The Shroud of Turin

Could this be the face of Jesus? Computer artists have come up with this image using information and blood encoded on the Shroud of Turin. The results will be shown on the History Channel tonight in the US. But according to the company that made the image, Studio Macbeth, it does not resemble the face we are familiar with - the picture of Jesus we have in our minds is nothing like this man.


Ray Downing, President of Studio Macbeth, said that because the shroud was wrapped around, rather than laid on top, the blood was transferred to the cloth as it was wrapped around the body, making the job more difficult.

'I have a lot of information about that face and my estimation is we are pretty darn close to what this man really looked like' Mr Downing said. He also claims to have discovered what substance created the image and how it ended up on the shroud. 'I will reveal at the end of the show what type of event that must have occurred 2,000 years ago.

The team of graphic artists has been working on the project for twelve months, using the newest technology to create the computer-generated image.

Mathematical Genius Grigory Perelman

The Poincare Conjecture is so difficult, the US Clay Mathematics Institute named it as one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems in 2000 and pledged a $US 1 million bounty to anyone who could solve one. Russian mathematical genius Grigory Perelman did just that - he is the only person ever to have solved any of the seven Millennium problems.

He should have been in Madrid in 2006 when all the greatest maths minds in the world came together at the International Mathematical Union's four-yearly congress. He should have been there to accept the Fields Medal, an outstanding, prestigous award for the best mathematical mind in the world, but he didn't want to go, he was home in his flat in St Petersburg. Sir John Ball was given the the task of getting his to accept the medal, but after two days trying to talk him around, he still refused.

Grigory Perelman doesn't care about medals or money. When he was offered a $1 million American dollars he said he would have to think about it and would let them know. He lives in a 2 bedroom flat with his elderly mother in a run-down Soviet-era tower block in St Petersburg and is currently unemployed.

His mother Ludmila, a talented mathematician and his father Yakov who now lives in Israel, was a prominent engineer. As a child, he was enrolled in an elite maths school and the director Mr Rukshin remembers that at the age of 14 he devoted himself entirely to maths, even putting aside his beloved violin.

Soviet hatred of Jews was very strong when he was growing up and life was difficult but nevertheless, he got a PhD at Lenigrad University and went on to fill a position with a top institute. In the late 80's, he moved to America and spent time at top universities. His American Colleages were shocked when he returned to the poorly funded research institute in St Peterburg, working for a low salary instead of accepting one of the lucrative offers made to him in America.

But he wasn't interested in churning out academic papers, he had his sights set on one goal only -to solve the complex maths puzzle known as the Poincare Conjecture that has baffled mathematicians for over one hundred years. For some reason, this annoyed his colleagues at St Petersburg Steklov Mathematical Institute and they lost patience with him and voted him out. He was very hurt and upset at not being re-elected. "They voted out the most brilliant mathematician in the world" said Tamara Yefimova, one of his former teachers. Disillusioned, Perelma left in December 2005 and has not worked since.

In 2002 and 2003 he quietly published the answer to Poincare Conjecture and it took four years for teams of academics around the world to check his solution. Eventually they said that he had done it - he had solved the unsolvable!

Success brought the fame he never wanted. He received fantastic offers of employment, invitations to speak at top academic conferences and prizes came from everywhere. But he withdrew from the world and spent all his time at home with his mother, living on her modest pension and money sent by his sister every month who lives in Sweden. Every day at exactly the same time he goes to the grocery store and buys the same things: eggs, cheese, spaghetti, sour cream, bread and a kilo of oranges.

Journalists anxious to find out if he's decided to accept the million dollar prize keep knocking on his door. "I have not decided yet" he says from behind the closed door. When they asked if he would talk a little about himself he said "Nothing needs to be known".

Ireland needs your good ideas

After President Obama's success with his recent healthcare reform bill and his slogan "Yes we Can", Irish President Mary McAleese wants ideas to kick start the economy and make a dramatic change to the country. It's called "Your country - your call" and the goal is to pick two truly revolutionary ideas that will create jobs and prosperity for Ireland. The two winning ideas will win $150,000 each and $850,000 to get their ideas off the ground.


Unemployment is high and government support is low in Ireland at the moment and they need fresh new ideas to make the country great. They know there is deep affection for Ireland amongst Irish Americans and are looking for their input as well as other Irish living around the world.

There are eight categories in the competition: Communications and Technology, Design, Engineering and Manufacturing, Education and the Arts, Energy and the Environment, Food and Agriculture, Health, Sport and Nutrition, Professional Services and Other.

Come on, do it for Ireland.

