The Fool wrote:
>
> http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s603155.htm
>
>
> One way of creating left-handed amino acids is to blast them with
> circularly polarised light, a destructive form of ultraviolet light that
> more easily breaks down right-handed amino acids. This process eventually
> creates an excess of left-handed molecules.
>
There seems to be something missing here. Light isn't just
circularly polarized, it is circularly polarized in one of two
possible orientations. I'm prepared to believe that one kind
preferentially destroys right-handed acids, while the other
destroys left-handed acids. And I guess there might be a mechanism
that produces more of one orientation of circularly polarized
photons. (Got me what it would be, though!)
<rant> I hate these popular articles where they omit crucial
details so as not to overtax their readers. I'm sure it is
possible to write an article where everybody can read it to get
the maximum possible understanding--even footnotes would be
acceptable! <end rant>
---David
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
ROU All photons are circularly polarized one way or another--
just run them through a detector and quantum mechanics
does the rest...
