[meteorite-list] BS In The NYT: Black Market Trinkets From Space

From: Shawn Alan <photophlow_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2011 01:46:40 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <815394.16592.qm_at_web35403.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Hello Eric and Listers
?
Eric good post on the NYT Black market trading of meteorites. Really NYT? To me, the word Black Market means drugs, weapons, money laundering, poaching and so on. But meteorites, come on. I have to say that if the NYT can associate meteorites with the Black Market they have little to say about what is really going on in the meteorite world or the world.
?
I have been collecting over a year and a few months now and I have learned a lot just from this List and other members. It?s interesting to learn the different laws that countries have set up to protect national treasures. But what I can understand is why some countries/people/institutions have targets on the some communities in the meteorite market.
?
I see that the science/collecting world can work hand in hand and feel that their?relationships are symbiotic to one another. As funding keeps getting cut on the federal level who can science turn to for the recovery of meteorites? Nininger is a good example on?how one guy had a dream and from the dream has left a legacy and understanding of meteorite in the science community.
?
These people like Nininger I feel are important and as for the laws in varying countries I haven?t heard either way with Egypt on if it?s legal or illegal to remove meteorites from the country. As for the media painting a picture on the market of meteorites as being evil or bad, what?s next, meteorites cause cancer or cure the common cold? I mean we have seen that meteorite support terrorism?.
?
I just hope as collecting and science becomes more prevalent with meteorites that everyone can work together and be more unified. Collecting, learning, and experiencing these meteorites should not only be for science, or only for hunters, or only for collectors or only museums, but should be experienced to all in all forms of medium.
?
I do feel that with any field of work that commodity?s it product can be?an integral step in the understanding and development of that topic. With meteorites, if there was no value I think science or collators wouldn?t care. But that?s not the case and some people put it, why do meteorites have value, it?s because without these values, why would it exist. Why would anything exist in the global economy? It?s the lack and desire that puts praise into commodification. It?s the science and discoveries that enthrall us to wanting more with meteorites and the hopes and dreams and past events that tie meteoritical science into a mold that is reflective of culture.
?
I do sometimes take a step back and ask why, why do I collect, why do I have the desire to take an object and by doing so, I take it, I possess it, and I categorize it. Why do we do that and why must there be boundaries and set requirements. Why, because without the differentiate of commodifed items, without the rare to the common, there would be on why of hieratical order, it would be absent from the lack of hierarchal order, it would cease to exist.
?
We need these orders to continue the quest on meteorites and in fairness NYT needs bad story telling time to add numbers to their ratings and get more readerships. All in all, I do fell that as science continues and the economy continues there will be new ways to commodify items, to commodify science, arts, technology, social, social networking, and of course meteorites.

?
Shawn Alan
IMCA 1633
eBaystore
http://shop.ebay.com/photophlow/m.html

?
[meteorite-list] BS In The NYT: Black Market Trinkets From SpaceMeteorites USA eric at meteoritesusa.com
Mon Apr 4 15:30:53 EDT 2011


Previous message: [meteorite-list] Meteor/Meteor News with Ketchup
Next message: [meteorite-list] BS In The NYT: Black Market Trinkets From Space
Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

This is one of the most sensationalized, biased, uninformed, and skewed
article I've ever read on NYT's website regarding meteorites. Mainly the
article focuses on the Gebel Kamil iron meteorite, however it paints a
grim picture and tries to draw a connection to all meteorites implying
that the private market is somehow damaging the science.

Black Market Trinkets From Space:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/science/05meteorite.html
Quote: "Popular or not, the meteorites were taboo. In Egypt and
elsewhere, scientists say, it is illegal without a permit to remove
meteorites from a country."
Quote: "The scientists say they have relatively few samples compared
with the booming illicit sales."
Quote: "Dr. Harvey of Case Western Reserve said the quandary applied to
the scientific community as a whole. The rampant looting of meteorite
sites and skyrocketing prices for the fragments, he said, ?dramatically
reduce who can get samples to do the research."
Quote: "The black market has exploded in size mainly because of a rush
of new meteorites arriving from North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula."
Quote: "The collectors association, founded in 2004 in Nevada, now has
hundreds of members around the globe. And while some traders deal in
legitimate exports, many do not. One buyer expressed remorse after
reading about scientific angst over the thriving market. ?I?m very
ashamed,? the buyer wrote on a blog. ?I?m surely a part of the problem.

This article is irresponsible and borderline yellow journalism from the
NYT. They should be ashamed for running such a biased and uninformed
story. Well over half of the article weighs on the disadvantages and
more than infers a "possible" damage to science which is not there.

It almost completely ignores the great good that's been accomplished
through private collecting/hunting/curating or meteorites and the
contributions that have been made by private collectors and hunters. It
never mentions donations to institutions, how much of a sample is needed
to study any meteorite, nor does it mention how many people it brings to
the science. There is one very good quote from Anne which states:

?The scientists do not have time to go hunt for their own meteorites, so
somebody has to do it for them,? said Anne M. Black, president of the
collectors association. ?It?s common sense.?

To the uninformed reader, and inexperienced meteorite collector the NYT
article looks very bad and creates an artificially biased view from
those not familiar with meteorites. It's purely political.

I think it should be an article for MHC Magazine. To make it FAIR for
everyone involved, I want ALL points of view, from all sides. From the
scientific world, and the private market, as well as the points from the
center. Anyone who would like the opportunity to tell the WHOLE story,
who cares to write a rebuttal for the NYT's blatantly biased article,
send me your info. I would be more than happy to publish it!

Contact me with your comments, facts and opinions. This article will be
both on the blog http://www.mhcmagazine.com/blog/ and in the next issue
of the magazine!

Regards,
Eric Wichman
MHC Magazine
http://www.mhcmagazine.com





Previous message: [meteorite-list] Meteor/Meteor News with Ketchup
Next message: [meteorite-list] BS In The NYT: Black Market Trinkets From Space
Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

More information about the Meteorite-list mailing list
Received on Tue 05 Apr 2011 04:46:40 AM PDT