
Metal detectorist finds mystery rock that turns out to be worth more than gold
Metal detecting can be a pretty thankless task, with most enthusiasts lucky if they find a couple of quid or an old belt buckle. But for one man in Australia, the experience was out of this world. David Hole was out digging for gold in Maryborough Regional Park, near Melbourne, back in 2015 when his trusty detector alerted him to a strange, red-brown rock embedded in some yellow clay. Hole took the mysterious boulder home with him and did his utmost to crack it open, using a rock saw, a sledgehammer, a drill, and even dousing it in acid, according to Science Alert. And yet, nothing left so much as a dent. Admitting defeat years later, in 2018, Hole took his find to the Melbourne Museum, hoping someone there could explain its impenetrability; convinced it contained a golden nugget. However, the discovery was far more significant than a precious metal: it was a 4.6 billion-year-old glimpse at the birth of our solar system – a rare meteorite that had crashed down to Earth. The museum’s geologists, Dermot Henry and Bill Birch, said they grew excited as soon as Hole pulled the enigmatic rock from his rucksack. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald back in 2019, Henry recalled: "It had this sculpted, dimpled look to it. "That's formed when they come through the atmosphere, they are melting on the outside, and the atmosphere sculpts them." Meanwhile, Birch told the paper he knew the specimen was special as soon as he held it. “If you saw a rock on earth like this, and you picked it up, it shouldn’t be that heavy,” he said. Testing soon confirmed their suspicions, as well as the composition of this extraordinary chunk of history. In July 2019, the two colleagues published a scientific paper describing the meteorite, which they christened “Maryborough”, after the area where it was found. The space rock, which measures 38.5cm by 14.5cm by 14.5cm, weighs a staggering 17 kg, and after using a diamond saw to slice through it, the experts discovered that it is what is known as an H5 ordinary chondrite. This means that it contains tiny crystallised droplets (chondrules), that were created by flash heating of dust clouds in the early solar system. "Meteorites provide the cheapest form of space exploration. They transport us back in time, providing clues to the age, formation, and chemistry of our Solar System (including Earth)," Henry said in a statement published by Museums Victoria. "Some provide a glimpse at the deep interior of our planet. In some meteorites, there is 'stardust' even older than our Solar System, which shows us how stars form and evolve to create elements of the periodic table. "Other rare meteorites contain organic molecules such as amino acids; the building blocks of life." The scientist added that the Maryborough Meteorite was most likely formed in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Despite all of Henry and Birch’s work, plenty of questions surrounding the rock remain unanswered. They don’t know for sure when it landed on Earth, with carbon 14 testing it was between 100 and 1,000 years ago. Still, multiple meteor sightings were reported in the Maryborough district between 1889 and 1951, so it could have crashed down within this relatively recent time period. Whatever its precise origins, the researchers insist it’s worth more to science than its weight in gold. "This is only the 17th meteorite found in Victoria, whereas there's (sic) been thousands of gold nuggets found," Henry told Channel 10 News at the time. "Looking at the chain of events, it's quite, you might say, astronomical it being discovered at all." Birch echoed this sentiment, adding: “When you consider all the events this chunk of rock has experienced since its formation 4.6 billion years ago, it's really mind-boggling that we get the opportunity to hold it and study it today. How good is that?" Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings
1970-01-01 08:00

Kirk Herbstreit's reaction to Alabama's fourth-and-31 TD was insanely relatable
Up in the booth calling the Sunshine Showdown, Kirk Herbstreit's reaction to what all went down at the tail-end of the Iron Bowl was so incredibly relatable. Alabama vs. Auburn tends to leave us with our jaws dropping to the floor.
1970-01-01 08:00

Israeli Businesses Gather Steam as Shock of Conflict Eases
Israeli businesses are beginning to get back to work following the shock of the Oct. 7 attack by
1970-01-01 08:00

Easing Inflation, OPEC+, COP28: Your Sunday US Briefing
Hello. With Thanksgiving weekend winding down, here’s what you need to know to get ready for the week
1970-01-01 08:00

The West Bank Is Being Reshaped Along With Gaza Post-Oct. 7
In the weeks since Oct. 7, Issa Amro has watched as Israeli settlers have entered his community, shot
1970-01-01 08:00

