The following comes from a Feb. 11 story by the Archeology News Network.
Neutron radiation caused by 33 A.D. earthquake could have led to “wrong” 1988 radiocarbon dating of Shroud, suggest researchers Is an earthquake behind the Shroud of Turin image? An earthquake in Old Jerusalem might be behind the famous image of the Shroud of Turin, says a group of researchers led by Alberto Carpinteri of the Politecnico di Torino in Italy in an article published in Springer’s journal Meccanica. They believe that neutron radiation caused by an earthquake could have induced the image of a crucified man — which many people believe to be that of Jesus — onto the length of linen cloth, and caused carbon-14 dating done on it in 1988 to be wrong.
The Shroud has attracted widespread interest ever since Secondo Pia took the first photograph of it in 1898: about whether it is Jesus’ purported burial cloth, how old it might be, and how the image was created. According to radiocarbon dating done in 1988, the cloth was only 728 years old at the time. Other researchers have since suggested that the shroud is much older and that the dating process was incorrect because of neutron radiation — a process which is the result of nuclear fusion or nuclear fission during which free neutrons are released from atoms — and its interaction with the nuclei of other atoms to form new carbon isotopes.
However, no plausible physical reason has yet been proposed to explain the origin of this neutron radiation. Now Carpinteri’s team, through mechanical and chemical experimentation, hypothesizes that high-frequency pressure waves generated in Earth’s crust during earthquakes are the source of such neutron emissions. This is based on their research into piezonuclear fission reactions, which are triggered when very brittle rock specimens are crushed under a press machine. In the process, neutrons are produced without gamma emissions. Analogously, the researchers theorize further that neutron flux increments, in correspondence to seismic activity, should be a result of the same reactions.
The researchers therefore believe that neutron emission from a historical earthquake in 33 A.D. in Old Jerusalem, which measured 8.2 on the Richter Scale, could have been strong enough to cause neutron imaging through its interaction with nitrogen nuclei. On the one hand, this could have created the distinctive image on the Shroud through radiation imagery, while on the other, it could have increased the level of carbon-14 isotopes found on the linen fibres that could have confused the 1988 radiocarbon dating tests.
“We believe it is possible that neutron emissions by earthquakes could have induced the image formation on the Shroud’s linen fibres, through thermal neutron capture on nitrogen nuclei, and could also have caused a wrong radiocarbon dating,” hypothesizes Carpinteri.
To read the original story, click here.
Not to change the subject – but How Well Prepared are the Catholic Schools for Earthquakes and similar disasters???
Do they have Water / Purification Systems in place that can last for Days – or longer?
Do they have emergency food & medical supplies that can last for Days – or longer?
I have seen some of the schools, and some are somewhat prepared – and many are underprepared.
I myself think it would be great Science Projects for students to learn to build Water Purification systems from simple materials – and have them available at the School for emergencies, and maybe even distribute in to the community.
How About It Campers – Earthquakes are part of the pattern, should we Prepare for them, or just shrouds for the victims afterwards?
More Looney Tunes science to explain away any supernatural cause to a physical outcome (with clear religious implications regarding Jesus and God’s power of resurrection). People are so in need of finding objective truth, but what is ultimately shown? What? Stephen Hawking and the “M-theory” where multiple universes are created out of nothing? And, what about “Dark Matter?” OOOOH. Perhaps a line from Ming the Merciless is the true Gospel regarding Creation and the End Times: “The Emperor Ming: Every thousand years, I test each life system in the Universe. I visit it with mysteries, earthquakes, unpredicted eclipses, strange craters in the wilderness… If these are taken as natural, I judge that system ignorant and harmless – I spare it. But if the Hand of Ming is recognized in these events, I judge that system dangerous to us. I call upon the great god Dyzan, and for his greater glory… and our mutual pleasure … I destroy it utterly. ” (Flash Gordon, 1980). And, what about the Designated Hitter Rule! Where is Faith in this kind of scientific inquiry? Of course the Church does not say much about such things. After all, it is so much more important for the bishops of the world to cry out against laws that seek to control homosexual behavior and “normalization” as evidence of “homophobia” than to suggest that, here and there, God may have left physical evidence of His presence. And, what about Mary, what does the Church say about Her place in the lives of Mankind? Let’s have that full text of the Third Secret, Holy Father? Too embarrassing? Then, why not simply treat it as a historical artifact, and announce that it means nothing (but let us have it). Nope, many in the Church, probably more than ever before, wish to hide the truth of God, however manifest, than to make it public. Better to be a political unit, a happy face on Mankind, than the Barque of St. Peter. Much too messy to suggest that all the world must hear what Christ has to say through the Church, which, ultimately will pay a heavy price for seeking to lead all to salvation. Can you imagine what the Indian Government would say, or that of Nigeria, or Australia, or Italy, or (well, just add a name), if the Catholic Church stated — often and loudly — that only through It can Mankind be best assured of salvation? The world would be in open revolution, with many fearing ultimate justice and the need to repent. Didn’t Jesus suggest this by saying: “I am come to cast fire on the earth: and what will I, but that it be kindled?” (Luke 12:49) (DRV)
Carbon dating of cloth puts it at 13th-14th century AD? Case closed.
RKL,
Are you a Scientist? If so you must know that Carbon dating has been proven to be very faulty, so why are you pushing it?
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founding Director
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
RKL:
Not it isn’t. Field scientists dig as deep as possible into a sample to get carbon that has been kept completely away from the natural environment, including bacteria and fungi, since its preservation. This a CLOTH: all surface, exposed to air and everything in air. It was ludicrous to think carbon dating would mean anything for such a sample. The generation of the image still goes unexplained.
RKL — “Case Closed”?!!!!! Is life really that simple for you? Let me guess….. you must consider yourself to be an “enlightened” individual. With all that confidence, I would also guess that you probably posses a PhD as well!!!!!!!! Yikes!
Hardly, RKL
I am in St Christopher’s corner on this one. The Shroud of Turin has equally valid evidence supporting it to be of much more ancient origin then the findings of carbon 14 testing. The shroud has some things that a medeival forger could not have known to produce.
For example, Avinon Denon, a forensic botanist, was able to isolate 58 different types of pollen, of which 45 of them are unique to the Middle East, especially in the area of Palestine. Two of them are unique to the area that is found near ancient Edessa in Turkey. What medieval forgerer would know to do this? Another issue is that there was a devastating fire at the chapel at Chambery, France, where the shroud was stored at one time In 1532. The shroud as a result had extensive damage from this fire. This certainly would have upset any accurate carbon 14 dating.
Thirdly, the Shroud was often exposed to candles and incense consistently from at least this period of time, its first known written account, approximately around 1300. These events also would have skewed any accurate carbon 14 dating.
Yet another issue is the twill or weaving. The weaving that is of the shroud is of a particularly peculiar type of fiber and weaving that is common to the 1st century timeframe and to the area of Syria. It is not at all common to France or Europe. In summary, there are too many things to dismiss the Shroud out of hand simply because of one test, namely carbon 14.