'Moon rock' in Dutch museum is just petrified wood

  • Thread starter Thread starter Borg
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Rock Wood
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the revelation that a rock claimed to be a moon rock in a Dutch museum is actually petrified wood. Participants explore the implications of this misidentification, the origins of the rock, and the reactions to its perceived value.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express skepticism about the claim that the rock is petrified wood, with one questioning if it could be something else entirely.
  • There is a humorous exchange regarding the perceived value of the rock, with multiple participants joking about their wealth based on the low price of the rock.
  • One participant highlights the questionable provenance of the rock, noting that it was passed through several political figures without doubt being cast on its authenticity.
  • Another participant sarcastically suggests that the existence of trees on the moon could explain the rock's origins.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the nature of the rock, with some expressing doubt about it being petrified wood while others engage in humorous banter about its value. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the authenticity of the rock.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the rock's origins and value, as well as the implications of its misidentification. There are unresolved questions about the verification process for such artifacts.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in museum artifacts, geological materials, or the intersection of politics and science may find this discussion relevant.

Borg
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
2,340
Reaction score
5,096
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090827/ap_on_re_eu/eu_netherlands_not_moon_rock_3" :smile:

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090827/capt.97a493bc80a74af8bd49d6f1c24f68b3.netherlands_not_moon_rock_ams101.jpg?x=384&y=345&q=85&sig=.9mO0od3hiEuR5gaWQ_m0g--
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
You mean there were once trees growing on the moon?
 
He said it was worth no more than €50 ($70).

Hm, nothing against having a bunch of such worthless stones. Dozen makes a nice lens for my camera :wink:
 
Last edited:
The museum acquired the rock from ... prime minister Willem Drees . Drees received it as a private gift .. from then-U.S. ambassador J. William Middendorf.
Middendorf, .. had gotten it from the U.S. State Department

"Apparently no one thought to doubt it, since it came from the prime minister's collection,"
A politician got it from another politician who got it from the goernment - so nobody doubted it ?
Things must be very different in Dutch politics!
 
$70 for a piece of petrified wood? I must be incredibly wealthy!
 
turbo-1 said:
$70 for a piece of petrified wood? I must be incredibly wealthy!

You're wealthy? I have an entire hillside and creek bed sprinkled with moon rocks!

IvanRocks.com. Yeah, I like it.
 
Are you they sure that it's petrified wood? Looks more to me like something that would have caused hemorrhoids in a T-Rex.
 

Similar threads

Amazing Worm Discovered in Sea Depths
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
Graduate A rather difficult problem: deltoid inscribed into an ellipse
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Linear Algebra - Similar Matrices(finding invertible Q for A~B given A and B)
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
8K
Graduate Basic Question That Will Eat Your Brains
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
limits, shirnking circles, points of intersection
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 258)
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
10K
Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 257)
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
5K
Create Auto-Update Signature Script in Python
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K