Ukubuka Okwezwe

Ukubala Izinkanyezi

Wake wabheka yini phezulu esibhakabhakeni esigcwele izinkanyezi ebusuku futhi wazibuza ukuthi zingaki izinkanyezi ongazibona? Muva nje umagazini i-Sky & Telescope udingide lenkinga endala, futhi impendulo ayilula njengoba umuntu engase acabange. Lomagazini waphawula ukuthi ngokwezincwadi zesayensi yokuhlolwa kwezinkanyezi, umuntu ovamile angabona izinkanyezi ezingu-2 862 esibhakabhakeni emaphethelweni edolobha amnyama ngokwanele endaweni engasenyakatho. Kodwa akuzona zonke lezizinkanyezi eziba ngenhla komkhathizwe kuleyondawo ngesikhathi esithile; ezinye ziyavela zibuye zinyamalale. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinkanyezi eziningi ezibonakala kalula lapho ziqondene nokhakhayi azibonakali lapho ziseduze nomkhathizwe. Lokho kubangelwa ukuthi endaweni ephansi kanjalo, ukukhanya kwenkanyezi kumelwe kudlule emkhathini womhlaba ukuze kubonakale kumuntu. I-Sky & Telescope iphetha ngokuthi kumuntu osebangeni elingu-40° ngasenyakatho, kungabonakala izinkanyezi ezingaba ngu-1 809 unyaka wonke.

Ababulali Abahamba Phambili E-United States

Yiziphi izimbangela zokufa eziyinhloko e-United States? Ukuhlola kwamuva nje okwanyatheliswa kuyi-Journal of the American Medical Association kwafuna izici eziyinhloko ezingaphandle, noma ezingahlobene nezakhi zofuzo, ezazinengxenye ekufeni kwabantu ngonyaka owodwa. Ngemva kokuhlola kabanzi izibalo, lokhukuhlola kwaphetha ngokuthi kubantu abangu-2 148 000 abafa e-United States ngo-1990, abangaba ngu-400 000 babulawa ugwayi; abangu-300 000 imikhuba yokudla neyokuvivinya umzimba; abangu-100 000 utshwala; abangu-90 000 amagciwane; abangu-60 000 izinto ezinoshevu njengezinto ezingcolisa indawo ezungezile noma ukungcola okutholakala ekudleni noma emanzini; abangu-35-000 izibhamu; abangu-30 000 ukuziphatha kobulili; abangu-25 000 izimoto; futhi abangu-20 000 ukusebenzisa izidakamizwa ezingekho emthethweni. Sekukonke, lokhukuhlola kwathola ukuthi izici ezinjalo zangaphandle zabulala ingxenye yabo bonke abantu abafa ngonyaka owodwa.

Izingane Nempi

Phakathi neminyaka eyishumi edlule, impi iye yaba ingozi kakhulu ezakhamuzini ezivamile—ikakhulukazi izingane—kunasemasosheni, kusho umbiko wamuva nje wengosi yosizo yaseBrithani i-Save the Children. Umkhulumeli walengosi waphesheya wacashunwa embikweni we-Associated Press ethi: “Izinkubela zempi ezingu-9 kwezingu-10 ziyizakhamuzi ezivamile. Izingane zivame ukuba izinkubela eziyinhloko—futhi ngempela zisengozini enkulu yokuba izinkubela zempi kunamasosha.” Lombiko ongamakhasi angu-25 uphawula isibalo sezingane emhlabeni seminyaka eyishumi edlule, bese unikeza lezizibalo ezidabukisayo. Izingane ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-1,5 zabulawa ezimpini emhlabeni wonke; ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezine zakhubazeka, zaba izimpumputhe, zaphazamiseka ngokwengqondo, noma zagogeka; ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-12 zalahlekelwa amakhaya; eziyizigidi eziyishumi zaba ababaleki; eziyizigidi ezinhlanu zaphoqeleka ukuba zihlale emakamu ababaleki, futhi eziyisigidi zahlukaniswa nemikhaya yakubo. Ingane eyodwa kwezingu-200 emhlabeni wonke yahlukunyezwa impi eminyakeni eyishumi edlule futhi yadinga usizo ukuze inqobe ukucindezeleka ngokomzwelo.

