“Ukukhohlisa Okwaziwa Kakhulu Okungokwesayensi”
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRITHANI
Indoda yasePiltdown, eyatholakala ngo-1912, “yayiwukukhohlisa okwaziwa kakhulu okungokwesayensi kuleli khulu leminyaka,” kusho i-Times yaseLondon. Lokhu kwadalulwa ngo-1953 ngemva kokuba ukuhlola okungokwesayensi kubonise ukuthi ugebhezi lwalungelona nakancane olugcwalisa ubufakazi balokho okuthiwa ukuziphendukela kwemvelo okuwuchungechunge lokuthuthuka komuntu, kodwa lungolwendoda yosuku lwanamuhla futhi umhlathi ongezansi kwakungowe-orangutan. Ngubani owayebhebhethekise lenkohliso enobuhlakani?
Eminyakeni eminingi kwakusolwa uCharles Dawson, ummeli nesazi sokwakheka komhlaba esisafufusa owathola izinsalela. Abanye okwakucatshangwa ukuthi bayathinteka nguSir Arthur Keith, isazi sokuziphendukela kwemvelo esishisekayo nesasingumongameli waseRoyal College of Surgeons; umlobi waseBrithani uSir Arthur Conan Doyle; kanye nompristi ongumFulentshi uPierre Teilhard de Chardin. Nokho, ubufakazi obuqand’ikhanda babuntuleka, futhi ekugcineni uDawson wabhekwa njengonecala.
Manje, umkhohlisi wangempela useyaziwa. NguMartin A. C. Hinton, owayeyisikhulu sesayensi ephathelene nezilwane eNatural History Museum yaseLondon, owashona ngo-1961. Eminyakeni engu-9 edlule kwatholakala isikhwama sikaseyili okwakungesikaHinton emnyuziyamu. Phakathi kwakunamazinyo endlovu, izinsalela zemvubu, kanye namanye amathambo, aye ahlaziywa ngokucophelela. Wonke atholakala enindwe ngensimbi nange-manganese ngesilinganiso esifanayo nesamathambo asePiltdown. Kodwa isici esingenakuphikwa ukutholakala kwe-chromium emazinyweni, nayo eyasetshenziswa ekunindeni.
Eveza amaqiniso, uProfesa Brian Gardiner, waseKing’s College, eLondon, wathi: “UHinton wayaziwa njengomuntu wamahlaya. . . . Isisusa [sakhe] siboniswa izincwadi ezithile.” UGardiner waphetha: “Ngineqiniso eliphelele lokuthi kwakunguye.” Ubufakazi busikisela ukuthi uHinton wayefuna ukuziphindiselela ku-Arthur Smith Woodward, owayengaphezu kwakhe, owayengamnikanga ukuqashelwa noma imali ayenomuzwa wokuthi iyamfanela. UWoodward wakhohliswa ngokuphumelelayo, futhi kuze kube sekufeni kwakhe eminyakeni emihlanu ngaphambi kokudalulwa komgunyathi, wayelokhu eqiniseka ukuthi indoda yasePiltdown yayingokoqobo. Okuwukuphela kombuzo ongakaphenduleki ukuthi, Kungani uHinton engazange aziveze ngemva nje kokuba uWoodward eseyamukele obala lenkohliso? Kubonakala sengathi ngenxa yokuthi indoda yasePiltdown yamukelwa ngokushesha kwezesayensi emhlabeni wonke, uHinton waba nomuzwa wokuthi akukho okunye ayengakwenza ngaphandle kokungalivezi iqiniso.
Uma namadoda avelele kangako alwamukela ugebhezi lwasePiltdown, umphakathi nawo wakhohliseka. Emhlabeni wonke amamnyuziyamu ayekhangisa ngamakhophi nezithombe zogebhezi, kanti izincwadi namaphephabhuku kwazisakaza izindaba. Imiphumela elimazayo yehlaya likaHinton ayinakulinganiswa. Yeka ukuthi afaneleka kanjani amazwi eBhayibheli: “Njengesiwula esiphonsa izikhuni, imicibisholo, nokufa, unjalo umuntu okhohlisa omunye abese ethi ‘Uyazi, bengizidlalela nje!’”—IzAga 26:18, 19, Byington.
[Umdwebo ekhasini 31]
Izindawo ezimnyama ziyizingcezu zogebhezi lomuntu
Yonke indawo ekhanyayo yenziwe ngodaka
Izindawo ezimnyama ziyizingcezu zomhlathi namazinyo e-“orangutan”