# Tell us an interesting random fact you stumbled across (Part 2)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 25, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785 "2024-07-25T15:06:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3790

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**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-2/1004785/3790 "2025-12-08T17:57:18Z")

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> [@Pleonast](#):
>
> I’m sure they were extremely careful not to let lunar rock touch human flesh.

Hundreds or perhaps thousands of scientists have touched moon rocks (with human flesh) in the course of their authorized scientific research. As have millions of ordinary people (including me) who have visited one of the few places where you are allowed to [touch a moon rock](https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/touching-piece-moon). For years my office was not 100 feet from that very rock, and I touched it at every opportunity.

Although NASA’s moon rock storage facility maintains the collection in a sterile environment, ISTM that the only reason moon rock samples are not permitted to be touched is to preserve them for possible biology-based experiments. AFAIK, geologists and other non-biological scientists can, and do, touch them without any risk of affecting their results.

> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> But a number of lunar rock samples were passed around. Some were given as gifts to museums or to foreign governments. Many are now missing and unaccounted for. Some have been stolen. At least one was unintentionally thrown out. So it’s virtually certain that some people have held lunar rocks in their ungloved hands.

All of the lunar material samples that were presented to foreign and state governments were 1) very small, and B) embedded in lucite, thus not directly touchable. But, as I noted above, I agree with your last sentence.

[A previous thread about moon rocks.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legality-possessing-or-acquiring-apollo-moon-rocks/995179)

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