Comments on: Does the Solar System Prefer Left-Handed Molecules? http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/03/17/does-the-solar-system-prefer-left-handed-molecules/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day\'s most compelling topics. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:21:28 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Gord Baker http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/03/17/does-the-solar-system-prefer-left-handed-molecules/comment-page-1/#comment-20829 Gord Baker Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:14:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/03/17/does-the-solar-system-prefer-left-handed-molecules/#comment-20829 It is puzzling to me that organisms that can consume only half the contents of a primordial soup would survive and prosper over the possibility of one that can utilize twice as much. But then the building blocks it would create for itself might be just too complicated, and not hang together. Thank goodness for such puzzles. eogord It is puzzling to me that organisms that can consume only half the contents of a primordial soup would survive and prosper over the possibility of one that can utilize twice as much. But then the building blocks it would create for itself might be just too complicated, and not hang together.
Thank goodness for such puzzles.

eogord

]]> By: Nick http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/03/17/does-the-solar-system-prefer-left-handed-molecules/comment-page-1/#comment-20823 Nick Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:58:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/03/17/does-the-solar-system-prefer-left-handed-molecules/#comment-20823 Now, if life on earth is prone to left-handed molecules, why would bacteria grow on downed meteorites that PREFERRED right-handed molecules, since they can't be found anywhere on earth. They shouldn't really even know what they are, let alone have a preference for them. Now, if life on earth is prone to left-handed molecules, why would bacteria grow on downed meteorites that PREFERRED right-handed molecules, since they can’t be found anywhere on earth. They shouldn’t really even know what they are, let alone have a preference for them.

]]> By: Uncle Al http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/03/17/does-the-solar-system-prefer-left-handed-molecules/comment-page-1/#comment-20821 Uncle Al Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:44:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/03/17/does-the-solar-system-prefer-left-handed-molecules/#comment-20821 There is no credible explanation for biological homochirality: chiral L-protein amino acids and chiral D-sugars. Weak interaction arguments (<I>Mendeleev Commun.<.I> 13(3) 129 (2003), <I>Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.</I> 41(24) 4618 (2002)) are woefully insufficient (maximum 8x10^(-12) eV PVED versus ambient <I>k</I>T = 0.0257 eV. An obvious source is a chiral vacuum background in the massed sector (not interactive with EM) consistent with teleparallel gravitation, <I>testable</I> on a lab bench. Crystallographic space groups P3(1)21 and P3(2)21 are enantiomorphic. All formula units configure into homochiral 3-fold helices (right-handed and left-handed, respectively). There are no conflictng or racemic screw axes. Quartz, berlinite and analogues, tellurium, selenium... single crystals thus furnish atomic-scale left and right "shoes" to test for a vacuum left "foot". P3(1)21 versus P3(2)21 quartz is particularly good for its commercial production and a control "sock" - amorphous fused silica. Load an Eotvos balance with macroscropically and chemically indistinguishable single crystal quartz test masses, space group P3(1)21 opposing P3(2)21. 90 days later the net output is either zero (as with all Equivalence Principle tests since Galileo and Stevin in the late 1500s) or non-zero. Observation trumps dialectic. Somebody should look. A non-zero output is followed by each space group run against fused silica. A quartz enantiomorph homochiral to the vacum background gives a smaller net signal. The two hemiparity experiments' outputs sum to the full parity experiment's output as a final validation. There is no credible explanation for biological homochirality: chiral L-protein amino acids and chiral D-sugars. Weak interaction arguments (Mendeleev Commun.< .I> 13(3) 129 (2003), Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 41(24) 4618 (2002)) are woefully insufficient (maximum 8×10^(-12) eV PVED versus ambient kT = 0.0257 eV. An obvious source is a chiral vacuum background in the massed sector (not interactive with EM) consistent with teleparallel gravitation, testable on a lab bench.

Crystallographic space groups P3(1)21 and P3(2)21 are enantiomorphic. All formula units configure into homochiral 3-fold helices (right-handed and left-handed, respectively). There are no conflictng or racemic screw axes. Quartz, berlinite and analogues, tellurium, selenium… single crystals thus furnish atomic-scale left and right “shoes” to test for a vacuum left “foot”. P3(1)21 versus P3(2)21 quartz is particularly good for its commercial production and a control “sock” – amorphous fused silica.

Load an Eotvos balance with macroscropically and chemically indistinguishable single crystal quartz test masses, space group P3(1)21 opposing P3(2)21. 90 days later the net output is either zero (as with all Equivalence Principle tests since Galileo and Stevin in the late 1500s) or non-zero. Observation trumps dialectic. Somebody should look. A non-zero output is followed by each space group run against fused silica. A quartz enantiomorph homochiral to the vacum background gives a smaller net signal. The two hemiparity experiments’ outputs sum to the full parity experiment’s output as a final validation.

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