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

[Meteorites USA]

Hey Greg, Well, if the NYT article is not insulting enough to everyone 
in the meteorite world, the link Dirk posted earlier on his site from 
another blogger here: 
http://www.minyanville.com/dailyfeed/illegal-meteorite-trade-surges-angering/ 
Quote: "The problem, of course, is that these treasures of science are 
winding up in the hands of collectors, and not actual scientists."

Hmmmm... A well informed blog post written by someone who read the NYT 
article and did an Ebay search.

Damn good blogging there I tell you!

Regards,
Eric




On 4/4/2011 2:02 PM, Thunder Stone wrote:
> 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: eric at meteoritesusa.com
>> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>> 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
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