Usawoti One-iodine

I-United Nations Children’s Fund ilinganisela ukuthi ukuntuleka kwe-iodine ekudleni kuthinta inhlalakahle yabantu okungenani abayizigidi ezingu-600. Phakathi kwabathintekayo, lokhukuntuleka kucatshangwa ukuthi kubangela izinsana ezingaba ngu-100 000 ngonyaka ukuba zizalwe zibhashile (zibhashile ngokomzimba futhi zingahlakaniphile ngenxa yokuntuleka kakhulu kwendlala yegilo) futhi kukhubaza ukukhula ngokomzimba nangengqondo kwezinye izingane eziyizigidi ezingu-50. Ukuntuleka kwe-iodine kubangela nesifo sendlala yegilo. Kulula futhi kushibhile ukuvimbela ukuntuleka kwe-iodine—mane usebenzise usawoti one-iodine. Kwenziwa imizamo yokufaka i-iodine ezindaweni ezikhiqiza usawoti emhlabeni phakathi nonyaka ka-1995 nokuqeda izifo ezibangelwa ukuntuleka kwayo ngonyaka ka-2000.

Inkundla “Iyabusiswa Futhi”

Iqembu elithile likanobhutshuzwayo ePescara, e-Italy, muva nje lifune usizo kumbhishobhi wamaKatolika lokulwa “namashwa” alihluphayo, kubika iphephandaba i-Repubblica. Njengoba esemcikile ‘lamashwa’ ngokuvamile okuthiwa abangelwa ilenkundla, umongameli waleliqembu wacela ukuba umfundisi angene shí kulendaba. Esikhathini esithile ngaphambili, umpristi othile wayebusise lenkundla, futhi leliqembu lawina emdlalweni owalandela. Izikhulu, abalandeli, nabadlali ababekhona lapho lenkundla “ibusiswa futhi”—ukugujwa kweMisa okwenziwa umbhishobhi uqobo esendaweni yezibukeli—banethemba lokuthi manje leliqembu lizokwenza ngisho nakangcono. Lapho lenkundla ivulwa, yabusiswa futhi, kodwa “ngokusobala ukufafazwa kwempepho lapho ivulwa sekuphelelwe amandla akho,” kusho i-Repubblica.

Ukuzamazama Komhlaba Okungu-80 000 Eminyakeni Engu-40

“Isikhungo sesayensi yokuzamazama komhlaba eBensberg eduze kwaseCologne [eJalimane] siye sabika ukuzamazama komhlaba okungaphezu kuka-80 000 kuzo zonke izingxenye zomhlaba,” kubika i-Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Lokhu kwamenyezelwa uProfesa Ludwig Ahorner, ongumphathi walesisikhungo, osekuyiminyaka engu-40 silandelela ukuzamazama nokundindizela komhlaba. Lesisikhungo sikwazi kanjani ukubika ukuzamazama komhlaba okwenzeka kwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba? Ngokusebenzisa amathuluzi akwazi ukuthungatha ngisho nokuzamazama komhlaba okuncane okubangelwa amaza ezivunguvungu zasebusika eNorth Sea Coast, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-200. Ukuzamazama komhlaba okunamandla kunakho konke eJalimane okwabikwa ilesisikhungo kwagadla ngo-April 1992. Kwakunesilinganiso esingu-5,9 esikalini sikaRichter.

UDonga Olukhulu Oluluhlaza Njengotshani

UDonga Olukhulu LwaseChina, olwaphumelela ngokwengxenye ekuxosheni amabutho aseMongolia ayehlasela emakhulwini eminyaka adlule, kungenzeka ukuthi ekugcineni seluyaqapheleka. Ngokwe-Science News, kusukela ngawo-1950, kuye kwatshalwa izihlahla eziningi eduze kwaloludonga. LoluDonga Olukhulu Oluluhlaza Njengotshani, njengoba lubizwa kanjalo, lunezihlahla ezingaba izigidi ezingu-300. Injongo yalo: ukuvimbela izivunguvungu zothuli ezigadla eChina zisuka eGobi Desert nakwezinye izindawo ezomile. Iyini imiphumela? Ngawo-1950, idolobha laseBeijing lalihlaselwa izivunguvungu zothuli eziyishumi kuya kwezingamashumi amabili njalo entwasahlobo, zibangela ukuba kungabonakali ebangeni elingalé kwekhilomitha isikhathi esingamahora angu-30 kuya kwangu-90 inyanga ngayinye. Kodwa ngawo-1970, inani lezivunguvungu lase lehlele kwezinhlanu njalo entwasahlobo, kwehla izinga lokubona laba amahora angaphansi kwayishumi ngenyanga. I-Science News icaphuna isazi somkhathi esithile sithi lenqwaba yamahlathi “ngokunokwenzeka ingenye yezinhlelo zokushintsha isimo sezulu ezinamandla kakhulu kulelikhulu lama-20.”

