Izindaba Eziqanjiwe Zesayensi—Ukudlondlobala Kokuthandwa Kwazo
NGONYAKA ka-1982 imboni yamabhayisikobho yaseMelika yakhiqiza ibhayisikobho yokuqala ngqá. Phakathi nenkathi yango-1982/83, “umdlali” webhayisikobho owayedume kunabo bonke wayengeyena nakancane umuntu. Ngokwe-Illustrated History of the Cinema, kwakungu-ET, umlingiswa oyisimangaliso kodwa omuhle ngandlela-thile ovela emkhathini owayedlala indima ephambili efilimini ethi ET: The Extraterrestrial!
Lesi senzakalo esiphawulekayo simane singobunye ubufakazi bokuthandwa ngokumangalisayo kwezindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi (SF [science fiction]) eminyakeni yamuva nje. Njengoba zake zanyatheliswa komagazini bezinga eliphansi futhi zabhekwa njengezinto zabaphethwe isizungu nabaphuphi, izindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi seziyingxenye ezinzile yokuzijabulisa okuphambili. Kodwa yini ebangela ukudlondlobala okuphawulekayo kokuthandwa kwazo?
Ukuze siphendule lombuzo, kumelwe siqale sicabangele umlando wezindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi. Kusukela esikhathini esingaziwa abantu baye baxoxa izindaba ezisabekayo ukuze besabise, bahlabe umxhwele, noma nje bajabulise abanye. Nokho, phakathi nekhulu le-17 nele-18, iYurophu yangena enkathini yentuthuko engokwesayensi neyezinto ezibonakalayo. Abaningi baqala ukubekela imiqondo evamile namagunya inselele. Kulesi simo abanye baqala ukuzindla ngendlela intuthuko engokwesayensi eyayiyothinta ngayo isintu esikhathini esizayo.
Kuyaphikiswana ngokuthi ubani ngempela owasungula izindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi. Abalobi bekhulu le-17 uFrancis Godwin noCyrano de Bergerac babhala izincwadi zezindaba eziqanjiwe ezazihilela ukuhamba emkhathini. Ngo-1818, incwadi kaMary Shelley ethi Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus yakhuluma ngososayensi owayenamandla okwenza ukuphila futhi achaze imiphumela esabekayo.
Abanye abalobi basebenzisa lolu hlobo lwezindaba eziqanjiwe ukuze baqokomise ukushiyeka komphakathi wesintu. Ngakho lapho uJonathan Swift eklolodela umphakathi wamaNgisi wekhulu le-18, waveza ukubhinqa kwakhe njengochungechunge lwezindaba eziqanjiwe. Umphumela waba i-Gulliver’s Travels, indaba entinyelayo eye yabizwa ngokuthi “incwadi yokuqala ewubunyoninco” bezindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi.
Kodwa abalobi uJules Verne noH. G. Wells ngokuvamile bahlonishwa ngokwenza inoveli yezindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi ibe sesimweni sayo sanamuhla. Ngo-1865, uVerne wabhala ethi From the Earth to the Moon—olunye lochungechunge lwamanoveli aphumelelayo. Ngo-1895, kwavela incwadi ethandwayo kaH. G. Wells ethi The Time Machine.
Izindaba Eziqanjiwe Ziba Ngokoqobo
Ekuqaleni kwawo-1900, ososayensi babeqala ukufeza amanye amaphupho alababoni. Ngokwencwadi ethi Die Großen (Abantu Abakhulu), isazi sesayensi yezemvelo esingumJalimane uHermann Oberth sachitha iminyaka eminingi sizama ukwenza iphupho likaJules Verne lomkhumbi-mkhathi oshayelwa umuntu libe ngokoqobo. Izibalo zika-Oberth zasiza ekubekeni isisekelo esingokwesayensi sokuhamba emkhathini. Nokho, kwakungeyena yedwa lososayensi owayethonywe izindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi. Umlobi odumile wezindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi uRay Bradbury uthi: “UWernher von Braun nasebenza kanye nabo eJalimane nawo wonke umuntu eHouston naseCape Kennedy bazifunda izincwadi zikaH. G. Wells nezikaJules Verne lapho besakhula. Banquma ukuthi lapho beba badala, bayokufeza konke.”
Eqinisweni, izindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi ziye zaba izibuko lentuthuko emikhakheni eminingi. Umlobi uRené Oth uthi kuye ‘kwasungulwa noma kwatholwa izinto ezimbalwa ezingazange zibikezelwe kusengaphambili ezindabeni eziqanjiwe zesayensi.’ Imikhumbi-ngwenya, amarobhothi, nama-rocket ashayelwa abantu kwakuyizinto okwakukhulunywa ngazo njalo ezindabeni eziqanjiwe zesayensi ngaphambi kokuba zibe khona. Ngakho umlobi wezindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi uFrederik Pohl ugomela ngokuthi “ukufunda izindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi kuwukuvula ingqondo.”
Yiqiniso, akuzona zonke izindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi ezikhuluma ngesayensi ngempela. Ezinye zezincwadi ezithandwa kakhulu zezindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi nezithombe zebhayisikobho eqinisweni ziyizinhlobo zalokho abanye abakubiza ngokuthi ukwakha amaphupho esayensi. Ngokuvamile izindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi ziphawuleka ngezici ezingokwesayensi ezingase zikholelwe, kuyilapho izindaba ezingamaphupho zilinganiselwa kuphela ikhono lokuqamba lomlobi wazo. Imilingo nokulumba kungase kubambe iqhaza.
Nokho, inembe kangakanani imibono yekusasa yezindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi? Ingabe zonke izindaba eziqanjiwe zesayensi zikufanele ukufundwa noma ukubukwa? Izihloko ezilandelayo zizodingida lemibuzo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 3]
Inoveli kaJules Verne ethi “From the Earth to the Moon” yabamba iqhaza elikhulu ekuvuseni isithakazelo ekuhambeni emkhathini
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]
Rocket Ship: General Research Division/The New York Public Library/Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations