[meteorite-list] Private involvement helping science

[Galactic Stone & Ironworks]

Hi List,

I don't want to re-open the debate between science and laymen over the
involvement of private meteorite hunters.  But I think something
should be pointed out in regards to the recent development about the
age of the solar system (story linked below).  This story is a perfect
example of how private involvement can benefit meteoritics and science
as a whole.  This NWA meteorite has yielded some potentially-valuable
data, and the stone was made available by private nomad hunters and
private collector/dealers.  Without private involvement, this
meteorite would still be laying undiscovered in the desert and
possibly buried forever by the marching dunes, or left to suffer the
fate of terrestrialization as a part of desert pavement.  It's a fun
and positive thing that laymen can become involved in science in an
indirect way that produces real results.  And this is also another
example of how find coordinates for some meteorites is secondary to
more important secrets the specimens hold.  In this particular case,
the find coordinates are not fundamental to the discovery.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=meteorite-nugget-pushes-back-age-of-2010-08-23

Best regards,

MikeG


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Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
http://www.galactic-stone.com
http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
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