Just to keep the discussion going, here’s another take on the origin of the shroud based on electron microscopy.
http://www.mcri.org/Shroud.html
I personally think the shroud is cool looking and whether real or fake, it’s not going to change anyone’s belief in God. So in my opinion, this whole discussion is simply academic.
McCrone's work has NEVER been duplicated by any other scientist who has worked on the shroud and he has not published his findings in any peer-reviewed journal. Instead, he held press conferences.