The Romantic Stork

Storks were once thought to be monogamous but that's not necessarily true, they can change mates after migration and have been known to migrate without a mate. But one male stork travels 13,000 kilometres every year to be with his true love who can't fly.

This is the fifth year that a stork named Rodan flew from South Africa to the village of Brodski Varos in eastern Croatia to be with her. Stjepan Vokic looks after the female stork he named Malena who was shot by hunters, leaving her unable to fly. "He came a bit earlier this year and looks rather exhausted after his long journey" he said.

Every year the couple raise a brood of chicks and it's Rodan who has to teach them how to fly because Malena cannot. Then in August, Rodan and the young ones will start to prepare for their long trip to winter in South Africa while Malena remains in Croatia and waits for him to come back to her in the spring.

A true love story.

British Hurt Locker

Captain Wayne Owers, a member of the Royal Logistic Corps, risked his life 93 times to diffuse Taliban bombs on a six months tour of duty of Afghanistan. He is the most prolific bomb destroyer in the history of the British Army. His average was one diffusion every two days - the highest strike rate recorded by the Ministry of Defence. He will receive the Queen's Gallantry Medal later this year. Captain Owers 39, has served in the Army for 20 years and has been to Iraq, Bosnia, Oman, Kosovo and Northern Ireland.

He said "I used to enjoy the job when I first went out, but when that first bomb went off, I started to get a sour taste in my mouth, it really hit me when I saw my colleagues get injured." After an explosion in May, a friend lost two legs and an arm. Two months later he was standing next to a soldier who had his leg ripped open after stepping on a bomb. "He was handing me a piece of equipment - that's how close I was, I flew backwards but didn't even lose a fingernail". However, Lance Corporal Davie Timmins, Captain Ower's bodyguard, lost his right eye and hearing in his right ear in the explosion and swallowed his own tongue. Lance Corporal Timmins, himself a Queen's Gallantry Medal recipient said "I was losing a lot of blood but Captain Owers pulled my tongue out of my mouth, sat me up and whacked me on the back several times saying "Don't you die on me".

After seeing the suspense-packed Academy Award movie The Hurt Locker, you get an insight into just how hot and cumbersome the protective suits are and can understand why the bomb diffusers chose not to wear them. Captain Owers didn't like to wear them either.

The Gap, Sydney

The Gap is an ocean cliff in the Sydney suburb of Watsons Bay. The suburb is made up of silvertails - politicians, judges, rich professionals and lots of old money. It's also home to Doyles Seafood Restaurant, one of the best in the country. When you leave the sheltered harbour beach side and walk across the road you come to the windswept cliffs of The Gap, where every year, 50 or more people commit suicide by hurling themselves off the cliff into the sea.

Caroline Byrne, an Australian model was found on the rocks at the bottom of The Gap in 1995. Her boyfriend said she was depressed and had jumped but twelve years later, Gordon Wood, who was then living in the UK, was brought back and finally convicted of her murder. Charmaine Dragun was another well known casualty of The Gap, she was a journalist before joining Channel 10 as an anchor. She suffered from depression and anorexia and died after jumping off the gap on 2nd November 2007.

Woollahra Council, with the support of the Black Dog Institution, have come up with a 'Gap Master Plan'. This involves special high fencing, lighting, signs, cctv cameras and emergency telephone support telephones.

Local resident, Donald Ritchie, who has lived opposite the Gap for nearly 50 years, has shown what can be done when you have the chance to intervene. He and his wife have talked many back from the brink with a few kind words and a cup of tea. Honoured with an Order of Australia, Ritchie has talked more than 160 people out of taking their lives.

The Gap is the hottest suicide spot in Australia and it's only taken Woollahra Council this long - over 100 years - to do something about it.

Boxing Kargaroo

There was non-political news coming from the National Capital yesterday, David Striegl 25, was jogging up Mt Ainslie in his lunch-hour when he had an encounter with a large kangaroo. He was king hit from nowhere and has a black eye to prove it. He didn't see him coming until it was too late - he heard something from his left side, turned around and the kangaroo swiped him across the face, leaving deep scratches. Then it threw a punch that knocked him out. Luckily a passing motorist spotted the unconscious man and took him to hospital where after a tetanus shot, he was allowed to go home. He's back in the office today with a new nickname - Skip.

Last year there was another unprovoked incident with a Kangaroo in Canberra in a home invasion. A nine footer terrified its owners when it came in the window and jumped on the owner and his wife who were in bed and gouged holes in their furniture. The owner, Mr Ettlin wrestled with the animal and finally dragged it out of the house. "My initial thought when I was half awake was: it's a llunatic ninja coming through the window" he said at the time.