Treasured "Moon Rock" Is Petrified Wood 209
Hugh Pickens writes "BBC reports that a treasured piece at the Dutch national museum — a supposed moon rock from the first manned lunar landing given to former Prime Minister Willem Drees during a goodwill tour by the three Apollo-11 astronauts shortly after their moon mission in 1969 — has been revealed as nothing more than petrified wood, curators say. A jagged fist-size stone with reddish tints, it was mounted and placed above a plaque that said, 'With the compliments of the Ambassador of the United States of America... to commemorate the visit to The Netherlands of the Apollo-11 astronauts.' The plaque does not specify that the rock came from the moon's surface. Researchers from Amsterdam's Free University said they could see at a glance the rock was probably not from the moon. They followed the initial appraisal up with extensive testing. 'It's a nondescript, pretty-much-worthless stone,' wrote Geologist Frank Beunk in an article published by the museum. Beunk says the rock, which the museum at one point insured for more than half a million dollars, was worth no more than $70. The 'rock' had originally been been vetted through a phone call to NASA. As the US Embassy in the Hague said it was investigating the matter, the Rijksmuseum says it will keep the piece as a curiosity."
does this mean war? (Score:5, Funny)
I hope this can be resolved peacefully, American forces are stretched a bit thin at the moment.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
This is an outrageous insult to the Dutch people. Expect to see a lot of burning embassies in the news soon.
New Pejorative "Dutch Artifact" (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, Dutch Wood Rock!
Re: (Score:2)
This is an outrageous insult to the Dutch people. Expect to see a lot of burning embassies in the news soon.
Why would anyone be upset? It's not like America sold them this rock and told them it was from the moon. And why the knee-jerk assumption that petrified wood could not be a moon rock?
Now THAT discovery would make for an interesting scientific rethink.
Re: (Score:2)
Human error, or a simple con (sell the moon rock and deliver petrified wood to the guy least likely to figure out he has been had) is far more likely of course.
Even so, finding petrified wood on the moon would drive thousands of scientists in dozens of disciplines at hundreds of universities to years of research and analysis just to figure out "why?".
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
(The other one is in the city of The Hague)
Re:does this mean war? (Score:4, Funny)
Have you seen the American Embassy in Amsterdam? The American people should honor anybody who burns it down.
Damn Nazi architechture.
Huh? There is no embassy in Amsterdam, the embassy is in The Hague. There is a consulate in Amsterdam, which has a 19th century architecture. With a double ram-proof steel bar fence, a snipers nest and a squad of heavily armed guards.
(iirc, accross the street, there is an Italian consulate, with a welcome sign, a neat little garden, no fence and no visible guards.)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Off topic? Huh? Who gives these characters mod points? Let's see how persistent the CIA's minions here are.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Send Bill.
Maybe somebody else.
There's been enough 'giving of wood' already.
Re: (Score:2)
Island Dwellers?
You got the right English speakers? Unless you want to take Hawaii?
Cue the moon-mission hoax cult (Score:5, Funny)
They'll be coming out of the (petrified) woodwork again...
ancient moon trees (Score:5, Funny)
Who is to say that the moon rock is not still ther (Score:5, Interesting)
did anyone else think of Ren & Stimpy? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Ren & Stimpy killed my dog, burned my homework, and ran away with my girlfriend, you insensitive clod!
-dZ.
it took a lot of dutch courage (Score:2)
to pull off that joke
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_courage [wikipedia.org]
I KNEW IT! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I KNEW IT! (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:I KNEW IT! (Score:5, Informative)
I think close to every large museum or gallery has been the victim of forgery (or "fakes").
The National Gallery of Victoria, the largest public gallery in Australia, has misattributed a painting to Van Gogh [usatoday.com] for the last 70 years. Meanwhile, it was discovered that the Art Institute of Chicago had purchased a fake Gauguin [pollocksthebollocks.com]. The Wallraf-Richartz Museum [wikipedia.org] has discovered that a "Monet" purchased five-and-a-half decades ago was a fake as well. Even the Getty [harvard.edu] and the Smithsonian have fallen victim to countless fakes.
The Dutch National Museum can at least be forgiven for not suspecting that a U.S. ambassador would present a fake artifact as a gift.
Re:I KNEW IT! (Score:5, Funny)
This is proof that life once existed on the moon.
It proves that the moon was once an interstate Stuckey's on the way to other galaxies. They just didn't find the low carb pecan log roll. It was only one shelf over.
Re: (Score:2)
I wonder if there's a market for petrified woodies from the moon? I'm calling the local "marital aids" store....
