It's a regrettable reality that there is never enough time to cover all the interesting scientific stories we come across each month. In the past, we've featured year-end roundups of cool science stories we (almost) missed. This year, we're experimenting with a monthly collection. August's list includes a 3D digital reconstruction of the Shroud of Turin; injecting succulent leaves with phosphors to create plants that glow in different colors; a nifty shape-changing antenna; and snails with a unique ability to grow back their eyeballs.
Carbon dating in 1988 placed the Shroud between 1260 and 1390 AD, seemingly ruling it out as Christ's burial cloth. Some researchers, however, have argued that the tested samples were merely taken from sections of the cloth that had been repaired during that period. Now, a bronze follis minted in Constantinople between AD 969 and 976 bears a striking resemblance to the Shroud's facial image.