Umsakazo—Umklamo Owashintsha Izwe

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-ITALY

UKUQHUMA kwesibhamu kwakleklebula emaphandleni ase-Italy. Lolo phawu lwanikeza uGuglielmo Marconi isiqinisekiso sokuthi umshini ofufusayo ayewuphethe wawusebenzile. Amaza kagesi ayephehlwa umshini uwathumele emkhathini ayetholwe isithungatha-maza esiqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-2,5. Kwakungo-1895. Nakuba emuva ngaleso sikhathi kwakungekho muntu owayekuqonda ngokuphelele lokhu, lokho kuqhuma kwesibhamu kwavula indlela yobuchwepheshe obuye bashintsha izwe lethu kusukela ngaleso sikhathi—ukuxhumana ngomsakazo.

Ososayensi abaningana kakade base bewahlolile amaza kagesi. Ngo-1831, isazi se-physics saseNgilandi uMichael Faraday sabonisa ukuthi ugesi ungakhiqiza amandla kazibuthe futhi uwadlulisele esimisweni sesibili esihlukile kwesokuqala kodwa esisondezwe kuso. Ngo-1864, isazi se-physics saseScotland uJames Maxwell saveza inkolelo-mbono yokuthi amandla kazibuthe aphehlwa ngaleyo ndlela angabangela amaza—njengamaza emaxhaphozini—kodwa ngejubane lokukhanya. Kamuva, isazi se-physics saseJalimane uHeinrich Hertz saqinisekisa inkolelo-mbono kaMaxwell, sakhiqiza amaza kagesi futhi sathungatha indlela ahamba ngayo ebangeni elifushane, njengoba kwenza no-Ernest Rutherford (kamuva owaba uLord Rutherford) eNew Zealand. Kodwa ngokushintsha nangokuthuthukisa umshini owawukhona nangokufaka uthi lwamaza ayelwenzile, uMarconi wakwazi ukudlulisela amaza ocingo ebangeni elide. Kwase kuzosungulwa izingcingo zamaza!

Ngo-1896, uMarconi oneminyaka engu-21 ubudala wathutha e-Italy waya eNgilandi, lapho ethulwa khona kuWilliam Preece, unjiniyela omkhulu wePosi Elikhulu. UPreece wayenesithakazelo sokusebenzisa isimiso sikaMarconi esimisweni sasolwandle sokuxhumanisa izindawo ezazingenakuxhunyaniswa ngezintambo. Wanikeza uMarconi usizo lwezazi zobuchwepheshe nezindawo zokwenza ukuhlola kwakhe. Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa, uMarconi wakwazi ukwandisa amandla amaza asakazwayo afinyelela ebangeni elingamakhilomitha ayishumi. Ngo-1897, uMarconi wasungula i-Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company, Ltd., ngomgomo wokushintsha izingcingo zamaza zibe isimiso esisetshenziswa kwezentengiselwano.

Ngo-1900 kwaxhunywa izingcingo zamaza ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-300 phakathi kweCornwall ne-Isle of Wight eningizimu yeNgilandi, okwafeza lokho okwake kwacatshangwa ukuthi akunakwenzeka—ukudluliswa kwamaza omsakazo ngalé komkhathi-zwe. Kwakucatshangwa ukuthi amaza ayengeke adluliselwe ngalé komkhathi-zwe, njengoba amaza kagesi ehamba aqonde.a Khona-ke kwaqala ukufika izicelo zokuqala ezibalulekile zomsakazo. UMnyango Wezemikhumbi waseBrithani wayaleza ukuba kufakwe imisakazo yezingcingo emikhunjini engu-26, nokuba kwakhiwe futhi kunakekelwe iziteshi eziyisithupha ezweni. Ngonyaka owalandela uMarconi wakwazi ukuthumela ngaphesheya kwe-Atlantic amaza angacacile ngokushaya kathathu okubonisa uhlamvu u-S nge-Morse code. Lomklamo wawunekusasa eliqinisekile.

