October 31, 2025
Swipe left on bad molecules
Exceptional Measurement of Chirality
Scientists nail 'handed' molecules; commenters argue aliens, lab tools, and AI hype
TLDR: A 2019 study boosted a light-based test (VCD) with a genetic algorithm to reliably spot a molecule’s left or right form in messy setups, a big deal for safer drugs and faster screening. Commenters split between alien-level philosophy, practical “is this a polarimeter?” checks, and cheeky AI one-liners.
Scientists say they’ve cracked a new way to tell "left-handed" and "right-handed" molecules apart in messy, real-world conditions, using a smarter twist on VCD — light that’s also left or right-handed — and a genetic algorithm that scores how sure the answer is. Why it matters: the "handedness" of a drug can mean safe or harmful, so better checks could speed pharma screening and real-time monitoring.
But the comments stole the show. One camp went cosmic: gorgoiler linked the classic "teach left from right to an alien" thread and wondered why the article didn’t nod at the paradox. Another camp stayed practical: gavinray asked if this is just a fancier polarimeter — the device that basically says "mixed or not." Fans of the paper chimed in that VCD can identify which hand and how much, even when molecules squirm. And then came the AI quips: slyrus deadpanned that, hey, it’s 2019 — surely a diffusion foundation model does chirality now. Cue memes about GPT telling your pills which hand to shake. Verdict: a real breakthrough with real stakes, wrapped in classic internet drama — philosophers, lab rats, and AI jokesters all arguing left vs right.
Key Points
- •Researchers improved VCD-based chirality determination by replacing energy averaging with an uncertainty-aware algorithm.
- •A genetic algorithm is used to optimize agreement between theoretical fingerprints and experimental VCD spectra.
- •The approach increases reliability of assigning molecular handedness and quantifies confidence in the assignment.
- •VCD, often seen as technically complex, is presented as accessible with expanded application potential.
- •Potential applications include real-time biochemical monitoring and high-throughput pharmaceutical screening; the work is published in Chemical Science (2019).