  While biologists have not yet reached a consensus on the definition of life,
homochirality - the specific molecular handedness of biomolecules - is a
phenomenon only produced by life. The unraveling of its origin requires
interdisciplinary research, by exploring fundamental physics, chemistry,
astrophysics and biology. Here, we consider the origin of biological
homochirality in the context of astrophysics and particle physics. The weak
force, one of the fundamental forces operating in nature, is parity-violating.
On Earth, at ground level, most of our cosmic radiation dose comes from
polarized muons formed in a decay involving the weak force. We discuss how the
magnetic polarization is transmitted in cosmic showers within several different
environments which are prime targets in the search for the origin of life. We
consider how this polarization could have induced a biological preference for
one type of chirality over the other, and discuss the implications for the
search of life in other worlds.
