Ingilazi—Abenzi Bayo Bokuqala Babephila Kudala

AMA-DIATOM, izinto eziphilayo ezincanyana ezakhiwa ingqamuzana eyodwa, antanta phezu kwamanzi ezilwandle futhi akha izingxenye eziyisithupha kweziyishumi zezinto eziphilayo ezakha izitshalo ezincanyana zasolwandle (plankton). Igama elithi “plankton” lisho ukuthi “lokho okwenzelwe ukuzulazula,” futhi lezi zitshalo ezincanyana zasolwandle kuthiwa “zincane kakhulu futhi zintekenteke ukuba zingenza noma yini ngaphandle kokuntantiswa amandla omsinga.”

Zingase zibe ncanyana, kodwa azintekenteke neze. Lapho umoya uphethula ukudla ekujuleni kolwandle, lolu lwelwe oluyingqamuzana eyodwa olwaziwa ngokuthi ama-diatom, luyazidelisa ngokudla, futhi ngezinsuku ezimbili inani lalo lingaphindwa kabili. Futhi lapho inani seliphindeke kabili, nokukhiqiza kwalo ingilazi kuphindeka kabili. Incwadi ethi Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? iyenaba ngalokhu:

“Ama-diatom, izinto eziphilayo ezakhiwa ingqamuzana eyodwa, athatha i-silicon nomoya-mpilo emanzini olwandle enze ingilazi, ezakha ngayo ‘amabhokisi amaphilisi’ azohlala i-chlorophyll yawo eluhlaza okotshani. Omunye usosayensi wawababaza ngenxa yokubaluleka nobuhle bawo: ‘Lamaqabunga aluhlaza asemabhokisini ayigugu angamadlelo okudla okuyisishiyagalolunye kokuyishumi kwazo zonke izinto eziphila olwandle.’ Ingxenye enkulu yokudla kwazo kusemafutheni enziwa ama-diatom, awasizayo nawo ukuba antante ngaphezulu lapho i-chlorophyll yawo izothamela khona ilanga.

“Lososayensi usitshela ukuthi, izembozo zawo ezingamabhokisi engilazi amahle zakheke ‘zaba izinhlobonhlobo ezimangalisayo—izindilinga, izikwele, ezinjengehawu, onxantathu, isiyingilizi esifana neqanda, onxande—kuhlala kuhlotshiswe kahle ngemihlobiso ye-geometry edwetshwe ngobuciko. Ibe isihlotshiswa engilazini engaxutshiwe ngobuciko obukhulu kangangokuba unwele lomuntu kungadingeka lucazwe ngobude lube izinwele ezingamakhulu amane ukuze lwanele kuleyo mihlobiso.’”—Amakhasi 143-4.a

Eminye imisebenzi emincanyana yobuciko echumayo ezitshalweni zasolwandle ama-radiolarian. Lama-protozoan amancanyana—angu-20 noma ngaphezulu angahlala ekhandeni likakhanjana angathintani—nawo enza ingilazi nge-silicon nomoya-mpilo olwandle. Ubuhle obuyinkimbinkimbi nemiklamo emangalisayo eyenziwa yilezi zidalwa abuchazeki, ngoba budlula ngisho nama-diatom. Bhekisisa ngokucophelela lesi thombe esibonisa enye yama-radiolarian anamabhola amathathu ahlangene ndawonye njengonodoli baseRussia, nemifunkulu ye-protoplasm iyophuma ngezimbobo zamathambo ayingilazi ukuze abambe futhi ashwabadele isitha sawo. Omunye usosayensi unikeza lokhu kukhulumela: “Isakhiwo esisodwa esiyindilingi phezulu esiyinkimbinkimbi ngeke sanele kulobu buciko obuhle kangaka; kungamelwe kube izakhiwo eziyindilingi phezulu ezintathu zengilazi ezihlotshiswe ngokusaleyisi, esinye siphakathi kwesinye.”

Kunezilwanyana zasolwandle ezakha izinhlaka zengilazi—emangalisa kunazo zonke i-Venus’s-flower-basket. Lapho zilethwa eYurophu okokuqala ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-19, umklamo wazo wawuhlaba umxhwele ngendlela emangalisa kangangokuthi lezi zilwanyana zasolwandle zaba amagugu abizayo abekwe ezintweni eziqoqiwe ezise-zoo—kwaze kwaba yilapho kutholakala ukuthi aziyona into engavamile kunalokho “zakha ukhaphethi phansi olwandle ngaseCebu, ePhilippines, namalungana nogu lwaseJapane ekujuleni okungamamitha angu-200-300.”

