their paychecks each week back to the institutions that >> employ them, because they really believe it is wrong for anyone to earn any >> money from working with meteorites.) And what is really ironic, is that >> people like Dr. Art Ehlmann at T.C.U., who really does all his meteorite >> work >> gratis, is on the top of the list of people who do their meteorite work for >> no pay AND he is also on the top of the list of scientists that support our >> collecting communities efforts. >> >> It is possible that there is an underlying fear that being associated with >> a TV show that features non-governmental collecting of meteorites could >> somehow cast them in a negative light, especially among a handful of archaic >> >> thinking colleagues that might scorn them at the Meteoritical Society >> meetings. Remember in junior high school, when a cool kid would talk with >> a >> non-cool kid, and all the other cool kids would shun their ill-acting >> member? >> Yea, I kind of think that "we are better than they are" thinking might >> still happen at some level amongst the "cool" scientists in the field. >> >> I am not sure who all still feels that way in the research community (maybe >> someone can make a list of them online?) as I have noticed a much more >> enlightened view from more and more scientists as the years pass. >> Hopefully >> that haughty bias will eventually dissolve away as people realize the >> positive contributions the private collector community makes to the science >> and >> that we are all in this great and healthy symbiotic relationship together. >> >> Steve Arnold >> of Meteorite Men >> >> ______________________________________________ >> Visit the Archives at >> http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html >> Meteorite-list mailing list >> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com >> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list >> > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list Gary Fujihara Big Kahuna Meteorites (IMCA#1693) 105 Puhili Place, Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 http://bigkahuna-meteorites.com/ http://shop.ebay.com/fujmon/m.html (808) 640-9161 Received on Fri 29 Jan 2010 02:52:36 PM PST |
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