Scientists can make mirror molecules in the lab, but are still at least a decade away from creating a mirror cell.
Alena Butusava/Getty Images
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Alena Butusava/Getty Images
Scientists can make mirror molecules in the lab, but are still at least a decade away from creating a mirror cell.
Alena Butusava/Getty Images
For people with two hands, one is usually dominant. On a molecular level, earthly life takes this to the extreme. All of the DNA in living things twists to the right, whereas the protein building blocks favor a kind of left-handed chemistry.
The rules of life are based on this chemistry.
In recent years, scientists have worked toward a kind of mirror version of life. Currently, the technology doesn’t exist to make mirror life at the cellular level — and likely won’t for at least a decade. Still, a group of scientists is concerned enough about the possibility that they’ve published a 299-page technical report calling for a stop to the science.
Check out Carl’s full article.
Curious about other controversial research? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
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This episode was produced by Jessica Yung and Berly McCoy. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez and fact checked by Tyler Jones. The audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.
