The Editor of Itself

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

Asubuhi ya sita, Chiara alitengeneza kahawa. Aliketi karibu na tanki pamoja na Polly.

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

Pasta alikuwa amening'inia kichwa chini. Mwili wake ulipiga polepole. Mikono yake ilielea.

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

"Nataka kukuambia jambo moja zaidi," Chiara alisema. "Ni jambo la kushangaza zaidi ninajua kuhusu pweza."

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

DNA ni mpango wa muda mrefu wa mnyama. RNA ni nakala ya kazi.

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.

Kwa wanyama wengi, RNA inafanana na DNA. Lakini kwa pweza, RNA haifanani. Seli huandika upya sehemu za RNA inapoizalisha. Marekebisho mengi hutokea katika mfumo wa neva.

"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."

"Kwa nini?" Chiara alisema. "Inamruhusu pweza kubadilisha mfumo wake wa neva. Inaweza kurekebisha ubongo wake kulingana na joto la maji au chakula chake."

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

Pasta alielea. Ngozi yake karibu na macho iligeuka rangi ya waridi laini na kahawia.

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

"Kila pweza ni mnyama tofauti kidogo," Chiara alisema. "DNA ni ile ile. Lakini mashine ya kazi inajengwa upya, kwa maji hayo na chakula hicho."

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 alifikiria kuhusu ubongo wake mwenyewe. Ulikuwa wake. Hakutaka ubadilike. Lakini alipenda kujua kuwa wanyama kama Pasta walikuwepo.