Imibuzo Ebalulekile Ejulile Ngaphakathi Kithi
Kungani silapha? Siyaphi? Ingabe ukuphila kwethu fcunenjongo? Ngaphezu kwalokho, okokuqala nje saba khona kanjani lapha?
UMHLABA uchichima ukuphila. Kusukela emajukujukwini olwandle kuya eziqongweni zezintaba eziphakeme kakhulu, ukuphila kukhona. Kuningi kusukela ezifundeni ezineqhwa kuze kube semahlathini ashisayo. Ukuphila okusezweni ngobuningi kulingana nokuphila “okusolwandle.” Kuba khona nasemanzini ashisa ngamadegree angamakhulu ecentigrade ngaphezu kwezinga lokushisa nakwabandayo ngamadegree angama-56 ecentigrade ngaphansi kwezinga lokubanda. Kuba khona emoyeni omncane phezulu kakhulu komhlaba kanye nasekujuleni kolwandle okungamakhilomitha ayishumi nanye eMseleni ojulile iMariana, lapho inhlanzi eyisicaba iphila khona ngaphansi kwamandla acindezelayo emetric ton eyodwa ngesentimithaskwele.
Ukuphila futhi kunezilinganiso ezinkulu, kusukela kubacteria engabonakali kuya emkhomeni oluhlaza ongamamitha angama-30 ubude kanye nesisindo esingamametric tons angama-90—ulimi lwawo kuphela lunesisindo esilingana nesendlovu! Kodwa njengoba ibacteria incane ngesilinganiso inkulu ngokwamanani. Ngokhezo olulodwa oluncanyana olunenhlabathi evundile, kungaba namabacteria ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezinhlanu. Izigidi zezinkulungwane zamabacteria ezisemigudwini yokugaya ukudla emihlweni nasezinkomweni ezenza zikwazi ukugaya ukhuni notshani. Kuye kwalinganiselwa ukuthi izilokazana
eziningi eziphila ngathi futhi ngaphakathi kwethu zingaphezu kwabantu abasemhlabeni. Esinye isazi sesayensi sithi, “inani eliyingqikithi lezilokazana eziseMhlabeni, muva nje liye lalinganiselwa ukuthi lingaphezu kwazo zonke izilwane zomhlaba izikhathi eziphindwe ngama-20.” Kuyiqiniso, ukuphila emhlabeni kufinyelela amanani angenakubalwa.
Nokho awekho amabacteria noma imikhomo, nanoma iziphi ezinye izidalwa ezingenakubalwa eziyizigidigidi ezikhona, ezibuza lemibuzo ebalulekile: Kungani silapha? Siyaphi? Ingabe ukuphila kwethu kunenjongo? Saba khona kanjani lapha?
Kodwa abantu bayayibuza. Bayabuza. Kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka bebelokhu bebuza ngokuphindaphindiwe. Kungani? Kungoba abantu behlukile. Izidingo zabo zihlukile. Kunegebe elikhulu elihlukanisa abantu kuzo zonke izidalwa ezisemhlabeni. Lona kanye iphuzu lokuthi yibona bodwa ababuza lemibuzo liyakufakazela lokhu. UPeter Medawar encwadini yakhe ethi The Limits of Science uthi iqiniso lokuthi isayensi inomngcele “liba sobala ngokwehluleka kwayo ukuphendula imibuzo eyisisekelo engeyezingane ephathelene nezinto zokuqala nezokugcina—imibuzo enjengokuthi ‘lzinto zonke zaqala kanjani?’ ‘Kungani silapha?’ ‘Siphilelani?’”
Nokho lemibuzo ebalulekile ilokhu isikhathaza, ayishalazeleki, ifuna izimpendulo. Sinokulangazelela kwangaphakathi kwezimpendulo. Ososayensi bayazama ukunikeza izimpendulo. Ingabe banaso isihluthulelo sokuvula umnyango wombuzo wokuqala obalulekile kaMedawar: Izinto zonke zaqala kanjani?