Biologists Say They Cracked One of Life's Biggest Mysteries

TL;DR

A new study claims one molecular chirality transports electrons better, potentially explaining why all life uses the same-handed molecules — but the physicist host is skeptical.

Key Points

• 1.Life on Earth uses only one version of chiral molecules. DNA uses right-handed sugars and proteins use left-handed amino acids; the mirror-image version is chemically possible but never observed in biology.
• 2.The new study used chiral gold films to test electron transport. Films grown in left- or right-handed tartaric acid solutions showed that one-handed version conducted electrons better than the other — not merely opposite, but unequal in magnitude.
• 3.If correct, this would universally explain biological chirality via electron chemistry. Since all molecular interactions depend on electron transport, a chirality advantage there could explain why one version dominated life's chemistry from the start.
• 4.The host rates the paper 9/10 on the 'bullshit meter.' She argues the asymmetric current magnitudes violate basic physical principles, suspects flawed sample preparation, and notes the Standard Model's chiral symmetry violation is far too tiny to account for the result.