An enthusiastic (but sadly, poorly-informed) gentleman recently (14 Sept 2023) informed the local TV media recently reported a meteorite found in an impact crater on a Portmarnock beach, north of Dublin. The shape of the hole – straight-sided, and with no pattern of ejecta and a rather minimal debris field should have been a clue to its more prosaic origins – beachgoers from hours before with a couple of cheap plastic spades, amusing themselves (and maybe their kids – no judgement!) – evidence of which was provided via Instagram fairly quickly, but well after the infamous Virgin Media News team had been out to interview the discoverer of the meteorite, and promoted he and it far and wide.
I suppose there’s a lesson here for over-enthusiastic journalists desperate for something to write up and a still-convinced would-be astrophysicist who is still insisting on having the rock tested “just in case”, but no-one is learning these lessons anymore, are they? Certainly not the crowds of so-called “wags” who come out to comment wittily on such things, sadly including some professional comedians, who weighed in with quips so inane that they would do better to revert to amateur status themselves.
So if it’s really not weird, why is this story here? Well, maybe for no other reason than a regular warning to beware of bullshit – even well-meaning, innocent, bullshit, but especially that promoted breathlessly by a less-than-critical media circus. (UFOs in Congress, anyone?)