3056: RNA - Revision history

FaviFake at 13:01, 1 May 2025

2025-05-01T13:01:15Z

BobcatInABox: /* Explanation */

2025-04-30T23:28:46Z

‎Explanation

FaviFake: thx

2025-03-26T15:53:54Z

thx

172.70.43.200: I saw the "incomplete" statement, so I tried to sharpen the previous writers statement to explain the joke of the title text.

2025-03-25T21:19:26Z

I saw the "incomplete" statement, so I tried to sharpen the previous writers statement to explain the joke of the title text.

1234231587678: accurate transcription, i think

2025-03-18T02:44:29Z

accurate transcription, i think

162.158.74.15: Do we actually need to cite that the future is full of unknowns? Tempted to change it to 'joke' Citation Needed, but I'm not sure that's even funny enough.

2025-03-08T01:09:23Z

Do we actually need to cite that the future is full of unknowns? Tempted to change it to 'joke' Citation Needed, but I'm not sure that's even funny enough.

FaviFake: wrogng template

2025-03-07T18:23:50Z

wrogng template

Cwallenpoole: /* Explanation */

2025-03-07T15:36:20Z

‎Explanation

172.70.90.119: /* Explanation */

2025-03-03T09:11:57Z

‎Explanation

172.70.91.182: /* Explanation */

2025-03-03T09:10:55Z

‎Explanation

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 *The fourth panel (2020s) explains that RNA seems to be the primary actor in life, and it merely uses DNA for permanent storage of information. In particular, DNA contains the genetic information that's copied when cells divide and when ova and sperm combine. This seems to be a reference to the {{w|RNA-based evolution}} theory, which claims that RNA is the primary driver of evolution. It's similar to the idea that [https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/118413-a-hen-is-only-an-egg-s-way-of-making-another a hen is only an egg's way of making another egg].
-*The title text [[605: Extrapolating|extrapolates]] the increasing significance of RNA to life. Specifically, that by the 2040s humans would discover that life evolved on Earth 5 distinct times, each with RNA forming its basis, essentially making RNA central to not just our tree of life, but the development of life in general. All types of life we know of today (or have evidence of having existed) seem highly likely to have arisen from the {{w|last universal common ancestor}}. However, detection of past or present [[2171: Shadow Biosphere|shadow biospheres]] could eventually provide evidence of alternative instances of the development of life on Earth.
+*The title text (2040s) [[605: Extrapolating|extrapolates]] the increasing significance of RNA to life. Specifically, that by the 2040s humans would discover that life evolved on Earth 5 distinct times, each with RNA forming its basis, essentially making RNA central to not just our tree of life, but the development of life in general. All types of life we know of today (or have evidence of having existed) seem highly likely to have arisen from the {{w|last universal common ancestor}}. However, detection of past or present [[2171: Shadow Biosphere|shadow biospheres]] could eventually provide evidence of alternative instances of the development of life on Earth.
 RNA has been mentioned previously in [[2425: mRNA Vaccine]], where the [[:Category:COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 vaccine]] is explained, and [[3002: RNAWorld]], in which Disney decides to capitalize on the success of RNA.

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Explanation==
 This is a comic about how our understanding of {{w|DNA}} and {{w|RNA}} has evolved over time as we've done more research into how they figure into cellular and viral processes. In the 1960s, we had just started to understand the role of DNA; as the years progressed, we realized RNA played a part, initially as an intermediary; and it turned 'weird' as we learned that RNA's role is potentially as complex as DNA's, if not more so. People now believe that life as we know it developed as RNA, and then evolved proteins and DNA later; this is called the "{{w|RNA World}}" theory.
 <!-- Wondering if to gut the above, back to "the general idea" and do a table of "milestones of understanding" (both comic, and additional), but would take a lot more work to get right... -->

