Cephalopods Have a Totally Wild Way of Adapting

With their squishy bodies and color-changing abilities, octopuses and other cephalopods already look like our planet’s resident aliens. But researchers have discovered yet another thing that separates them from most other animals on Earth!

Hosted by: Hank Green

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[Sciencerely]

As a stem cell biologist, I think it's beautiful how cells regulate their genes. Nearly all cells in the human body have the same DNA but are so different. The reason why brain cells look and behave so differently from skin or muscle cells is that they regulate their genes differently. While cephalopods are great in modifying RNAs, our cells primarily modify their DNA making it more compact in order to silence genes (I made a video about this). Studying how that works can help us to develop treatments against numerous diseases where gene regulation has gone wrong!

[tzisorey]

"You can edit DNA on-the-fly? With that kind of technology you could cure cancer!"
"But I don't want to cure cancer - I want to squeeze into small spaces and choose winning soccer teams"

[tylereastburn]

How does a man go from professionally educating a whole generation about interesting biology science, to drunkenly talking about pelicans, socks and what inanimate objects we probably shouldn’t eat? I love Hank Green

[NicholasJeffery]

Hank: Are they from Earth? Are they DEFINITELY from Earth??

Me: *narrows eyes*

[forcedfeedbackclassicgamer]

Cephalopods are just too damn awesome for their own good.

[Tfaonc]

"they may not be able to adapt new solutions ... that could limit them"
Nearly 300 million years of octopus success says they're good.

[TheLionPear]

Octopuses are the stuff of sci-fi in real life.

[garrettsharpe]

Every octopus science video reminds me of how badly I want an aquarium to build a roomba fish tank with a joystick inside for an octopus to go-kart its way around the aquarium. Imagine looking at fish at the aquarium, and an octopus just drives up next to you.

[diamondjub]

Cephalopods once again prove why they're my favorite sea creatures

[GandalfTheTsaagan]

So their mRNA is like a genetic swiss army knife

[DeDraconis]

I mean, it's kind of a good thing their overall evolution happens so slowly. We're not ready to deal with the Illithid Master Race yet. Just this morning I saw a guy sawing a branch while sitting on it - on the farther from the trunk side. #NOTREADY

[Kyzoren]

Splatoon is scientifically accurate...

The Inklings/Octolings are psychic-cephalopods, telekinetically manipulating their ink to form what is essentially a mech of ink, to cosplay as humans, because they are revered as gods in their timeline and wish to emulate their likeness (gods, or at least "Ancient Ones", can't remember)...

And how did they evolved this way? because they wanted to... and they had 10, 000 years to perfect it...

[gigabyte]

That has to be one of the best video thumbnails I've ever seen

[chaerodactyl]

Cephalopods sure do provide easy material for hard sci-fi
like I'm out here tryna use real-world science as a jumping-off point for my aliens but octopi are seriously like "wait actually I just adapted a stepladder for u out of mRNA"

[teendoll]

Even though I’m not in school anymore, I still love watching these as if I was in my science classes

[baronvonbeandip]

Octopuses are the real apex species.
I, for one, welcome our cephalopod overlords.

[juniormynos]

Octopuses are my favourite animal.
Then honey badgers

[akumaking]

So the squids of Splatoon can take over the world!

[ll-kjup]

Cephalopods: *edits genome on the fly*
Lamarck in his grave: AT

[soccer]

I just wrapped up a unit on evolution with my Biology students. I'm now starting a unit on protein synthesis. This video is a perfect way to tie the two together!