Barrie M. Schwortz
& The Shroud of Turin Web Site
(April 4, 1997)

NHNE is proud to award our third Toby to Barrie Schwortz, the creator of the Shroud of Turin Web site and Official Documenting Photographer for The Shroud of Turin Research Project, Inc., (STURP) that conducted extensive tests on the Shroud in 1978.

As many of you know, the Shroud of Turin is one of the most venerated and thoroughly-studied artifacts in the world. Believed by many to be the actual burial cloth of Christ, the Shroud contains the startling image of a crucified man. Is this the image of Jesus Christ? Does this ancient burial cloth prove that Jesus Christ was crucified, and possibly rose from the dead, as Biblical accounts claim? Historians, pathologists, linguists, biblical scholars, textile experts, chemists, physicists, photographic specialists, artists, botanists, microbiologists and other scientists from around the world have been trying to answer these important questions for decades (see NHNE's "Shroud of Turin" Special Article).

Aside from being the Official Documenting Photographer of The STURP Research Team, Barrie's Shroud of Turin Web site has emerged as the main source on the planet today for authoritative information on all aspects of Shroud research. In addition, Barrie is also involved in the production of a series of CDs that will contain virtually everything that is presently known about this enigmatic cloth (see News Brief 55).

In 1988, after Carbon-14 tests seemed to indicate that the Shroud was a medieval forgery, many prominent researchers abandoned the Shroud, even though a host of other unusual characteristics suggested the Shroud still might be authentic. With credible researchers turning their attention elsewhere, serious scientific study of the Shroud languished and numerous pseudo-researchers took up the cause, cranking out far-fetched and unsubstantiated books, reports and theories about the Shroud. Recently, however, the 1988 Carbon-14 tests have been called into question (see News Brief 15), and both public and professional interest is again on the rise. Thanks to Barrie's steadfast interest in the Shroud and his efforts to create an Internet-based center for Shroud news and research, those of us who are interested in current information about the Shroud of Turin no longer have to attend distant conferences, track down obscure scientific journals, or rely on vague news reports and second-hand information. Instead, we can visit Barrie's well-connected, regularly-updated, highly-informative Web site!

The Shroud of Turin Web site:
http://www.shroud.com/

 

 

Colin Andrews
(March 7, 1997)

With so many controversies swirling around the crop circle phenomenon, we are grateful for the thoroughness, levelheadedness, professionalism and heartfelt sincerity that Andrews brings to this important field of study. A case in point is the recent Oliver's Castle Video that supposedly documents a crop circle being made by mysterious balls of light (See News Briefs 27, 29, 45, 47). Andrews was given a copy of the video by a young man who claimed to film it. After signing a hand-written contract that insured the film maker received 90% of whatever monies were generated from the video, Andrews was given permission to use the video in whatever way he wanted to. But Andrews refused to go public with the video because of numerous inconsistencies. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact the man who had given him the video, Andrews hired a private detective to track the man down. In the current issue of Andrews' CIRCLES PHENOMENON RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL (CPR) newsletter, Andrews and two other crop circle researchers that were intimately involved in the Oliver's Castle fiasco, spent seven pages detailing the twisted chain of events and suspicious characters involved in the video. Early on, Andrews publicly stated that he felt the video was a hoax -- and he has continued to maintain this position, in spite of intense pressure from people within the crop circle community who believe the video is authentic. He has also resisted the temptation to profit from the video financially.

While humanity will probably be faced with both genuine and fabricated mysteries for some time to come, and while there will probably always be unscrupulous human beings willing to take advantage of real and hoaxed mysteries, as long as there are people like Colin Andrews investigating, those of us who want to know the truth, will have at least a few credible sources to turn to for reliable information.

We encourage you to give Colin Andrews and his organization the support they deserve. You can support his work (and promote the serious investigation of the crop circle phenomenon) by becoming a subscriber of his newsletter. For more information, please write:

CIRCLES PHENOMENON RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL (CPR)
P.O. Box 3378
Branford, CT 06405

Phone & Fax: (203) 483-0822
WWW: http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~lovely

 

CNI NEWS
(December 6, 1996)

CNI stories have been frequently mentioned in previous issues of our News Brief. CNI NEWS, Michael Lindemann, the Editor, recently went out on a limb by publishing an article that suggested most crop circles were made by humans. While Lindemann's article ignited a firestorm of controversy, it represented the kind of serious, no-holds-barred reporting that we at NHNE love to see. While many people and organizations interested in UFO-related topics appear to be all too eager to swallow just about every story that comes along, we applaud CNI for being seriously committed to uncovering the truth, regardless of the consequences.

We encourage you to give CNI NEWS the support it deserves. To request delivery of two free issues, send a request to "CNINews1@aol.com" with the message "Try News."

We also encourage you to visit the CNI Web site, which includes an extensive keyword-searchable UFO-related database.