Ukubuka Okwezwe

Abesifazane “Bayashoda”

“Kuleyo miphakathi ephatha abesifazane ngokungakhethi kwezempilo, kunabesifazane abangu-106 kubo bonke abesilisa abayikhulu. Leli iqiniso lokuphila,” kusho i-Courier, umagazini onyatheliswa i-European Union. Kodwa ukuhlola kwe-UN kukhomba nakwelinye iqiniso: Emazweni ase-Asia njengaseChina, eNdiya, eRepublic of Korea, nasePakistan, ngokwesilinganiso kunabesifazane abangu-94 kuphela kubo bonke abesilisa abayikhulu. Ngani? “Intuthuko yesayensi iye yenza kwaba nokwenzeka ukunquma ubulili bombungu ekuqaleni kokukhulelwa” futhi iye yandisa “izinkinga esilinganisweni sokubelethwa kwabesifazane nabesilisa,” kuchaza i-Courier. Ngokwesibonelo, eRepublic of Korea, ngo-1982, kwazalwa amantombazane angu-94 kubo bonke abafana abayikhulu, kodwa ngo-1989, leso silinganiso sase sehlile saba ngu-88 kubo bonke abayikhulu. Incwadi ye-UN ethi Our Planet iyanezela: “Lezi zibalo ziyashaqisa: Abesifazane base-Asia abayizigidi eziyikhulu ‘bayashoda’ ngenxa yokubulawa kwezinsana zesifazane nokukhishwa kwemibungu yesifazane.”

Izikhali Noma Intuthuko?

AmaRandi angu-400 angathenga isibhamu esisodwa sohlobo lwe-AK-47 noma amaphilisi anovithamini A anele ukuze kuvinjelwe ubumpumputhe ezinganeni ezingu-3000 ezinonyaka owodwa ubudala. AmaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-400 angathenga amabhomu agqitshwayo ayizigidi eziyishumi noma imithi yokugoma eyanele yokuvikela izingane eziyizigidi ezingu-7,7 ezifweni eziyisithupha ezibulala izingane. AmaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu angathenga izindiza zempi ezingu-23 zohlobo lwe-F-16 noma i-iodine kasawoti engasetshenziswa iminyaka eyishumi, kanjalo kuvikelwe abantu abayizigidi ezingu-1600 ezifweni ezibangelwa ukuntuleka kwe-iodine, njengokusangana. AmaRandi ayizigidi ezingaba ngu-9300 angathenga umkhumbi-ngwenya wenuzi owodwa noma amanzi nezinto zokukhuculula indle zabantu abayizigidi ezingu-48. Iziphi izinto eziza kuqala ezweni? Ngokwe-State of the World’s Children 1996, ukudayiswa kwezikhali emazweni asathuthuka ngo-1994 kuphela kwenza ingqikithi yamaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-98 100, imali okungabe yasetshenziswa okungenani emizamweni yentuthuko.

Ingozi Yamaphiva Anqamula Umgwaqo

Kungani iphiva linqamula umgwaqo? Lona umbuzo ongathi sína ezazini zesayensi yezinto eziphilayo yezilwane zasendle zaseNewfoundland noma kubashayeli bezimoto bendawo nasezinkulungwaneni zezivakashi ezibuka amazwe ezisebenzisa imigwaqo emikhulu yalesi sifunda. “Kunezingozi zezimoto ezibangelwa amaphiva ezingaba ngu-300 ngonyaka emigwaqweni emikhulu yaseNewfoundland, eziningi zazo eziphumela ekufeni kwabashayeli bezimoto,” kusho iphephandaba i-Globe and Mail. “Iphiva elinesisindo esingamakhilogremu afinyelela kwangu-450 lingashaya uphahla lwemoto njengedwala, libulale umuntu noma limkhubaze.” Ukumane kuncishiswe inani lamaphiva akulesi siqhingi angu-150000 kungase kungasebenzi, kusho uShane Mahoney we-Natural Resources Department, ngoba ezindaweni eziningi lapho kunenani eliphansi lamaphiva, kunenani eliphakeme lezingozi. Ngokuhlaziya ukuhamba komhlambi, ososayensi banethemba lokuthola isizathu esenza amaphiva, ngokwemvelo azesabayo izimoto, anqume ukunqamula umgwaqo.