Speaking of stupid schitz: Slashdot requires you to wait between each successful posting of a comment to allow everyone a fair chance at posting a comment.
Yes, I can see that if I make two posts within 5 minutes, I may be preventing someone else from posting their own stupid schitzls. My apologies to all of /.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I realize you're joking, but I'd like to point out the irony that even if there were incontrovertible proof that the landing was faked, skepticism would still not be permitted.
Here we have a rock that decidedly did not come from the moon. A lie was told. Does it cast the entire affair in doubt? Probably not, depending on the details of the lie. But it isn't necessarily funny either, is it?
Re: (Score:2)
NO, this is actually proof, that there were forests on the moon!
That makes no sense, we've observed the moon heavily and we've never seen any other evidence that there were forests... on... the... moon...
Wait... Forest? Moon?
OMG! Apollo 11 actually went to Endor!
Re: (Score:2)
Don't be silly, the forests are on the side we can't see along with the internment camps Barack Obama is building to house all the God-fearing Americans so he can bring a communo-nazi abortion regime to the US where everybody will be forced to have health insurance before they get sent to the Moon. Don't you guys read World Net Daily?
Did you know that there's no Constit
Re: (Score:2)
I have a bad feeling about this...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:I KNEW IT! (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Let's build a bridge out of it!
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe we should just see if the moon floats.
Re: (Score:2)
Rock swap? (Score:5, Insightful)
I wonder if someone swapped the fake rock for the real one back when it was presented.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Rock swap? (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Rock swap? (Score:5, Insightful)
It was apparently good enough to fool everyone for quite a while.
How many people did it need to fool? For most people, I daresay the story of how it was presented is probably proof enough of what it is. My guess is someone switched it at some point.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Rock swap? (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
And the astronauts weren't looking too healthy either.
Re:Rock swap? (Score:4, Funny)
JFK was hoping to find booze and uhh broads.
Re:Rock swap? (Score:5, Funny)
Too bad his little bro drank all of the former and killed the latter.
What? Too soon?
Re: (Score:2)
Thanks, I needed that. That was quite good.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Absolutely.. If you come second, redefine the criteria for describing who was first.
Re: (Score:2)
Sour grapes?
Best line of story: (Score:4, Informative)
The "rock" had originally been been vetted through a phone call to Nasa, she added.
Always good to double double check things.
Re:Best line of story: (Score:5, Funny)
But they had a "A++, would buy again" rating!
Re:Best line of story: (Score:5, Funny)
"And when we held the rock up to the receiver, NASA said, 'Yep, that's just what a moon rock sounds like!'"
Were hot grits involved? (Score:3, Funny)
And naked?
Re:Were hot grits involved? (Score:5, Funny)
Ok, this is many things but it is not a troll. Must we go through this every time a new set of idiots starts to get mod points?
If anything, I should be modded up for not making the easy dick joke! Petrified wood? Talk about low-hanging fruit! (which in itself could be easily subverted into a sexual reference. High five!)
Re: (Score:2)
You have cleverly replied to yourself as AC complaining of the moderation... then replied to your AC reply. Nicely done!
And for the record, I agree wholeheartedly with all of your posts... a story about petrified wood an the first comment referencing hot grits gets modded troll!? What is
Re: (Score:2)
You have cleverly replied to yourself as AC complaining of the moderation... then replied to your AC reply. Nicely done!
Not that anyone would believe me but no, the AC wasn't me. I don't use sock puppets, even anonymous sock puppets.
Cue Nelson... (Score:2)
Summary needs grammar check (Score:5, Funny)
...to commemorate the visit to The Netherlands of the Apollo-11 astronauts
o.O
Who would want to visit an astronaut's nether regions, and even if they did why would they need a commemoration
Re: (Score:2)
...to commemorate the visit to The Netherlands of the Apollo-11 astronauts
o.O
Who would want to visit an astronaut's nether regions, and even if they did why would they need a commemoration
And how the hell did it get to be fossilized...
Re: (Score:2)
Who would want to visit an astronaut's nether regions,
Because we've reached the limit of what anal probing can teach us.
Obligatory (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
It's a trap!
It could be worse. (Score:2, Funny)
History changing (Score:3, Funny)
"Moon Rock" Is Petrified Wood
This changes the whole history of the moon as we know it. This is proof that there is (or was) life in other places besides Earth. This is a momentous discovery in the history of space science.
Re: (Score:2)
What This Really Means (Score:2, Funny)
That's impossible! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
How could life ever have existed in such a desolate place?
