Kwenzekani Ezibankwakazini Ezesabekayo?
“ISAYENSI yemivubukulo iwukuhlolwa kwemivubukulo, futhi imivubukulo iyizinsalela zokuphila ezikhathini zakudala.” Kodwa njengoba esinye isazi sesayensi yemivubukulo sasho, ‘iyisayensi ecatshangelwe kakhulu.’ Lokhu kusobala ngokuphathelene nezibankwakazi ezesabekayo. Ephawula ngokunye ukucabangela maqondana nalokho okwenzeka kuzo, usosayensi wasePrinceton uG. L. Jepson wathi:
“Abalobi abanamakhono ahlukahlukene baye basikisela ukuthi izibankwakazi ezesabekayo zanyamalala ngenxa yokuthi isimo sezulu sawohloka . . . noma ngenxa yokuthi kwaphela ukudla. . . . Abanye abalobi baye basola izifo, izilwane eziphila ngokuthola ukudla kwezinye izilwane, . . . izinguquko ezingeni noma enhlanganiseleni yomoya wasemkhathini, isisi esibulalayo, uthuthu lwentaba-mlilo, umoya-mpilo omningi ngokweqile ovela ezitshalweni, izinto eziwa zivela kweminye imikhathi esemazulwini, izinkanyezi ezinemisila, ukuchitheka kwamagene amaningi okubangelwa izilwane ezincane ezincelisayo ezidla amaqanda, . . . imisebe yelanga, ukugudluka kokujikeleza koMhlaba emikhawulweni yawo, izikhukhula, ukugudluka kwamazwekazi ezindaweni zawo, . . . ukoma kwamaxhaphozi nezimo eziguquguqukayo zasemachibini amakhulu, namachashazana amnyama asitha ukukhanya kwelanga.”—The Riddle of the Dinosaur.
Ngokwalokho kucabangela kusobala ukuthi ososayensi abakwazi ngisho noma sebegomela, ukuphendula umbuzo othi: Kwenzekani ezibankwakazini ezesabekayo?
Inkolelo Yokunyamalala Ngokuphazima Kweso
Inkolelo yamuva kakhulu yavezwa yiqembu elakhiwa yindodana noyise, uLuis noWalter Alvarez. Ngaphandle kwedolobha laseGubbio eItaly ephakathi, uWalter Alvarez wavubukula ungqimba oluncane olubomvu lobumba olungajwayelekile lunamathele phakathi kwezingqimba ezimbili zamatshe omcako edwaleni. Ungqimba olungaphansi lwetshe lomcako lwaveza inqwaba yemivubukulo. Ungqimba olungenhla cishe lwalungenayo imivubukulo, luholela izazi zesayensi yomlando womhlaba nezinto eziphila kuwo ukuba ziphethe ngokuthi ukuphila kwanyamalala ngokuphazima kweso nokuthi ungqimba oluncane olubomvu lobumba lwalunokuhlangana okuthile nalokhu kunyamalala.
Ukuhlaziya kwabonisa ukuthi ubumba lwalucebile kuyi-iridium (insimbi), lucebe ngaphezulu izikhathi ezingama-30 kunenhlanganisela ngokuvamile etholakala emadwaleni. Zazazi ukuthi izinhlanganisela ezihlangene kakhulu kangako zalelitshe elingavamile zazingatholakala kuphela emnyombweni womhlaba noma emithonjeni engaphandle komhlaba. Zaphetha ngokuthi i-iridium yazikiswa inkanyezi enkulu eyashaya umhlaba, ibangela ukunyamalala ngokuphazima kweso kwezibankwakazi ezisabekayo.
Ngemva kokuvubukulwa kobumba olucebe ngeiridium eGubbio, izinzika ezifanayo zatholakala nakwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba. Ingabe lokhu kwakufakazela umqondo wenkanyezi? Abanye ososayensi bayakungabaza lokhu. Kodwa njengoba incwadi ethi Riddle of the Dinosaur iphawula, umqondo ka-Alvarez wanezela “imvubelo entsha ekwenzeni ukuhlola kokunyamalala nokuziphendukela kwemvelo.” Futhi isazi sesayensi yemivubukulo uSteven Jay Gould uyavuma ukuthi kwakungaqeda “ukubaluleka kokuphangelana phakathi kwezinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo.”
