Why Is All DNA Right Handed?

PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to:http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE The molecular basis of all life is mysteriously asymmetric, only using molecules on one side of what should be the equivalent mirrored pairs. The universe has a similar mirror asymmetry, and it may be that our very DNA inherited its twist from the underlying handedness of reality. Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord! https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetime Check out the Space Time Merch Store https://www.pbsspacetime.com/shop Sign up for the mailing list to get episode notifications and hear special announcements! https://mailchi.mp/1a6eb8f2717d/spacetime Search the Entire Space Time Library Here: https://search.pbsspacetime.com/ Hosted by Matt O'Dowd Written by Matt Caplan & Matt O'Dowd Post Production by Leonardo Scholzer, Yago Ballarini & Stephanie Faria Directed by Andrew Kornhaber Associate Producer: Bahar Gholipour Executive Producer: Andrew Kornhaber Executive in Charge for PBS: Maribel Lopez Director of Programming for PBS: Gabrielle Ewing Assistant Director of Programming for PBS: John Campbell Spacetime is a production of Kornhaber Brown for PBS Digital Studios. This program is produced by Kornhaber Brown, which is solely responsible for its content. © 2025 PBS. All rights reserved. End Credits Music by J.R.S. Schattenberg: https://www.youtube.com/user/MultiDroideka Space Time Was Made Possible In Part By: Big Bang Tj Steyn Peter Barrett Alexander Tamas Morgan Hough Juan Benet Vinnie Falco Mark Rosenthal Supernova Daniel Muzquiz Grace Biaelcki Glenn Sugden Ethan Cohen Stephen Wilcox Robert Ilardi Tristan Lucian Claudius Aurelius Tyacke Mark Heising Hypernova Param Saxena Thomas Mouton Zachary Haberman Spencer Jones Dean Galvin Mike Purvis Michael Tidwell Stephen Saslow Stephen Spidle Massimiliano Pala Justin Lloyd David Giltinan Kenneth See Gregory Forfa Alex Kern Scott Gorlick Paul Stehr-Green Ben Delo Scott Gray Антон Кочков John R. Slavik Donal Botkin chuck zegar Gamma Ray Burst Michael Good Steven Giallourakis Ian Williams Łukasz Kuczera Ayden Miller Todd J Lerner Sound Reason Michael Clark Collin Dutrow Marion Lang Kurt Gottselig Bryan White Eric Raschke aaron pinto Kacper Cieśla Satwik Pani John De Witt Nathaniel Bennett Sandhya Devi Arko Provo Mukherjee Christopher Wade Robert DeChellis Tomaz Lovsin Anthony Leon Nick Hoffenstoffer III Lori Ferris Koen Wilde Nicolas Katsantonis Sean Owen Richard Steenbergen Chuck Lukaszewski Jerry Thomas John Anderson Bradley Ulis Craig Falls Kane Holbrook Steffen Bendel Ross Story Harsh Khandhadia Michael Lev Rad Antonov Terje Vold James Trimmier comboy Jeremy Soller Paul Wood Kent Durham Jim Bartosh John H. Austin, Jr. Diana S Poljar Faraz Khan Almog Cohen Daniel Jennings Ben McIntosh David Johnston Michael Barton Isaac Suttell Mark Delagasse Mark Daniel Cohen Shane Calimlim Tybie Fitzhugh Eric Kiebler Craig Stonaha Frederic Simon Tonyface Alex Gan Matthew Johnson Michael Purcell John Funai Adrien Molyneux Bradley Jenkins Vlad Shipulin Walter Flinn Thomas Dougherty Zac Sweers Dan Warren Joseph Salomone Cal Stephens