The Shroud of Turin is again on display at the Cathedral of Turin in Italy and potentially two million people including Pope Benedict are expected to turn out to see it. For the Pope, this may be the perfect time to change the subject. But how will the other two million people benefit? The History Channel did a show during Holy Week that posited one answer. They hired an artist who used 3D computer graphics to tease an image of the entire body of Jesus out of the shadowy image on the Shroud: right down to the toenails. The artist goes on to claim that for the very first time in human history we now know what “the true face of Jesus,” actually looked like. And more. “Science and religion join together, bringing cutting-edge computer technology to an ancient stretch of fabric, and creating a living, moving 3D image of the man.” Hmmmmmm. Let’s take a closer look at what’s involved here.
