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

From: Walter Branch <waltbranch_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2011 16:55:54 -0400
Message-ID: <96602C69B8FD4443A1B05EAEAE30DB92_at_walterdesktop>

Mike-

Good point. Martin has written excellent material along these these lines.


-Walter
-----------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Gilmer" <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
To: <mail at mhmeteorites.com>
Cc: <meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com>; "Meteorite-list"
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 4:07 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] BS In The NYT: Black Market Trinkets From
Space


I'd point the editors to the mountain of rebuttals that Martin Altmann
has posted to the List in the past on the subject of meteorites and
laws. The "collector versus science" pseudo-conflict makes for
dramatic reading, but it has no basis in reality.

Best regards,

MikeG

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites

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On 4/4/11, mail at mhmeteorites.com <mail at mhmeteorites.com> wrote:
> Perhaps one of the many esteemed researchers on this list would be kind
> enough to write a rebuttal.
> Matt
> ------------------------
> Matt Morgan
> Mile High Meteorites
> http://www.mhmeteorites.com
> P.O. Box 151293
> Lakewood, CO 80215
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Yinan Wang <veomega at gmail.com>
> Sender: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
> Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2011 14:44:02
> To: Meteorite-list<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] BS In The NYT: Black Market Trinkets From
> Space
>
> For those who are inclined to do so, you can certainly write a letter
> to the editor which may be published in the Opinions page of the NY
> times as a response:
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/content/help/site/editorial/letters/letters.html?ref=letters
>
> -YvW
>
> On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 2:30 PM, Meteorites USA <eric at meteoritesusa.com>
> wrote:
>> 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
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Received on Mon 04 Apr 2011 04:55:54 PM PDT