New Netflix Christmas movie roasted as the 'worst of all time'
There’s something charming about a cheesy Christmas movie – but Netflix users are really going in two-footed on the platform’s new festive film. Best. Christmas. Ever stars the likes of Brandy Norwood, Heather Graham, Jason Biggs and Matt Cedeño and has become one of the most popular films on the streaming service. As you might expect, it’s a tale of unlikely companions at Christmas time, with a pair of frenemies and their families brought together over the holidays by a “twist of fate”. Despite the film rising up through the ranks and becoming one of the most-watched films on Netflix, not everyone is a fan. The film has a rating of 33 per cent and some people took to social media to voice their criticism of the movie – with some calling it the “worst Christmas film ever”. Harsh. “On a scale of 1-10, the new Netflix movie ‘Best. Christmas. Ever!’ is the worst movie of all time #BestChristmasEver,” one slammed the film. “#BESTCHRISTMASEVER is probably my the worst Christmas movie I’ve seen in a long time…” another said. “Netflix’s new Christmas movie #BestChristmasEver is a dumpster fire,” another unhappy viewer wrote. Some, however, clearly absolutely loved it. One fan wrote: “#BestChristmasEver is the greatest Christmas movie of all time. You will laugh. You will cry. You will be confused at the plot changing every 10 seconds. And you will hate the main character whatever her name is. 10/10 loved every second.” https://twitter.com/k_thebeauty/status/1726392795185742102 “I live for a cheesy, confusing holiday movie with a plot I can barely understand. #BestChristmasEver,” another said. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings
1970-01-01 08:00

Malaysia to Allow Visa-Free Entry to Chinese, Indian Citizens
Malaysia will scrap entry visa requirements for citizens of China and India visiting the nation beginning Dec. 1,
1970-01-01 08:00

Terry Venables: Former England manager dies aged 80
Former England manager Terry Venables has died at the age of 80.
1970-01-01 08:00

Erik ten Hag blasts fixture schedule as Man Utd injuries pile up
Erik ten Hag criticises the workload enforced on his Man Utd players ahead of their Premier League clash with Everton on Sunday.
1970-01-01 08:00

Who is playing Sunday Night Football In Week 12?
After a thrilling Sunday night matchup that came down to the wire in Week 11, two AFC teams are set to take the stage this week.
1970-01-01 08:00

5 Ryan Day replacements Ohio State fans should beg for after another Michigan loss
If Ohio State were to fire or lose Ryan Day, how would the Buckeyes replace their head coach? Find out which five candidates would be the best fits.
1970-01-01 08:00

Kanye West and Chris Brown branded 'sick' for laughing at explicit 'antisemitic' lyrics
Anyone hoping that Kanye West’s verbal attacks on Jewish people were a thing of the past has just been proven stomach-churningly wrong. Over the weekend, footage emerged of the disgraced rapper-producer, 46, dancing along elatedly to his new track ‘Vultures’. He was accompanied by that other paragon of male virtue, Chris Brown, 34, who bopped alongside him to some of the most offensive lyrics we’ve heard in a long time. In the song, which is a collaboration between West and Ty Dolla $ign, the former Mr Kim Kardashian says: “How I’m antisemitic (sic)? I just f***ked a Jewish bitch.” At that point, he and Brown beam at each other, before the song continues: “I just f**ked Scooter's b***h and we ran her like Olympics. Got pregnant in the threesome, so whose baby is it?” This appears to be a reference to Scooter Braun, Ye’s former manager, whom he fired in 2018. Last year, Braun divorced his wife of six years Yael Cohen Braun – a Canadian health activist and founder of a charity called “F**k Cancer” – who is Jewish. The clip, which has been widely circulated on social media, has understandably been met with horror and disgust. Sharing the video to Instagram, New York businesswoman Tanya Zuckerbrot asked: “What’s more sickening? The lyrics [...] Or the fact that both Kanye West and [Chris Brown] find it hysterical?” She followed up by branding the pair “sick, masochistic, antisemitic f**ks.” Thousands of others agreed, with one commentator writing: “Let the record industry chew on this. Let them never EVER work again.” Another urged viewers to block the two artists from their Spotify accounts, providing instructions on how to do so. While a third branded Brown and Ye “the two most problematic rappers of all time”. West, who lost his highest-profile contracts over hideous displays of antisemitism and Nazi veneration last year, continues to face demands to be axed from top streaming platforms. A year ago, a man from Milwaukee launched a petition calling on the likes of Spotify, Apple and Amazon Music to remove all of his solo tracks in a bid to “limit [his] influence on society”. Nathan Goergen wrote on the campaign’s Change.org webpage: “Kanye West has recently made statements praising Hitler and denying the Holocaust, after over a month of making harmful antisemitic statements. “Our society has no place for people who spread that kind of hate to be making millions off of their work. I call on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other streaming platforms to immediately remove all of Kanye West’s solo albums and singles from their platforms. “By doing this, I hope that we can limit Kanye’s influence on society by eliminating his ability to make money off of people streaming his music. His statements are virtually irredeemable, and the time has finally come for him to receive a major punishment. We cannot let him continue to influence our youth and our society as a whole.” It has since garnered more than 95,000 signatures. And yet, the fact that the 46-year-old is still able to release songs featuring such offensive lyrics, and celebrate this alongside a convicted domestic abuser, shows that the world as a whole simply doesn’t care enough to prevent such despicable behaviour. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings
1970-01-01 08:00