Isimo Esibi SaseNauru

INauru, i-republic encane kunawo wonke futhi esemajukujukwini kakhulu emhlabeni, yake yaphawuleka ngobuhle bezindawo zayo ezishisayo. Amatilosi aseYurophu asibona kuqala lesi siqhingi esingamakhilomitha-skwele angu-20 ekhulwini le-18 asibiza ngokuthi iPleasant Island. Nokho, manje sekuyindawo encane engasogwini esengahlala abantu, futhi iNauru ‘isiyizwe elenziwe incithakalo kunawo wonke emhlabeni,’ kuphawula i-New York Times. Ngani? Ukuvulwa kwezimayini. Sekuyiminyaka engu-90 kumbiwa ama-phosphate, awumkhiqizo wezitibhili zezinyoni eminyakeni eminingi nezilwane ezincane zasolwandle, “kushiya imigodi, kanye neziqongo ezesabekayo ze-limestone empunga emahhadla, ezinye ezinobude obungamafidi angu-75 [amamitha angu-22].” Ukushisa okuvela ezingxenyeni ezine kwezinhlanu zalesi siqhingi esezimbiwe kakade kuye kwathinta nesimo sezulu, kwabalekisa amafu emvula futhi kwagadla lelizwe ngesomiso. Ingxenye esele ye-phosphate kulindeleke ukuba ikhishwe phakathi neminyaka emihlanu. Abantu abaningi baseNauru banomuzwa wokuthi okuwukuphela kwendlela abangaphendukela kuyo iwukushiya iNauru futhi umnotho wabo bawusebenzisele ukuthenga isiqhingi esisha sokuhlala abangathuthela kuso.

Isifo Esibangelwa I-guinea Worm Siyanqotshwa

“Ngemva kwengxibongo, kubonakala sengathi isifo esibangelwa i-guinea worm sizoba isifo sesibili esiphatha abantu esizoqedwa,” kusho i-Economist. “Inani labantu elabikwa, elalicishe libe ngu-900 000 emhlabeni wonke muva nje ngo-1989, lehla ngonyaka odlule laba ngu-163 000 futhi emazweni amaningi lehla ngengxenye minyaka yonke.” Indawo ehlukile iSudan, “okubonisa ukuthi impi nezifo kuyahambisana.” Njengoba iyigciwane elihlala emanzini eliqala liyisibungu esincane kakhulu, i-guinea worm isiqediwe kakade eNkabeni ye-Asia, ePakistan, nasemazweni amaningi ase-Afrika. Izinhlangano zezempilo ziye zayilawula ngokusebenzisa ikhemikhali ehlanza amanzi, ngokufundisa abantu ukuba bacwenge ngendwangu amanzi abo aphuzwayo, nangokuvimbela abanalesi sifo ukuba bageze noma bagxambuze emithonjeni yamanzi aphuzwayo. Lapho sezidliwe, izibungu zesilisa ziyafa ngemva kokukhwelana, kanti ezesifazane zingase zikhule zibe nobude obufinyelela emitheni elilodwa ngaphambi kokuba zivele kancane kancane ngemva kwamasonto athile zingamashashazi abuhlungu emlenzeni wesisulu, ngezinye izikhathi zikhubaze noma zilimaze imisipha.

Iwashi Lembubhiso Liyasondela

Iwashi elidumile lembubhiso elisesembozweni se-Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists muva nje liye lasondezwa ngemizuzu emithathu esikhathini sembubhiso. Leli washi libonisa ngokomfanekiso indlela izwe elisondele ngayo empini yenuzi. Kusukela laqala ukusetshenziswa ngo-1947, leli washi liye lashintshwa isikhathi izikhathi ezingu-16 kuya ngokushintsha kwezindaba zezwe. Isikhathi elasondela ngaso kakhulu embubhisweni yenuzi—ngemizuzu emibili—kwakungo-1953 ngemva kokuba i-United States iqhumise ibhomu lokuqala le-hydrogen. Ushintsho lokugcina lwalungo-1991, lapho lahlehliselwa emizuzwini engu-17 ngaphambi kwembubhiso ngenxa yethemba langemva kweMpi Yomshoshaphansi. Ukusondeza leli washi emizuzwini engu-14 kubonisa ukukhathazeka okwandayo ngokucindezeleka okwandayo emhlabeni, ukungalondeki ngenxa yokunqwabelana kwezikhali, nokusongela kobuphekula benuzi. “Izwe liseyindawo eyingozi kakhulu,” kusho uLeonard Rieser, usihlalo we-Bulletin.