Ukukhulekela USathane Ejele

Abaphathi bejele eColorado, e-U.S.A., babenqabele isiboshwa esithile ilungelo lokwenza imicikilisho yokukhulekela uSathane esitokisini. Umthetho wamajele kaHulumeni wezwe wawenqabela ukukhulekela uDeveli; ngaphezu kwalokho, abaphathi bejele baveza ukuthi ezinye zezinto lesisiboshwa esazicela ukuze sikhulekele—ezihlanganisa induku emfushane, insimbi ekhalayo, isivatho esimnyama, amakhandlela nezitsha zawo, inkomishi, nempepho—zingasetshenziswa njengezikhali. Nokho, ijaji likaHulumeni wezwe laseDenver muva nje lisiguqulile lesisinqumo, lanquma ukuthi lesisiboshwa sinelungelo ngokomthetho-sisekelo lokuqhuba inkolo yaso ejele. Lelijaji laqhubeka lathi umthetho omelene nokukhulekela uDeveli awusekelwe emthethweni-sisekelo. Ngokombiko we-Associated Press, lelijaji labhala lokhu esinqumweni salo: “Kumelwe sinikeze udeveli okumfanele.” Lesisiboshwa sidonsa isigwebo seminyaka eyishumi ngenxa yokuthumba.

Imizwa Efihliwe ESouth Seas

Umbiko we-Pacific Conference of Churches ezinze eFiji wembula ukuthi abaphathi bamasonto ayinhloko baphazamisekile ngenxa yokwanda kwalokho abakubiza ngokuthi ama-NRG (New Religious Groups [Amaqembu Enkolo Amasha]) eSouth Pacific. Ngokuyinhloko, lama-NRG okukhulunywa ngawo i-Assemblies of God, amaSabatha, amaMormon, oFakazi BakaJehova, namalungu enkolo kaBaha’i. Kakade izakhamuzi zakuleziziqhingi ezingaba amaphesenti angu-20 sezingene kulezizinkolo, kusho umbiko kaManfred Ernst. Lamasonto akhononda ngokuthi ama-NRG avimbela ushintsho lwezombangazwe ngoba amanye phakathi kwawo awazijoyini izinhlangano zezombangazwe noma imizabalazo yokuvukela; amanye awazijoyini izinyunyana. “Ngokuka-Ernst,” kusho i-Mainichi Daily News, “ama-NRG athandeka kakhulu ngenxa yokungakhangi kwamasonto obuKristu ayinhloko agcina amasiko.”

Ukuhlola Kwase-Argentina Ngokudlwengula

Kusukela ngo-January kuya ku-October 1994, isifundazwe esisodwa vó sase-Argentina, iCórdoba, sabika izehlakalo zokudlwengula ezingu-254. Iphephandaba laseBuenos Aires i-Clarín laphawula ukuthi umbiko wamaphoyisa aseCórdoba “wayilahla inganekwane ephathelene nobugebengu obungokobulili.” Abadlwenguli ababona ngaso sonke isikhathi abantu abaphendukezela ubulili abahlasela ngobumnyama isisulu esingaziwa; ngokwalombiko, abane kwabayishumi abadlwengulwayo badlwengulwa emakhaya oyise, osingayise, noma ezinye izihlobo. Ezinye izibalo embikweni wamaphoyisa zibonisa ukuthi ‘ezehlakalweni zokudlwengula ezingu-254 ezabikwa kulonyaka, ezingamaphesenti angu-36 zenzeka emakhaya ezisulu; ezingamaphesenti angu-23 lapho sekuhanjwa emahholo omdanso; ezingamaphesenti angu-13 emigwaqweni; ezingamaphesenti ayishumi ezigangeni; ezingamaphesenti ayisithupha ezizeni zokwakha; nezingamaphesenti amathathu ezinkundleni zikanobhutshuzwayo, emagumbini okulinda ibhasi, ezitokisini, nasemabhasini okungcebeleka.’ Lombiko uphetha ngokuphawula ukuthi amaphoyisa asexazulule ezingamaphesenti angu-66,54 kulezizenzakalo.