Wow - Another example of a "MediaWrong" It's just too bad. I can't even imagine the 1000's of type specimens provided to institutions throughout the world by private meteorite hunters; not even to mention the specimens donated or sold to museums for display and study. Greg S.
---------------------------------------- > Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2011 12:30:53 -0700 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: [meteorite-list] BS In The NYT: Black Market Trinkets From Space > > 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 > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