Ekhulumela lenkolelo entsha nokunyamalala ngokuphazima kweso okusobala kwezibankwakazi ezesabekayo, omunye umlobi wesayensi uyavuma: “Kwakungazamazamisa izisekelo zesayensi ephathelene nezinto eziphilayo yokuziphendukela kwemvelo futhi kungabazise umqondo osematheni wenqubo engokwemvelo yokuphumelela kwabanamandla.”
Usosayensi waseYunivesithi yaseArizona uDavid Jablonski uphetha ngokuthi ‘ngezitshalo eziningi nezilwane, ukunyamalala kwenzeka ngokuphazima kweso futhi kukhethekile ngandlela-thile. Ukunyamalala okukhulu akuyona nje imiphumela yezinsalela eziqongelelekile yezinto ezafa kancane kancane. Okuthile okungavamile kwenzeka.’ Kuyinto efanayo futhi nangezibankwakazi ezesabekayo. Ukuvela kwazo ngokuphazima kweso okufanayo nokunyamalala kwazo ngokuphazima kweso kuyawuphikisa umbono owamukelwa ngokuvamile wokuziphendukela kwemvelo kancane kancane.
Ukulinganisa Isikhathi Sezibankwakazi Ezesabekayo
Amathambo ezibankwakazi ezesabekayo atholakala njalo ezingqimbeni zomhlaba ezingaphansi kwalezo ezinamathambo abantu, okubangela abaningi ukuba baphethe ngokuthi zaba khona kudala ngaphambili. Izazi zesayensi yomlando womhlaba nezinto eziphila kuwo zibiza lesikhathi ngokuthi inkathi yeMesozoic futhi ziyihlukanise ziyenze inkathi yeCretaceous, inkathi yeJurassic, nenkathi yeTriassic. Uhlelo lwesikhathi olusetshenzisiwe kulezinkathi luhlelwe ngamashumi ezigidi zeminyaka. Kodwa ingabe lokhu kuye kwaqinisekiswa ngokushaya emhloleni?
Enye indlela esetshenziswayo ukulinganisa isikhathi samathambo emivubukulo ibizwa ngokuthi ukulinganisa isikhathi secarbon ekhipha imisebe yenuzi. Lenqubo yokubalwa kwesikhathi ilinganisa izinga lokubola kwecarbon ekhipha imisebe yenuzi kusukela esikhathini sokufa kwalesosilwane. “Lapho isilwane sifa, asisabe sisayimunca icarbon dioxide entsha endaweni yaso ezungezile, futhi isilinganiso seisotope siyehla ngokuhamba kwesikhathi njengoba kwenzeka ukubola okubangelwa ukuphuma kwemisebe yenuzi,” kusho iScience and Technology Illustrated.
Nokho, lenqubo inezinkinga ezinkulu kakhulu. Okokuqala, lapho kucatshangelwa ukuthi amathambo emivubukulo ayeneminyaka engama-50 000 ubudala, izinga lawo lokukhipha imisebe yenuzi liye lehla kakhulu kangangokuthi kunzima kakhulu ukuwabona. Okwesibili, ngisho nangezinto zokuhlola zamuva kakhulu, lesilinganiso siye sehla kakhulu kangangokuthi kusenzima ngokwedlulele ukusilinganisa ngokunembile. Okwesithathu, ososayensi bangalinganisa izinga lokwakheka kwecarbon ekhipha imisebe yenuzi yanamuhla kodwa abanayo indlela yokulinganisa inhlanganisela yecarbon yesikhathi eside esidlule.
Ngakho kungakhathaliseki ukuthi basebenzisa inqubo yecarbon ekhipha imisebe yenuzi ukuze balinganise isikhathi samathambo emivubukulo noma ezinye izinqubo, njengokusebenzisa ipotassium, iuranium, noma ithorium ekhipha imisebe yenuzi, ukuze balinganise isikhathi samatshe, ososayensi abakwazi ukuthola amazinga akuqala alezozici eminyakeni eminingi edlule. Ngakho, uprofesa wesayensi yokwenziwa kwensimbi uMelvin A. Cook uyaphawula: “Umuntu angase aziqagele nje kuphela lezinhlanganisela [zezinto ezikhipha imisebe yenuzi], futhi isikhathi sazo esiwumphumela otholakalayo owamukelwe siyefana nje nalokhu kuqagela.” Lokhu kuyoba njalo ikakhulukazi lapho sicabangela ukuthi uZamcolo wosuku lukaNowa eminyakeni eyizi-4 300 edlule waletha ushintsho olukhulu esimweni sezulu nasemhlabeni.