Abantwana Abasanda Kuzalwa Bashiywa Dengwane

E-Italy umama angenqaba ngokusemthethweni ukwamukela umntanakhe osanda kuzalwa, ashiye umthwalo wemfanelo wokuthola umbhangqwana ozimisele ukumthatha ezandleni zabaphathi bezikhungo zabantwana. Nokho, phakathi no-1995 izingane ezingaba ngu-600 zashiywa dengwane lapho zizalwa, “eziningi emigqonyeni kadoti, ezinye eduze kwamasonto noma kwezikhungo zezempilo,” kusho iphephandaba lase-Italy i-Repubblica. Lesi senzakalo senzeka ezindaweni ezinezimboni kakhulu nezichumile zalelizwe kanye nasezindaweni ezimpofu nezingathuthukile. NgokukaVera Slepoj, umongameli we-Italian Society of Psychology, lolu “uphawu oluyisixwayiso lomuzwa wokuthambekela ekufeni” ogcwele emphakathini.

Ukoma Akwanele

“Uma umuntu ethembele ekomeni, ngeke awaphuze ngokwanele amanzi,” kusho uDkt. Mark Davis, uprofesa wezokulolonga umzimba. Abantu abaningi bahlala benamanzi amancane emzimbeni, njengoba umuzwa wokoma uba khona ngemva kokuba esenciphile kakade amanzi emzimbeni. Futhi lapho abantu bekhula, kulapho bengasomi khona kakhulu. Njengoba kwabikwa kuyi-New York Times, siwadinga kakhulu amanzi lapho izulu lishisa noma kumakhaza kakhulu futhi komile, lapho sivivinya umzimba noma sinciphisa ukudla, nalapho siphethwe yinoma isiphi isifo esihambisana nesifo sohudo, imfiva, nokuhlanza, okubangela ukuncipha kwamanzi. Futhi labo abadla ukudla okune-fiber eningi kudingeka bathole amanzi amaningi ukuze i-fiber igayeke emathunjini. Nakuba izithelo nemifino kungase kube namanzi amaningi, ukoma kwethu kakhulu kwaneliswa ngokuphuza amanzi. Amanzi angcono kakhulu, njengoba umzimba uwamunca ngokushesha. Lapho isiphuzo sinoshukela omningi, kulapho simunceka kancane khona. Eqinisweni iziphuzo ezinoshukela zingakwenza wome kakhulu, njengoba kudingeka amanzi ukuze kugayeke ushukela. Njengoba i-caffeine ne-alcohol kuyizinto ezandisa umchamo, ukuthembela eziphuzweni ezinayo kungaholela ekuncipheni kwamanzi. “Abantu abadala kufanele baphuze okungenani izingilazi zamanzi eziyisishiyagalombili ezingama-ounce ayisishiyagalombili [amamililitha angu-240] ngosuku,” kusho i-Times.

Ithuna Elidumile LaseGibithe Liyavulwa

Ithuna likaNefertari eValley of the Queens eLuxor, ebelivaliwe iminyaka eminingi, liye latholakala futhi lavulelwa umphakathi. “‘Leli thuna ngempela lithakazelisa kakhulu kunawo wonke ogwini olusentshonalanga yeLuxor, noma ngisho kulo lonke elaseGibithe,’ kusho uMohammed el-Soghayer, umphathi wegatsha laseLuxor le-Supreme Council for Antiquities. ‘Ngokusobala lenziwa izingcweti ezinekhono eliphakeme kakhulu esikhathini sikaRamses II owakha lombhoshongo wasebukhosini ngenxa yokuthanda uNefertari kakhulu. Wayefuna ukuba abe nethuna elihle ngangokunokwenzeka.’” Nokho, lendawo engamamitha-skwele angu-430 enemidwebo emihle yacishe yabhujiswa izikhukhula, udaka, nokungena kwezinhlayiyana zikasawoti. Ngo-1986, ngemva kweminyaka eminingi yokuxhumana, iqembu lamazwe ngamazwe laqala umsebenzi omkhulu wokuhlanganisa izingcezu zemidwebo yasodongeni lisebenzisa izithombe ezathathwa isazi sase-Italy sezinto zasendulo zaseGibithe u-Ernesto Schiaparelli, esathola leli thuna. Nokho, inani lezivakashi lilinganiselwe ngenxa yokukhathazeka ngomswakama. UNefertari futhi wahlonishwa uRamses II lapho enikezela kuye elinye lamathempeli e-Abu Simbel.