Before there were animals, bacteria or even DNA on Earth, self-replicating molecules were slowly evolving their way from simple matter to life beneath a constant shower of energetic particles from space. In a paper published Astrophysical Journal Letters, astrophysicists propose that this interaction between ancient proto-organisms and cosmic rays may be responsible for a crucial structural preference, called chirality, in biological molecules. If their idea is correct, it suggests that all life throughout the universe could share the same chiral preference.

Project: Creation and illustration of graphic explainer to accompany an article about the work.
Client: Simons Foundation