Ukuthuthukiswa Kwezobuchwepheshe

Ekuqaleni, ucingo lwamaza lwalungakwazi ukudlulisa amazwi noma umculo, ngaphandle nje kwe-Morse code. Nokho, ngo-1904 kwenziwa intuthuko enkulu lapho kusungulwa i-diode, ishubhu lokuqala eline-valve engafaki moya, eyenza kwaba nokwenzeka ukuthumela nokwamukela umsindo wezwi. Lokhu kwashintsha izingcingo zamaza zaba umsakazo njengoba siwazi namuhla.

Ngo-1906, e-United States, uReginald Fessenden wasakaza umculo owazwakala emikhunjini eyayiqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-80. Ngo-1910, uLee De Forest wasakaza bukhoma ikhonsathi yomhlabeleli we-tenor odumile wase-Italy u-Enrico Caruso ukuze kuzuze izimfundamakhwela zomsakazo eNew York. Ngonyaka ongaphambi kwalowo, ngokokuqala ngqá kwathunyelwa amaza alawula amawashi kusuka e-Eiffel Tower eParis, eFrance. Ngawo lowo nyaka, ngo-1909, ngokokuqala ngqá kwatakulwa ababesindile ngosizo lomsakazo, emikhunjini i-Florida ne-Republic, eyayishayisene e-Atlantic. Eminyakeni emithathu kamuva, kwasindiswa futhi abangaphezu kuka-700 abasinda enhlekeleleni ye-Titanic, ngosizo lwemiyalezo yokucela usizo eyathunyelwa ngomsakazo.

Kusukela ngo-1916, kwakucatshangelwa ithuba lokuba nomsakazo kuwo wonke amakhaya. Ukusetshenziswa kwama-valve kwenza kwaba nokwenzeka ukukhiqiza izithungatha-maza eziphumelelayo, ezingabizi, okwavula ithuba lokusungulwa kabanzi komsakazo wezentengiselwano. Lokhu kwachuma e-United States kuqala, lapho kwakuneziteshi ezingu-8 ekupheleni kuka-1921 futhi kwase kugunyazwé ezingu-564 ngo-November 1, 1922! Emakhaya amaningi, ngaphandle kwezibani zokukhanyisa, umsakazo wawuwumshini wokuqala owaxhunywa ukuba usebenze ngogesi.

Phakathi neminyaka emibili yokusungulwa kokusakaza kwezentengiselwano okuvamile, abaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba babaziwa kanjalo oFakazi BakaJehova ngaleso sikhathi, nabo babesebenzisa umsakazo ukuze basakaze isigijimi sabo. Ngo-1922, uJ. F. Rutherford, owayengumongameli we-Watch Tower Society ngaleso sikhathi, wanikeza inkulumo yakhe yokuqala emsakazweni, eCalifornia. Eminyakeni emibili kamuva, i-WBBR, isiteshi esakhiwa futhi okwakungese-Watch Tower Society, saqala ukusakaza eStaten Island, eNew York. Ekugcineni, iNhlangano yahlela izimiso zomhlaba wonke zokusakaza izinhlelo zeBhayibheli. Ngo-1933 iziteshi ezingu-408 zase zisakaza isigijimi soMbuso kaNkulunkulu.—Mathewu 24:14.

Nokho, emazweni amaningi umsakazo wawuphethwe uHulumeni kuphela. E-Italy, uhulumeni kaMussolini wawubheka umsakazo njengethuluzi lokusakaza inkulumo-ze yezombangazwe futhi wenqabela izakhamuzi zawo ukulalela iziteshi zangaphandle. Amandla amakhulu omsakazo abonakaliswa ngokwanele ngo-1938. Phakathi nokusakazwa komdlalo oqanjiwe wesayensi e-United States, u-Orson Welles wethusa izakhamuzi, ezinye ezazicabanga ukuthi abantu baseMars babefiké eNew Jersey futhi babesebenzisa “amaza okushisa” ayingozi ukuze babulale bonke abamelana nabo!