Izazi zesayensi yomlando womhlaba nezinto eziphila kuwo uCharles Officer noCharles Drake baseKolishi laseDartmouth baletha okunye ukungabaza okwengeziwe maqondana nokunemba kokulinganiswa kwesikhathi ngemisebe yenuzi. Bathi: “Siphetha ngokuthi i-iridium nokunye okuhilelekile akuzange kuzike kanye kanye . . . kodwa kunalokho kwakunokugeleza okukhulu kakhulu nokushiyanayo kwalezinhlanganisela okwenzeka ngezikhawu zesikhathi somlando womhlaba nezinto eziphila kuwo esifushane kakhulu ngokohlelo lweminyaka eyizi-10 000 kuya kweyizi-100 000.” Baphikisa ngokuthi ukuqhekezeka nokunyakaza kwamazwekazi kwaphazamisa imbulunga yonke, kubangela ukuqhuma kwezintaba-mlilo, kuvimbela ukukhanya kwelanga futhi kungcolisa umkhathi. Ngokuqinisekile, izenzakalo ezinjalo eziphazamisayo zazingashintsha amazinga okusebenza kwemisebe yenuzi, kubangele imiphumela engaqondile emawashini emisebe yenuzi osuku lwanamuhla.
Ukulandisa KukaGenesise Nezibankwakazi Ezisabekayo
Nakuba inqubo yokulinganisa isikhathi ngokufuna imisebe yenuzi iyinqubo esunguliwe, isasekelwe ekucabangeleni. Ngokuphambene, ukulandisa kweBhayibheli esahlukweni sokuqala sikaGenesise kulandisa kalula ngohlelo oluvamile lokudala. Kuvumela cishe izinkulungwane zezigidi zeminyaka zokwenziwa komhlaba nezinkulungwane eziningi zeminyaka ezikhathini noma “izinsuku” eziyisithupha zokudala ukuze kulungiselelwe umhlaba ukuba uhlale isintu.
Ezinye izibankwakazi ezesabekayo (namapterosaur) kungenzeka ngempela ukuthi zadalwa ngosuku lwesihlanu olulotshwe kuGenesise, lapho iBhayibheli lithi wenza ‘izidalwa ezindizayo’ “nemikhomo emikhulu.” Mhlawumbe ezinye izinhlobo zezibankwakazi ezesabekayo zadalwa ngosuku lwesithupha. Ihele elikhulu lezibankwakazi ezesabekayo nokudla kwazo kakhulu kwakuyofaneleka uma sicabangela intilibathwa yezilimo ngokusobala ezazikhona esikhathini sazo.—Genesise 1:20-24.
Lapho izibankwakazi ezesabekayo seziyifezile injongo yazo, uNkulunkulu wanqamula ukuphila kwazo. Kodwa iBhayibheli alisho lutho ngendlela noma ngesikhathi akwenza ngaso lokho. Singaqiniseka ngokuthi izibankwakazi ezesabekayo zadalwa uJehova ngenjongo, nakuba singayiqondi ngokugcwele leyonjongo kulesikhathi. Zazingelona iphutha, zazingewona umkhiqizo wokuziphendukela kwemvelo. Ukuthi zivela ngokuphazima kweso embhalweni ogciniwe ongenakuxhumana nanoma imiphi imivubukulo yawokhokho, futhi zanyamalala ngaphandle kokushiya ukuhlobana kwemivubukulo exhumanayo, kuwubufakazi obumelene nombono wokuthi izilwane ezinjalo zavela ngokuziphendukela kancane kancane eminyakeni eyizigidi edlule. Ngakho, umbhalo ogciniwe wemivubukulo awuyisekeli imfundiso yokuziphendukela kwemvelo. Kunalokho, uvumelana nombono weBhayibheli wezenzo zikaNkulunkulu zokudala.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 10]
Umbhalo ogciniwe wemivubukulo yamathambo ezibankwakazi ezesabekayo awukusekeli ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kodwa indalo