Omunye usosayensi wahlabeka umxhwele kakhulu futhi yamkhungathekisa kangangokuba wathi: “Lapho ubuka uhlaka oluyinkimbinkimbi lwalezi zilwanyana zasolwandle njengalolo olwenziwe ngezinto ezicijile eziwu-silica owaziwa ngokuthi [iVenus’s-flower-basket], ingqondo iyama. Amangqamuzana amancanyana azimele ngokwengxenye abambisana kanjani ukuze akhiphe izingcezwana zengilazi eziyizigidi bese akha umdwebo omuhle noyinkimbinkimbi kangaka? Asazi.”

Nalezi zilwanyana zasolwandle azazi. Azinabo ubuchopho. Zikwenza ngoba zenziwa zakwazi ukukwenza. Ubani owazenza zakwazi ukukwenza? Akuyena umuntu. Wayengekho lapho.

Indima Yomuntu Emlandweni Wengilazi

Kodwa umuntu usekhona manje, futhi kusobala ukuthi ungungqá phambili ekwenzeni nasekusebenziseni ingilazi. Itholakala yonke indawo; isizungezile. Ikhona emafasiteleni akho, ezibukweni zamehlo, esihenqweni se-computer, ematafuleni, nakweminye imikhiqizo eminingi.

Ikhono layo lokwenza izinto ezihlukahlukene nobuhle bayo kuye kwayisiza ukuba ihlale ithandeka. Nakuba ingase iphuke kalula, inazo ezinye izici ezinhle. Idla ubhedu ekugcineni ukudla. Ngokwesibonelo, ngokungafani nensimbi, ayenzi kunambitheke ngenye indlela ukudla. Ezinye izitsha zengilazi zingasetshenziselwa ukupheka. Awunakucabanga ngendawo yakho yokudlela oyithanda kakhulu ikulethela iwayini elimnandi ngezinkomishi zamapulasitiki.

UJobe waqhathanisa ingilazi negolide ngenani. (Jobe 28:17) Ngokuqinisekile, ngosuku lwakhe yayingavamile njengoba kunjalo manje, kodwa cishe yayisisetshenziswa kakade eminyakeni engaphezu kweyinkulungwane.

Ekugcineni ubuciko bokwenza ingilazi bafinyelela eGibithe. AbaseGibithe babesebenzisa indlela ebizwa ngokuthi i-core-forming. Ingaphakathi elenziwe lama ngendlela ethile lalenziwa ngobumba nobulongwe, bese kuthi ingaphandle layo lithelwe ngengilazi encibilikisiwe futhi ilolongwe lapho igingqwa endaweni ehlelenjiwe. Kwakuthi imicu yengilazi enemibala egqamile ihuqwe phansi ukuze kwenziwe imihlobiso enhlobonhlobo. Lapho ingilazi isipholile, kwakukhishwa ingaphakathi elakhiwe ngobumba ngento ecijile. Uma sicabangela lendlela eyisidala, kwakukhiqizwa izinto zengilazi ezikhanga ngendlela emangalisayo.

Kwaze kwaba muva kakhulu lapho indlela entsha, ukulolonga ingilazi encibilikisiwe ngokuyiphephetha ngomoya, yakushintsha khona ukukhiqizwa kwengilazi. Lobu buciko cishe batholakala malungana neMediterranean Coast esempumalanga, futhi buseyindlela eyinhloko yokwenza ingilazi ngesandla namuhla. Ngokufutha ishubhu elinembobo, umfuthi wengilazi onolwazi ngokushesha angaveza izinto ezime ngezindlela eziyinkimbinkimbi nezifanayo nxazombili esibumbatheni sengilazi encibilikile esisekupheleni kweshubhu lakhe. Enye indlela iwukuthi angafutha ngomoya ingilazi encibilikile ayenze isimo esithile. Ngesikhathi uJesu elapha emhlabeni, ukufutha ingilazi ngomoya kwakusanda kuqalwa.