Iminyaka Eyikhulu Yomsakazo

Ngo-1954 indlela yokuzilibazisa ethandwayo yabantu base-Italy kwakuwukulalela umsakazo. Naphezu kwempumelelo yethelevishini, umsakazo usathandwa kakhulu. Emazweni amaningi aseYurophu, umsakazo ulalelwa ngenxa yokwaziswa noma ukuzijabulisa abantu abangamaphesenti angu-50 kuya kwangu-70. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi e-United States, kunomsakazo ezimotweni ezingamaphesenti angu-95, emakamelweni okulala angamaphesenti angu-80, nasemakhishini angaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-50.

Esinye sezizathu ezenza ukuba umsakazo uthandwe, ngisho nakulenkathi yethelevishini, ukuphatheka kwawo kalula. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngokokuhlola okuthile, umsakazo “unamandla okuhilela ngokomzwelo nangokwengqondo angaphezulu kakhulu kwawethelevishini.”

Phakathi no-1995, imikhosi yase-Italy yokugubha unyaka wekhulu wokuhlola okwenziwa uMarconi yaba ithuba lokuzindla ngentuthuko efinyelelwe umsakazo. Ososayensi abaningi baye bafaka isandla ekushintsheni imishini yokuqala yaba izimiso ezithuthukisiwe zanamuhla. Manje, ngenxa yokusakaza nge-digital audio, okuyisimiso sokuhlelwa kwamaza ngezinombolo, umuntu angathola umsindo wezinga eliphakeme. Kodwa ngaphandle kwezindlela eziningi umsakazo osetshenziswa ngazo nsuku zonke, lomklamo wawuyisisekelo sokwakhiwa kwe-TV, i-radar, nezinye izinto ezihlukahlukene zobuchwepheshe.

Ngokwesibonelo, ukuhlola izinkanyezi ngamaza kusekelwe ekuthungatheni nasekuhlaziyeni amaza omsakazo akhishwa izindikimba zasezulwini. Ngaphandle komsakazo ukusungulwa kobuchwepheshe basemkhathini kwakungenakwenzeka. Zonke izindlela iziphuphutheki ezisetshenziswa ngazo—ithelevishini, ucingo, ukuqongelela ukwaziswa—zixhomeke ekusetshenzisweni kwamaza omsakazo. Ukwenziwa ngobuchwepheshe kwama-transistor abe ama-microchip kwaholela kuqala ekwenziweni kwemishini yokubala ephathwayo nama-computer futhi kamuva kwaholela ezimisweni zokwaziswa zomhlaba wonke.

Izingcingo zezimoto ezikwazi ukuxhumanisa cishe noma iziphi izindawo ezimbili emhlabeni, sezikhona kakade. Manje sekulindelwe izithungatha-maza eziphelela entendeni yesandla ezingenazingcingo—inhlanganisela ye-TV, ucingo, i-computer, ne-fax. Lezi zithungatha-maza ziyokwazi ukuxhumana namakhulu eziteshi ze-video, zomsindo, nezokwaziswa okubhaliwe futhi ziyokwenza ukuba abazisebenzisayo bakwazi ukuthumelelana iposi ngemishini.

Umuntu akanakusho ngokuqinisekile ukuthi liyini ikusasa lalomkhakha. Kodwa ubuchwepheshe bomsakazo buyaqhubeka buthuthuka, ngakho cishe kuyoba nenye intuthuko ephawulekayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 21]

Naphezu kwempumelelo yethelevishini, umsakazo usathandwa kakhulu

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 19]

Top left and right, bottom left: “MUSEO della RADIO e della TELEVISIONE” RAI--TORINO; bottom right: NASA photo