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Explanation==
-{{incomplete|The explanation is too technical, especially the last bullet point, and isn't directly explaining the comic.}}
+{{incomplete|The explanation is too technical and isn't directly explaining the comic.}}
 This is a comic about how our understanding of {{w|DNA}} and {{w|RNA}} has evolved over time as we've done more research into how they figure into cellular and viral processes. In the 1960s, we had just started to understand the role of DNA; as the years progressed, we realized RNA played a part, initially as an intermediary; and it turned 'weird' as we learned that RNA's role is potentially as complex as DNA's, if not more so. People now believe that life as we know it developed as RNA, and then evolved proteins and DNA later; this is called the "{{w|RNA World}}" theory.
 <!-- Wondering if to gut the above, back to "the general idea" and do a table of "milestones of understanding" (both comic, and additional), but would take a lot more work to get right... -->
@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 *The fourth panel (2020s) explains that RNA seems to be the primary actor in life, and it merely uses DNA for permanent storage of information. In particular, DNA contains the genetic information that's copied when cells divide and when ova and sperm combine. This seems to be a reference to the {{w|RNA-based evolution}} theory, which claims that RNA is the primary driver of evolution. It's similar to the idea that [https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/118413-a-hen-is-only-an-egg-s-way-of-making-another a hen is only an egg's way of making another egg].
-*The title text [[605: Extrapolating|extrapolates]] the increasing significance of RNA to life. Specifically, that by the 2040s humans would discover that life evolved on Earth 5 distinct times, each with RNA forming its basis. Essentially, making RNA central to not just our tree of life, but the development of life in general. All types of life we know of today (or have evidence of having existed) seem highly likely to have arisen from the {{w|last universal common ancestor}}. However, detection of past or present [[2171: Shadow Biosphere|shadow biospheres]] could eventually provide evidence of alternative instances of the development of life on Earth.
+*The title text [[605: Extrapolating|extrapolates]] the increasing significance of RNA to life. Specifically, that by the 2040s humans would discover that life evolved on Earth 5 distinct times, each with RNA forming its basis, essentially making RNA central to not just our tree of life, but the development of life in general. All types of life we know of today (or have evidence of having existed) seem highly likely to have arisen from the {{w|last universal common ancestor}}. However, detection of past or present [[2171: Shadow Biosphere|shadow biospheres]] could eventually provide evidence of alternative instances of the development of life on Earth.
 RNA has been mentioned previously in [[2425: mRNA Vaccine]], where the [[:Category:COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 vaccine]] is explained, and [[3002: RNAWorld]], in which Disney decides to capitalize on the success of RNA.

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 *The fourth panel (2020s) explains that RNA seems to be the primary actor in life, and it merely uses DNA for permanent storage of information. In particular, DNA contains the genetic information that's copied when cells divide and when ova and sperm combine. This seems to be a reference to the {{w|RNA-based evolution}} theory, which claims that RNA is the primary driver of evolution. It's similar to the idea that [https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/118413-a-hen-is-only-an-egg-s-way-of-making-another a hen is only an egg's way of making another egg].
-*The title text [[605: Extrapolating|extrapolates]] from the fourth panel into the 2040s, when humans have learned that RNA was responsible for the formation of life on Earth, and that life formed on Earth five times. At the present time, all types of life we know of today (or have evidence of having existed) seem highly likely to have arisen from the {{w|last universal common ancestor}}. (It has also been hypothesized that viruses may have {{w|Viral_evolution#Origins|evolved independently of cellular life}}.) Whether this can change by the 2040s is unknown. It might take more advanced study of ancient rocks, and the sheer good fortune to uncover/discover a suitably preserved 'bed' of alternative biochemistry, to establish convincing evidence of some other origin(s) of life. Another possibility is that intense analysis of the current diversity of biology ''could'' extrapolate multiple origins for some of the chemical pathways that eventually became cooperative parts in some or all more recent forms of biological cells.
+*The title text [[605: Extrapolating|extrapolates]] the increasing significance of RNA to life. Specifically, that by the 2040s humans would discover that life evolved on Earth 5 distinct times, each with RNA forming its basis. Essentially, making RNA central to not just our tree of life, but the development of life in general. All types of life we know of today (or have evidence of having existed) seem highly likely to have arisen from the {{w|last universal common ancestor}}. However, detection of past or present [[2171: Shadow Biosphere|shadow biospheres]] could eventually provide evidence of alternative instances of the development of life on Earth.
 RNA has been mentioned previously in [[2425: mRNA Vaccine]], where the [[:Category:COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 vaccine]] is explained, and [[3002: RNAWorld]], in which Disney decides to capitalize on the success of RNA.

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 ==Transcript==
-{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
+:[In each panel, Cueball is standing in front of a poster. The poster contains a picture of a double helix (presumably DNA) and some illegible text, although the poster is different in each panel. Each panel has a header indicating the decade in which it takes place.]
-:'''1960s'''
+:Header: 1960s
-:[Cueball has a hand up in an explanatory pose]
+:[Cueball, looking away from the poster, has a hand up, palm facing up.]
-:Cueball: Life is based on DNA, which uses RNA to make proteins do stuff.
+:Cueball: Life is based on DNA, which uses RNA to make proteins that do stuff.
-:'''1980s'''
+:Header: 1980s
 :[Cueball faces towards the poster, with his hand on his chin.]
 :Cueball: Also, the RNA does some stuff itself, which is weird.
-:'''2000s'''
+:Header: 2000s
-:[Cueball has his arms raised in the air.]
+:[Cueball, facing away from the poster, has his arms raised in the air.]
-: Cueball: There are so many types of RNA. It's doing ''so'' much stuff!
+:Cueball: There are so many kinds of RNA. It's doing '''''so''''' much stuff!
-:'''2020s'''
+:Header: 2020s
-:[Cueball has both his hands down]
+:[Cueball is in a standing pose, hands down.]
 :Cueball: Life is a seething mass of RNA that sometimes uses DNA to take notes.
 :Person out of frame: What do the proteins do?