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

[Meteorites USA]

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