The Editor of Itself

On the sixth morning, Chiara made coffee. She sat by the tank with Polly.

Pada pagi keenam, Chiara membuat kopi. Dia duduk di dekat tangki bersama Polly.

Pasta was hanging upside down. Her body pulsed slowly. Her arms drifted.

Pasta menggantung terbalik. Tubuhnya bergerak perlahan. Lengannya melayang.

"I want to tell you one more thing," Chiara said. "It is the strangest thing I know about octopuses."

"Aku ingin memberitahumu satu hal lagi," kata Chiara. "Ini adalah hal paling aneh yang aku tahu tentang gurita."

DNA is the long-term plan of an animal. RNA is the working copy.

DNA adalah rencana jangka panjang dari seekor hewan. RNA adalah salinan yang sedang digunakan.

In most animals, the RNA matches the DNA. But in octopuses, the RNA does not match. The cell rewrites parts of the RNA as it makes it. Most of the edits happen in the nervous system.

Pada kebanyakan hewan, RNA cocok dengan DNA. Tapi pada gurita, RNA tidak cocok. Sel menulis ulang bagian dari RNA saat membuatnya. Sebagian besar penyuntingan terjadi di sistem saraf.

"Why?" Chiara said. "It lets the octopus change its nervous system. It can tune its own brain to the water temperature or to its food."

"Kenapa?" kata Chiara. "Ini memungkinkan gurita mengubah sistem sarafnya. Ia bisa menyesuaikan otaknya sendiri dengan suhu air atau makanannya."

Pasta drifted. Her skin near the eyes turned soft pink and brown.

Pasta melayang. Kulitnya di dekat mata berubah menjadi merah muda lembut dan cokelat.

"Each octopus is a slightly different animal," Chiara said. "Same DNA. But the working machinery is built fresh, for that water and that food."

"Setiap gurita adalah hewan yang sedikit berbeda," kata Chiara. "DNA-nya sama. Tapi mesin kerjanya dibangun baru, untuk air dan makanan itu."

Polly thought about her own brain. It was hers. She did not want it to change. But she liked knowing that animals like Pasta existed.

Polly memikirkan otaknya sendiri. Itu miliknya. Dia tidak ingin itu berubah. Tapi dia senang mengetahui bahwa hewan seperti Pasta ada.