Ukusungulwa kokufuthwa kwengilazi ngomoya, kanye nokusekela koMbuso wamaRoma onamandla, kwenza ukuba imikhiqizo yengilazi itholakale kalula kakhulu kubantukazana, futhi izinto zengilazi zazingasatholakali kubantu abaphezulu nabacebile kuphela. Njengoba ithonya lamaRoma lalikhula, ubuciko bokwenza ingilazi basakazekela nasemazweni amaningi.

Ngekhulu le-15, iVenice, okwakuyisikhungo sokuhweba esibalulekile eYurophu, yayisiyindawo eyinhloko ekhiqiza izinto zengilazi eYurophu. Imboni yengilazi yaseVenice yayiseMurano. Abenzi bengilazi baseVenice babaziswa kakhulu, kodwa babenqatshelwe ukuba bahambe esiqhingini saseMurano, funa izimfihlo zabo eziyigugu zokudayisa zidluliselwe kwabanye.

Izinto zengilazi ezinhle zaseVenice zenza okukhulu ekwandiseni ukuthandwa kwengilazi, kodwa ukwenza ingilazi kwakungewona neze umsebenzi olula. Incwadi ethi A Short History of Glass ibhekisela encwadini yango-1713 echaza ukuthi kwakunjani. “Amadoda ami njalo eqimbile esimweni sezulu sasebusika obushubisa umkantsha maduzane nezimbawula ezishisa bhé . . . Ayashwabana ngoba ijwabu lawo lemvelo . . . liyasha futhi liyonakala ngenxa yokushisa okweqile.” Eminyakeni yakamuva abasiki bengilazi babepholisha ingilazi ngesondo eliphendukayo nophawuda bokupholisha.

Izindlela Zakamuva

INgilandi iye yathola igama elikhethekile emlandweni wengilazi. Umenzi wengilazi oyiNgisi walungisa indlela yokwenza ingilazi enomthofu ngo-1676. Ukwenezela i-lead oxide kwaveza ingilazi esindayo, ecacile, nebenyezelayo.

UMbuso WaseBrithani wawusudlondlobele phakathi nenkathi yokubusa kukaVictoria, futhi ngalesi sikhathi iBrithani yayingumkhiqizi oyinhloko wengilazi. Okwakuphawuleka ngokukhethekile kwakuwumbukiso omkhulu owawuseCrystal Palace ngo-1851, umbukiso wokuqala womhlaba, owaheha abantu ababukisa ngobuciko bezimboni nomsebenzi wezandla abavela emazweni angaba ngu-90. Nakuba ingilazi yayivelele ezintweni ezazibukiswa, kwakuyiCrystal Palace ngokwayo, enesakhiwo sengilazi esiphuma amanzi esiphakeme ngamamitha angu-8,2 esaba undabamlonyeni. Cishe kwasetshenziswa amathani angu-400 engilazi kulesi sakhiwo esikhulukazi, esasinezingxenye zengilazi ezingu-300 000 ezenziwe ngesandla.

Nokho, kwakuse-United States lapho kwenzeka khona ushintsho olukhulu ekwakhiweni kwengilazi. Kwakuwukuthuthukiswa komshini wokulolonga ingilazi ngawo-1820. Incwadi ethi A Short History of Glass ikhuluma ngalokhu: “Emshinini wokulolonga, amadoda amabili anokuhlangenwe nakho okuncane ayengenza ingilazi ephindwe kane kunaleyo eyayingenziwa iqembu labantu abafutha ingilazi abathathu noma abane abaqeqeshiwe.”

Ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20, e-United States kwathuthukiswa umshini ozisebenzelayo wokufutha ibhodlela. Ngo-1926 enye imboni ePennsylvania yasebenzisa umshini wokufutha ukuze wenze amagilobhu angu-2 000 ngomzuzu.

Ongoti nabaklami abaningi baye bahehwa ikhono lobuciko lengilazi. Lokhu kuye kwaletha imiklamo emisha emikhiqizweni yengilazi nokwenziwa kwemidwebo eyengeziwe engilazini.

Ngempela ingilazi iyisimangaliso. Ngaphandle kokusetshenziswa kwayo ekhaya, cabangela ezinye izindlela eziningi esetshenziselwa zona—kuyiHubble Space Telescope, kuma-lens ekhamera, izimiso zokuxhumana ze-fiber optic, nasendaweni yokuthaka imithi. Ingase iphuke kalula, kodwa isetshenziswa ezintweni eziningi futhi yinhle.

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