[meteorite-list] Accepting Inquiries From Accredited Scientific or Educational Institutions...

From: Bob King <nightsky55_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2015 13:16:55 -0500
Message-ID: <CAG5KyVkk4_MejGPeY=+3aj0gB_9x0SXLnt2F=cZZBZi8Hvbp2g_at_mail.gmail.com>

Peter,
I think MikeG. wrote a very kind reply trying to help you out. And
he's correct, there are no granite meteorites. You would do well to
follow his advice. My own opinion is that you have some low resolution
photos of rusty rocks which I'm doubtful are meteorites. You'll need
to shoot higher resolution images under better (try outdoors) lighting
for anyone to make a possible confirmation. Your best bet is to grind
off an edge of one of them with coarse sandpaper or a diamond file to
see inside. If you find silvery, metallic flecks - NOT mineral
crystals - scattered about the rock's matrix then let us know.
In the meantime I would caution you against taking up the martyr of
truth vs. scientific establishment approach.
Regards,
Bob

On Sun, Jun 7, 2015 at 12:55 PM, Peter Richards via Meteorite-list
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> wrote:
> Mike, I think your approach is great for novices. I know that not only
> you but many professional meteoricists have your "hardline", barely
> logical, if so, preconceived, "paper form" reply, when, of course, it
> is an odd inheritor of the mantle of people who once said meteorites
> did not even exist, which I believe Geoff Notkin has reported included
> the heads of the Catholic church at one point historically. I get that
> scientists, like you seem to me to, might prefer to discredit the
> possibility than be honest, yet, again, it is what it is. My previous
> statements are what they are. You can call them what you want, at the
> behest of yourself or your friends or whoever motivates you to do what
> you do. Of course, oddly enough, you seemingly disingenuous people are
> leaning into this, and seem prepared to throw your all at me in such a
> muckracking match, in lieu of the professionals. Really, I have some
> emails from them, so it is the same. You all are what you are, the
> rock is what it is (as previously described), and I am what I am, and
> maybe I should have not been provoked by your message, and ignored it,
> but, I have already written this and the "send" button is in sight, so
> do not fight. I know how great you all are. I have explained what you
> are doing. I don't know why. It does protect your financial interests,
> and my writing the truth, and not being cowed by past "infidelities"
> is my attempt to protect my own.
> cordially,
> Peter
> P.S. There are no granite meteorites recognized/officially-known and
> would it not be bizarre if some people had a bias towards wanting it
> to stay that way?
>
> On Sun, Jun 7, 2015 at 11:09 AM, Galactic Stone & Ironworks
> <meteoritemike at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi Peter,
>>
>> It's hard to tell from the photos, but I do not see any outward signs
>> that would suggest these rocks might be meteorites. I do not see any
>> fusion crust, and what I do see is probably desert varnish. Desert
>> varnish forms on all rocks, not just meteorites.
>>
>> Have you done a streak test or specific gravity test? These are both
>> low-tech tests that anybody can use to narrow down the range of
>> possibilities. If the rocks fails the streak test, it's not a
>> meteorite. If the rock has a specific gravity that falls outside the
>> range for stony meteorites, then it's not a meteorite.
>>
>> You will find that most "accredited" institutions that work with
>> meteorites do not accept unsolicited samples because of the sheer
>> volume of rocks clogging the system waiting for analysis.
>>
>> My advice is to use the streak and specific gravity tests to help rule
>> in/out the possibility of the stones being meteoritic or terrestrial.
>> If the rocks pass these tests, then try cutting a window into one of
>> them and see if there are any chondrules or metal flecks.
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> MikeG
>>
>> PS - there are no granite meteorites, so if the rock is "granite" then
>> it is not a meteorite.
>>
>> --
>> -------------------------------------------------------------
>> Web - http://www.galactic-stone.com
>> Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
>> Twitter - http://twitter.com/galacticstone
>> Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/galacticstone
>> -------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> On 6/7/15, Peter Richards via Meteorite-list
>> <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> wrote:
>>> Hello Michael, no, but I will pass the Actlabs information on to any
>>> representatives of accredited institutions who inquire. The stone is a
>>> granite, and the photos may not tell the story of the crust glaringly,
>>> but it is apparently what is there, for those of us (me only right
>>> now) who have the privilege of holding the stone. Thank you for the
>>> "bump" anyway, although, of course, I am wondering what your
>>> intentions were. Anyway, again, you use official scale cubes, and
>>> these animal sculptures are all I have right now, but I understand
>>> that it is less than fully ideal, and, again, this is not a commercial
>>> sale, so to Mr. Farmer's defence, he is not lowering the price for
>>> some associate of his to buy. Yes, I am a real person and an American
>>> citizen, and the rock is as it was described, and I am sorry that some
>>> people want to tell me it is what sort of terrestrial rock by chance?
>>> God knows. Keep looking if interested, and I will try to improve the
>>> photos, but there is perhaps adequate visual information already.
>>> regards,
>>> Peter
>>>
>>> On Sat, Jun 6, 2015 at 11:08 PM, Michael Farmer <mike at meteoriteguy.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>> What kind of Nigerian scam attempt is this email? Trying to sell garbage
>>>> trinkets?
>>>> A,asking what makes it on the list these days.
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>>
>>>>> On Jun 6, 2015, at 8:48 PM, Peter Richards via Meteorite-list
>>>>> <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> To whom it may concern, I am offering this link, for the benefit of
>>>>> representatives of accredited educational and scientific institutions,
>>>>> displaying a stone which an Actlabs (of Lancaster, Ontario) report has
>>>>> identified to me as a granite, which, is almost definitely meteoritic,
>>>>> which I say due to the distinct coating, and its shape, given that I
>>>>> have not shaped or coated this stone and that these traits appear in
>>>>> no way artificial. I can only guess what value to anyone denying that
>>>>> this could be a meteorite is, but I will have to preclude such
>>>>> proclamations by reminding people that, unless I have truly missed
>>>>> something, there is less evidence to support such a claim than there
>>>>> is to support my above-made claim.
>>>>> Here is a link to a photo album, please see first photo (sculptures
>>>>> are for scale reference, btw):
>>>>> http://www.ipernity.com/doc/312101/album/793480
>>>>> I am gauging interest alone here, I do not suppose this counts as an
>>>>> ad, for the purposes are less than commercial although I, of course,
>>>>> would like to determine if it is legal for any grants, or such things,
>>>>> to be given by any willing recipients of any material I make
>>>>> available, to me, as a token of gratitude, to compensate for my
>>>>> exertions while acquiring this, and to help me better conserve what I
>>>>> have collected, in case there is indeed scientific value belonging to
>>>>> this collection of mine, and, it is ultimately up to Art whether or
>>>>> not this counts as an advertisement technically speaking.
>>>>> Promptness will be much appreciated and rewarded where possible.
>>>>> Once more, this is for accredited educational or scientific
>>>>> institutions. I will hear of interest from outside the U.S., but the
>>>>> state department's approval will be needed before anything is provided
>>>>> to such institutions, as according to law.
>>>>> Thank you and kindest regards to all,
>>>>> Peter E. D. Richards
>>>>> currently of Chicago, IL
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Received on Sun 07 Jun 2015 02:16:55 PM PDT