Come on.. Denmark isnt THAT desolate!
Re: (Score:2)
In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
Lunar Forests??? (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Records? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
NASA has detailed measurements for the pieces it is responsible for... Which does include random bits in foreign museums.
Ha. (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, the obvious jokes about trees on the moon and fake lunar landings have already been made, so I'll make a simple observation: The curators at the Dutch National Museum thought that a red rock the size of a fist was a moon rock?
I'm not a curator at a national museum, nor am I even an amateur geologist, but I'm pretty sure I would at least recognize that the rock described didn't look like any moon rock I had ever seen or heard about. It would be woefully sad if the piece of fossilized tree was one that you could still see the rings in.
Clearly, they never knew the demand for moon rocks [slashdot.org], and thought that enormous pieces are handed out to foreign politicians all the time:
Each year an independent peer review panel evaluates new research proposals, and curators mail out about 400 lunar samples to 40 to 50 scientists worldwide. Almost all are less than one gram in size. "We donâ(TM)t hand them out, we only loan them," Mr. Allen said.
Yes, scientists studying moon rocks have to write research grants in order to borrow a piece less than one gram in size. Yet the Dutch prime minister was given a fist sized moon rock. Yeah, OK.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, scientists studying moon rocks have to write research grants in order to borrow a piece less than one gram in size. Yet the Dutch prime minister was given a fist sized moon rock. Yeah, OK.
Perhaps some (real) chunks are more valuable/useful/interesting than others. TFA:
The US agency gave moon rocks to more than 100 countries following lunar missions in the 1970s.
If, per the article you linked to, NASA carried back "842 pounds" of rock, it makes little sense to loan out grams at a time unless there is something mighty special about those grams, and/or mighty boring about the other 841 pounds. So it doesn't quite add up as simply as you are saying.
Re:Ha. (Score:4, Insightful)
That's the whole harvest mankind has collected since before history began and there's little hope a new harvest will happen any time soon.
Vocabulary Nazi (Score:2)
How is a fail like that in any way epic? So it works out at about 382.73 kilos, and the guy's assertion that 842lb is less than 382kg is clearly wrong. I suspect he meant "slightly more than 382 kilos".
Fail? Yes. Epic? No.
Slight. Fail.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Does nobody get a joke these days. Tuen did. :)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The way I see it, it was either a political joke, or a real moon rock was given (remember, this was some time ago) and someone at the Dutch museum (say, the curator of the day) either sold it or kept it for himself. It's also possible that a couple astronauts had a little fun, too: just like things like, say, ammunition are commonplace and of no need for particular attention to a soldier, so might moon rocks be to the astronauts who took a couple shovelfuls of 'em on the moon. "Hey, Buzz, I found another go
Bait and switch! (Score:2)
Who says it never was at the BEGINNING? Maybe in its time at the museum, someone was able to pull a fast one and replace the moon rock with a fake...??
Wan Hu (Score:5, Funny)
So Wan Hu [wikipedia.org] made it to the moon after all!
Early in the sixteenth century, Wan decided to take advantage of China's advanced rocket and fireworks technology to launch himself into outer space. He supposedly had a chair built with forty-seven rockets attached. On the day of lift-off, Wan, splendidly attired, climbed into his rocket chair and forty seven servants lit the fuses and then hastily ran for cover. There was a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, Wan and the chair were gone, and was said never to have been seen again.
Re: (Score:2)
He should have added another 47 rockets for the return trip;
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
So I guess... (Score:4, Funny)
When did (Score:2)
Natalie Portman become an ambassador?
Lousy gifts (Score:3, Funny)
The ambassador should have given something like a collection of classic American music on cassette tape.
Technicalities (Score:4, Funny)
Did it say "THE moon" (i.e., ours) or just "A moon"? Forest moon of Endor, perhaps?
Did NASA ever say it was a moon rock? (Score:2)
Reading the summary carefully, it was a rock given in commemoration of the moon walk. This doesn't mean it came from the moon. Perhaps it came from where they landed? (But they were sea landings, weren't they.) OK, well, maybe from the construction of the Johnson Space Center. Or where they were stationed.
As said, I can see how they reached the conclusion that they reached, but the plaque didn't say it was what they thought it was, and it may well be that the people making the presentation thought they
Re: (Score:2)
What?
The moon is a giant tree, everyone knows that. Where do you think green cheese comes from.
Re: (Score:2)
Where do you think green cheese comes from.
My fridge?
*looks in fridge*
Yeah, definitely my fridge.
Re: (Score:2)
Lunar cows?
-dZ.