#3056: RNA

XKCD comic, described below.
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.


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