[meteorite-list] Fredericksburg meteorite and politics ofscience

[Michael Farmer]

Pete, at the time, Dr Wasson was one of the only
people working on iron meteorites. I tried to submit
it via other labs, when they heard that Dr. Wasson was
working on it, they declined. 
Michael Farmer
--- Pete Pete <rsvp321 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> >>he ignored me, and sat on the
> information for years
> 
> Hi, List,
> This may be a silly question, but if one location of
> analysis is a bit 
> tardy, is it unethical to send another sample to
> another lab?
> 
> Cheers,
> Pete
> 
> 
> From: Michael Farmer <meteoriteguy at yahoo.com>
> To: drtanuki <drtanuki at yahoo.com>,
> meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Fredericksburg
> meteorite and politics 
> ofscience
> Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:34:48 -0700 (PDT)
> 
> Dirk, I have no idea, but it is clearly a personal
> issue with Dr. Wasson. I gave them more than 500
> grams
> of a meteorite, I was never contacted again, or
> thanked for that gift. I was further ignored for
> nearly a decade when time and time again, I
> requested
> data.
> That there could be an argument about who was on the
> meteorite first, well, this is the real world. Dr
> Wasson had years to buy the meteorite. He did not,
> he
> got angry when the owner decided to sell to me. I
> saw
> the emails, asking time and time again that Dr.
> Wasson
> make a decision on the meteorite, all unanswered.
> Can ANYONE see a problem then, with me forking over
> $100 bills, HUNDREDS of them, when the owner offered
> the meteorite to me? Mr Wasson was then outraged
> that
> I snatched the meteorite from UCLA! That is
> laughable.
> So after I gave him for free something that I have
> paid thousands for, he ignored me, and sat on the
> information for years. This is true professionalism
> in
> science right there!
> Michael Farmer
> --- drtanuki <drtanuki at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
>  > Open letter to the LIST and the NOMCOM and
>  > Meteoritics
>  > Researchers,
>  >
>  > Mike Farmer and others have brought up the
> question
>  > of
>  > ethics and politics in meteoritics among
>  > researchers.
>  > Two examples that come to mind are Fredricksburg
> and
>  > NWA 869.
>  >   Does the NOMCOM have an ethics committte or a
>  > special committe that is assigned to researching
>  > scientific misconduct and other problems within
> the
>  > research community and the NOMCOM itself?
>  >   If you know of other research misconduct please
>  > feel
>  > free to write about it on this list or privately.
>  >   Thank you, Sincerely, Dirk Ross...Tokyo
>  >
>  > --- Michael Farmer <meteoriteguy at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>  >
>  > > List members.
>  > > I must express my disappointment with Jason for
>  > > quipping that the fact that the Fredericksburg
>  > > meteorite has not been classified, thus is not
> a
>  > > meteorite. Jason, here are you exact words "It
>  > would
>  > > be something like calling
>  > > Fredericksburg (remember that Hexahedrite from
> a
>  > few
>  > > years ago?) an approved meteorite - it's never
>  > been
>  > > mentioned in the bulletin or elsewhere, so how
> can
>  > > you?"
>  > >
>  > > Jason, you know it is a meteorite, and you know
>  > why
>  > > it
>  > > has not been approved. Politics and personal
>  > grudge
>  > > has turned science into a farce. John Wasson at
>  > UCLA
>  > > (the top iron meteorite scientist in the world"
>  > > refuses to submit it since I bought it. He
>  > > classified
>  > > it, confirmed with the owner that it was a
>  > > Hexahedrite
>  > > that was not paired to any other known
> meteorite,
>  > > and
>  > > tried to buy it. He did not try very hard, as
> he
>  > had
>  > > several years head-start on me. The owner sent
>  > many
>  > > faxes and emails to Dr. Wasson, who did not
>  > respond
>  > > for more than one year. Tired of waiting, the
>  > owner
>  > > found me on eBay, called me, and we made a
> price.
>  > I
>  > > was in Alaska only days later, cash in hand and
>  > saw
>  > > the copies of emails. He told me he needed
> money
>  > and
>  > > could no longer wait on UCLA, which did not
> return
>  > > his
>  > > emails/faxes and phone calls. The emails I saw
>  > were
>  > > very clear, asking Dr. Wasson to get in touch
> with
>  > > him
>  > > and finalize a price and purchase agreement.
> Those
>  > > phone calls, faxes, and emails all went
> unanswered
>  > > for
>  > > nearly a year.
>  > >
>  > > Only days after announcing that I had bought
> the
>  > > meteorite, I received a rather terse and abrupt
>  > > email
>  > > from Dr. Wasson, angry that I had bought "his
>  > > meteorite" and he demanded a large piece for
> UCLA
>  > > since they had done the work on the meteorite.
> I
>  > > sent
>  > > them an end cut weighing more than 500 grams
>  > > (Perhaps
>  > > as much as 800 grams, I can't remember because
>  > that
>  > > was more than seven years ago). I never heard
> one
>  > > more
>  > > word from Dr. Wasson, not a "thank you" or
>  > anything.
>  > > I
>  > > emailed him numerous times requesting the
>  > > classification data, with no response. I heard
>  > > through
>  > > other scientists that he was quite angry with
> me
>  > for
>  > > buying what he felt was his meteorite.
>  > > It has now been more than seven years since I
>  > bought
>  > > Fredericksburg, I don't even remember the exact
>  > > year,
>  > > but in that time, it has all been sold off.
>  > >
>  > > Did I leave anything out? Do you know more
> about
>  > > this?
>  > > Can I ask what you are calling me on? If UCLA
>  > could
>  > > not make a decision or raise the funds years
> after
>  > > knowing about this meteorite, then I think the
>  > loss
>  > > was due to their own lack of interest and
>  > > follow-through and ignoring the repeated
> requests
>  > of
>  > > the man trying to sell them the meteorite. The
>  > owner
>  > > needed money, and years
>  > > after asking UCLA for it, decided to sell to
>  > myself.
>  > >
>  > > So actually, more than seven years after I
> bought
>  > > the
>  > > meteorite, and provided  more than 500 grams to
>  > > UCLA,
>  > > Dr Wasson refuses to finish the job he started
>  > years
>  > > before I ever heard of the meteorite. I guess
> 
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