A man claims to have discovered the holy grail of meteorites and is suing the government for taking it from him after he discovered the rock contained alien life within it. And after handing it over to government scientists for analysis, when he received it back a large chunk apparently was reported missing. It was this part, the Yukon prospector says, that contained proof of alien life. And now he’s suing over his loss to the tune of $12 million.
When Dan Sabo first found the strange rock he knew he had struck gold. Or rather something worth far more than its weight in gold. After taking the rock sample to the Canadian Geological Survey, his suspicions were confirmed. The asteroid was a massive pear shaped object of extraterrestrial origin. And as he studied the rock’s surface, he found a mysterious crystal formation forming on its surface. Scientists suggest it might have been formed from the oxidation of natural deposits of nickel on its surface. But others, like Sabo, believe it may have been evidence of alien life.
This isn’t the first asteroid that has been suspected of containing extraterrestrial life on it. The asteroid discovered by the ANSMET project ALH84001 is thought to have come from Mars, and contains structures on it that suggest simple microbial life. The structures have been long disputed, as a number of pieces of evidence have been in regards to extraterrestrial life, but to date the ALH84001 asteroid has been considered one of the most incredible objects from another planet in the search for life on other planets. As it is such a major source of scientific inquiry it is considered priceless. Sabo says he would be satisfied with $12 million for his loss.
And if his case sounds like nothing more than a swindle, those studying the space rock have confirmed that it is indeed some 40 grams lighter than it was when he lent it out. And these 40 grams appear to have come from the area directly related to the crystal formation. And many who have heard the details of the story are suggesting there may be a coverup involved. What price can we place on proof of the existence of life beyond Earth?
It seems strange that a scientist would steal a sample of an asteroid in order to further his or her own research. After all, any findings would no doubt be more difficult to publish without the rest of the sample of the asteroid. Additionally, there would be little need to take the entire crystalizedd structure. Instead, it would be quite easy to simply take a small sample from it with permission in order to confirm or refute Sabo’s suspicions. If the crystal structures really were alien in origin, their sudden disappearance seems to point to coverup. Or perhaps Sabo himself is mistaken and the crystal structures were never there to begin with. Either way, the coming case will be interesting to keep an eye on to see what develops.