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Using ultraviolet-visible reflectance and fluorescence spectra, S. F.
Pellicori analyzed the spectral properties of the Shroud's image color, the
blood, and the non-image areas. These are quantitative measurements. They are
based on reflectance and not a person's visual interpretation of indefinite
splotches of different optical density. The spectra carry much important
information, and they can not be ignored. This is documented in Applied
Optics (1980). pp. 1913-1920]. These show the properties of the Alan Adler, an expert on porphyrins, the types of colored compounds seen in
blood, chlorophyll, and many other natural products concluded that the blood is
real. In collaboration with John Heller, the conclusions that the blood is real
was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Applied Optics
(also 1980). The heme was converted into its parent porphyrin, and this was
confirmed with spectral analysis. Baima Bollone also found both the heme porphyrin ring of blood and the
globulin in flakes of blood from Shroud samples, independently confirming the
work of Adler and Heller. In addition, the x-ray-fluorescence spectra showed excess iron in blood
areas, as expected for blood. Microchemical tests for proteins were positive in
blood areas but not in any other parts of the Shroud. Qualitative chemical analyses are designed to detect the presence of specific
substances. If they detect one, it is almost certainly present. Such tests are
designed to have no or few false positive results. The tests can be repeated
with fresh reagents by independent observers, and the results should agree.
There are usually multiple tests for the same compounds or functional groups.
Detection limits are generally known. If a material is not detected, it can
probably safely be rejected. Analytical results can be used objectively to test
many different hypotheses. Chemical tests by E. J. Jumper, A. D. Adler, J. P. Jackson, S. F. Pellicori,
J. H. Heller, and J. R. Druzik are documented in "A comprehensive examination of
the various stains and images on the Shroud of Turin," ACS Advances in
Chemistry, Archaeological Chemistry (1984) Other material is provided by J. H. Heller and A. D. Adler in "A Chemical
Investigation of the Shroud of Turin," Canadian Society of Forensic
Science Journal and by L. A. Schwalbe and R. N. Rogers, Analytica
Chimica Acta (1982) |
The
scientific study of the Turin shroud is like a microcosm of the
scientific search for God: it does more to inflame any debate than
settle it.”
And yet, the shroud is a remarkable artefact, one of the few religious relics to have a justifiably mythical status. It is simply not known how the ghostly image of a serene, bearded man was made.”
Scientist-Journalist Philip Ball Nature, that most prestigious of scientific journals, that once had bragging rights to claim that the Shroud was fake, responding to new, peer-reviewed studies that discredit the carbon 14 dating and show that the Shroud could be authentic. WHAT WE KNOW IN 2005
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