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Conglomerate Rock From Mars: (Much) More Precious Than Gold
An anonymous reader writes It's the oldest rock on Earth--and it's from Mars. A 4.4-billion-year-old martian meteorite, found in a dozen pieces in the western Sahara, has ignited a frenzy among collectors and scientists; prices have reached $10,000 a gram, and museums and universities are vying for slivers of it. It is the only known martian meteorite made of sediment, a conglomerate of pebbles and other clumps of minerals from when the planet was warm, wet, and possibly habitable. The story of the discovery of the rock and its significance is fascinating, as well as the details presented about the economics of rare space materials. Apropos, this older story about missing moon rocks.
I think I've seen that movie before...
Tell that ingrate to wear some gloves.
So it's the Johnson & Johnson rock?
Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
Have you all seen what the niggers in Ferguson, MO have been up to? Would white folk do that?
I think not. Think about this before you downmod me.
The price is still far from the cost of going to Mars to dig some sedimentary rocks from a few meters deep. But it's getting closer.
I haven't read how they know it's from Mars, just how exactly do they know?
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
This reminds me of the Mythbusters TV show that attempted to bust the myth that the Apollo moon landings were faked.
There were 2 problems with that episode:
1. Multiple light sources on the moon - this was explained as the 'properties of the composition of rock' on the moon. However, NASA did not provide Mythbusters with any real moon rock samples. Instead, they provided some substance that they claimed 'had a similar makeup' to the 'reflective' moon rocks for the Mythbuster's test. Perhaps they should redo their test with some 'authentic' $10000/gram moon rock?
Think about it: If you were investigating the credibility of someone, would you take their word over verifyable scientific proof? How do we know for sure that the NASA 'artificial' moon rock is the same as the rock on the moon? Who can verify this?
2. The Van Allen radiation belt. There is no mention at all on Mythbusters as to how the Astronauts made it though the VA belt. AFAIK, it would have been impossible to survive. Yet, not a scratch on the Astronauts flying to the moon with 60's technology.
I used to be a huge fan of NASA as a kid. As I got older, I realized that NASA has about as much credibility as 21st century governments.
Political correctness is really just herd psychology pushed by insecure people who desperately seek social conformity.
I have never understood why they can be convinced that a random rock they find in the desert is actually from Mars. Sure, you can tell if something is a meteorite and you might be able to posit trajectories,but it's not like Marvin the Martian stood next to the rock to vouch for its authenticity.
Yes, there's a non-zero probability of the asteroid-hits-Mars-and-ejectum-lands-on-Earth scenario, and the rocks may have properties consistent with conditions measured by the Viking lander, but it is magical thinking to hold that such a rock definitely came from Mars.
As expensive as Black Beauty has become, it is still a bargain compared with proposals for a robotic Mars sample return mission.
Well, if you want to get a rock you know came from Mars, you'll have to send that probe.
I'll just wait for the Mars Sample Return Project to saturate the market, thereby lowering the price.
Oh, you mean like Nickelback?
Maybe I haven't had enough coffee yet, but something doesn't make sense. The rock is 4.4 billion years old, but is the oldest rock on earth? The rocks it impacted must thus have been older than that, or else it would have just been absorbed into the molten ball that was the earth. Also the article says it began its journey 5 billion years ago - so before it existed?
"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert"
I'll sell you this rock. Its a magic rock. only $50 its bargain
- 2.5 times more expensive that weapon grade plutonium
- twice cheaper than Soliris (medical drug)
- 3 times cheaper than tritium
LSD and diamonds can also be in this price range but this is a bit more complicated to estimate.
Maybe this will get the Martians to come out of hiding and establish trade relations with us.
Or maybe they'll just declare war on is if we don't give it back immediately.
"meteorite, found in a dozen pieces in the western Sahara ... made of sediment, a conglomerate of pebbles and other clumps of minerals"
These sound like things we can prove, or at least substantially support, with science. On the other hand, the following sound like presuppositions.
"... oldest rock on Earth ... from Mars ... 4.4-billion-year-old martian ... from when the planet was warm, wet, and possibly habitable..."
You had me at warm and wet.