#3056: RNA
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Transcript
[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.]
Header: 1960s
[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 that do stuff.
Header: 1980s
[Cueball faces towards the poster, with his hand on his chin.]
Cueball: Also, the RNA does some stuff itself, which is weird.
Header: 2000s
[Cueball, facing away from the poster, has his arms raised in the air.]
Cueball: There are so many kinds of RNA. It's doing so much stuff!
Header: 2020s
[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?
Cueball: Errands for RNA.
(Sourced from explainxkcd.com)
Title text:2040s: RNA formed the basis for life each of the five known times it arose on the early Earth.