[meteorite-list] Pros at Work II

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:43:44 +0100
Message-ID: <00b201cb82aa$4c949c10$e5bdd430$_at_de>

Yah Mike,

in Australia, unfortunately, we will have to wait a generation longer.
Look what the meteorite grand ayatollah over all Australia had written:

"Unlike Antarctica, where meteorite recovery has been almost exclusively by
teams from recognized research institutions, the 'hot' deserts of the world
have been open to all collectors. During the 1980s, in parallel with
heightened interest in space science, the number of private meteorite
collectors throughout the world increased dramatically. The number of
collector-dealers who acquire meteorites for re-sale also increased. Some
dealers have made large sums of money from meteorites collected from
deserts, and this success has sparked off something like of a 'gold rush'
mentality amongst other collectors who had previously no interest in
meteorites. Many of the collectors and dealers have operated anonymously, so
their role in the history of meteorite collection from desert cannot be
written. Although there is no doubt that a very large number of meteorites
have been brought to science, dubious practices by some collectors have
jeopardized potential scientific gain."

To translate it into a more simple English: Dealers, collectors, hunters are
a Pack and a Pest.

Strangely enough, he bemoans in the same article, that nor lunar or Martian
has been found in the Nullarbor region. So he seems not to know, what he
wants.

Even more strange is, that he learned and studied his profession in London,
and that he was long years at the BMNH, where so many specimens of the
collection stem from dealers, collectors, hunters and where the acquisition
of meteorites from them, was over almost 200 years THE method of enlarging
the collection.

I know, Mike, that all is very unsatisfying, because it is so nonscientific
and unnecessary, also to a degree libelous,
but I fear, that we still have to be patient and have to wait for a new
generation of Australian meteoricists.

We're not allowed to say anything.
Well - I'm indeed soooo old already, that I know and witnessed, what for a
great meteorite nation Australia still was in the 1980s.
They brought everything down with their laws, while in all other desert
countries we had such an upswing!

Today Australia is playing in the league of small humid nations.

Whether in our live-times, hey Mike you're only 1 year younger than me, we
still will see, that Australia will turn back to normality - I simply don't
know it.

So what. The meteorite doesn't care, whether it (he, she?) is found.
Only some meteoricists and collectors do. (hopefully one day also in
Australia again).

Wintertime is coming.
Good that Greg posted some fine pics. Else the topic would be too sad.

"We didn't find any meteorites but Geoff and Alex found tektites, Geoff also
found a blue tongue lizard and Erika and Kath found a snake (!)"

Nor did I, I found two black cats today (but I find them every day), a
spotted woodpecker I saw and a hedgehog at night and I found a sock, I was
missing for quite a while. Under the carpet it was. (must have been the
cat..).



Best!
Martin



-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Galactic
Stone & Ironworks
Gesendet: Freitag, 12. November 2010 20:23
An: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] Pros at Work II

Hi Martin,

I would think that a government-funded (or grant-funded, or
funds-limited) operation could utilize other official resources for
the effort to find meteorites.

For example, if Australia does not want to encourage private
participation to increase the number of people searching (and finds),
then perhaps one could enlist the help of school children. This has
been done numerous times, to good effect, around the world - in India,
in China, in the US, and elsewhere. It doesn't take a scientist to
spot a meteorite in a strewnfield. An 8-year old, with training, can
walk a grid and find meteorites. The child would call out to an
adult, who would them come over, log the find in-situ, and
congratulate the lucky finder.

A classroom of science-minded kids would get a field-trip out of the
boring classroom, get exposed to nature, and have a positive
experience which would educate and entertain. Granted, the desert is
not the best place to bring a classroom full of children, but the
point is still valid. A mock hunt could be done on school grounds
that simulates the conditions of a true field hunt. When they get
older, perhaps in high school, they could go on a real field trip to
the desert with full supervision and guidance.

This would provide a large number of "boots on the ground" to cover
grids, and it would be cheaper for the government (or institution)
than hiring private contractors or giving up a portion of the finds to
private hunters.

It's why they send kids door to door selling candy bars - it's free labor.
;)

I'd much rather see the participation of private hunters, like many on
this list, than see meteorites go undiscovered in the field. Sure, it
can be argued that they will last for thousands of years before
complete terrestrialization, but is not a fresh meteorite more
valuable to science?

Imagine, an "All Star" global meteorite hunt. Wherever a meteorite
has fallen, a roster of meteoritical personalities of repute would
descend upon the area. To map, grid, log and recover the specimens.
Team Arnold. Team Hupe. Team Farmer. And so on and so on - many
more familiar names with a long history of success hunting meteorites.
 All working in tandem with a common goal - to recover meteorites.

Instead, we see laws where this kind of participation and cooperation
is discouraged or outlawed. :(

Best regards and happy huntings,

MikeG

----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Received on Fri 12 Nov 2010 03:43:44 PM PST