“Isayensi Ifunda Emvelweni”
AMAZWI angenhla ayeyisihloko se-New York Times ka-August 31, 1993. Lesihloko saphawula ukuthi inani elikhulayo lososayensi abaklama izinto ezintsha selihileleke emkhakheni we-biomimetics. Le-Times yachaza i-biomimetics ngokuthi “ukuhlolwa kokwakheka nokusebenza kwezinto eziphilayo njengezibonelo zezinto zokuzenzela.”
Lesihloko savuma ukuthi izilwane ezincane zasolwandle nezicabucabu zenza izinto eziphakeme kunezinto ezifanayo ezingenziwa ososayensi banamuhla. Ngokwesibonelo, i-abalone imunca i-calcium carbonate, isakhi somcako esisampuphu, emanzini bese yenza amapuleti amancane kakhulu. Khona-ke ihlanganisa lamapuleti amaningi ngenhlaka yamaprotheni noshukela. UDkt. Mehmet Sarikaya uthi leligobolondo liqine ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-30 kune-calcium carbonate evamile eyenziwa ezindaweni zokucwaninga. Uyavuma: “Asinabo ubuchwepheshe bokwenza izingwengwezi ezincane njengezegobolondo lasolwandle.”
Ngokufanayo, usilika wolwembu lwesicabucabu uqinile kunensimbi futhi uhlala isikhathi eside kune-nylon. Ososayensi basacwaninga ngalosilika ngethemba lokwenza imicu eqinile kune-Kevlar, into esetshenziselwa ukwenza izikibha ezingenakungenwa izinhlamvu. Nokho, kusengaphezu kwamandla omuntu ukulingisa izinqubo zesicabucabu zokwakha eziyinkimbinkimbi.
“Izicabucabu zenza usilika zisebenzisa amanzi njengenhlanganisela endaweni evulekile, emazingeni okushisa namandla omfutho atholakalayo, futhi udlula kuzo zonke lezizigaba ukuze ube usilika oqine ngempela, ongenakungenwa amanzi,” kuphawula uDkt. Christopher Viney wase-University of Washington eSeattle. “Nokho ukuze wakhe umucu oqine njenge-Kevlar, kumelwe uwenze ngamandla omfutho aphakeme usebenzisa i-sulfuric acid engaxutshiwe.” Ngakho, lososayensi uyavuma: “Kuningi okufanele sikufunde.”
Cabanga ngakho. Uma ubuchwepheshe bomuntu obuphakeme bungakwazi ukukhiqiza lokho okungakhiqizwa izidalwa ezincane zasolwandle nezicabucabu, ingabe akubonakali kunengqondo ukukholelwa ukuthi lezidalwa ziwumkhiqizo wokuhlakanipha okuphakeme? Ngokuhlakanipha, sizodumisa uMklami Omkhulu—omsebenzi wakhe ososayensi banamuhla bazama ukuwulingisa—ngenxa yokuhlakanipha kwakhe okungenakuqhathaniswa ngokugcwalisa umhlaba ngemisebenzi yakhe.—IHubo 104:24.