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.
Cue the moon-mission hoax cult (Score:5, Funny)
They'll be coming out of the (petrified) woodwork again...
Nixon and Kissinger are laughing. (Score:0, Funny)
It kept the wayward pseudo-commie Dutch in NATO 'til we could win the cold war.
Ha ha.
I KNEW IT! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:does this mean war? (Score:3, Funny)
This is an outrageous insult to the Dutch people. Expect to see a lot of burning embassies in the news soon.
Were hot grits involved? (Score:3, Funny)
And naked?
Re:I KNEW IT! (Score:5, Funny)
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
Obligatory (Score:5, Funny)
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.
What This Really Means (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I KNEW IT! (Score:5, Funny)
OMG! (Score:1, Funny)
Americans passing off worthless things as somthing of value?
NO WAY! They have never done that before!
In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
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:did anyone else think of Ren & Stimpy? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Best line of story: (Score:5, Funny)
But they had a "A++, would buy again" rating!
Lunar Forests??? (Score:3, Funny)
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:does this mean war? (Score:2, Funny)
Send Bill.
Maybe somebody else.
There's been enough 'giving of wood' already.
Re:Rock swap? (Score:4, Funny)
JFK was hoping to find booze and uhh broads.
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!'"
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.
New Pejorative "Dutch Artifact" (Score:2, Funny)
So I guess... (Score:4, Funny)
Lousy gifts (Score:3, Funny)
The ambassador should have given something like a collection of classic American music on cassette tape.
ancient moon trees (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Rock swap? (Score:5, Funny)
Technicalities (Score:4, Funny)
Did it say "THE moon" (i.e., ours) or just "A moon"? Forest moon of Endor, perhaps?
Re:Rock swap? (Score:5, Funny)
Too bad his little bro drank all of the former and killed the latter.
What? Too soon?
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:Wan Hu (Score:2, Funny)
Re:does this mean war? (Score:1, Funny)
You forgot to mention the gallows on the American concrete entryway, as compared to the hefty smiling italian grandmother-like figure offering you a steaming bowl of fetucchini on the Italian side.
Re:does this mean war? (Score:3, Funny)