Ukubuka Okwezwe

Izilwandle Zisengozini

Izazi zesayensi yezinto zasolwandle nezazi zesayensi yokulondolozwa kwemvelo ezingaphezu kuka-1600 ezivela emazweni angu-65 ziye zavuma ukuthi “kunesidingo sokuthatha isinyathelo” ukuze kuvikelwe izilwandle ekuqhubekeni zonakala, kubika i-Journal of Commerce. “Ulwandle lusenkingeni ngempela, inkinga enkulu kunalokho esasikucabanga,” kusho isazi sesayensi yezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle u-Elliot Norse. Esinye isibonelo okwakhulunywa ngaso, ingxenye ebanzi yolwandle engamakhilomitha-skwele angu-18 000 eGulf of Mexico eyaziwa ngokuthi indawo efile. Njengoba igama layo lisho, le ndawo efile ayinazo izinhlanzi, izimfanzi nezinye izinto eziningi eziphilayo zasolwandle. Ososayensi bathola ukuthi le nkinga ibangelwa inani elikhulu lama-alga ondliwa amanzi anezakhi ezondla izitshalo ageleza ephuma eMfuleni iMississippi. Lapho lawa ma-alga efa, afela phansi olwandle. Njengoba amagciwane eqala ukubolisa lawa ma-alga afile, umoya-mpilo uyaphela phansi olwandle. Isazi sesayensi yezinto zasolwandle uDkt. Nancy Rabalais sithi: “Noma yini engakwazi ukusuka igcina ngokufa.”

Abanikela Ngezitho Zomzimba

Uyafuna yini ukuba izitho zomzimba wakho zithathwe abanye uma ufa? Lowo umbuzo obhekene nabantu abaningi baseBrazil kusukela umthetho omusha waqala ukusebenza ngo-January 1, 1998. Lo mthetho uthi bonke abantu baseBrazil abaneminyaka engaphezu kwengu-18 ubudala izitho zemizimba yabo ziyokhishwa uma befa, ngaphandle kokuba basayine izincwadi bacele ukuba zingakhishwa. Kodwa “kunezinkomba ezanele zokuthi abantu abaningi baseBrazil bayokhetha ukuba kungathathwa lutho emizimbeni yabo uma sebefile,” kubika i-Miami Herald. “Ezinyangeni eziyisithupha ezidlule, abantu abathathu kwabane abathola izincwadi zokushayela benqaba ukunikela ngezitho zomzimba.” Ngani? Abanye abantu besaba ukuthi odokotela bangase bacindezeleke ukuba basho singakafiki isikhathi ukuthi iziguli zifé ingqondo ukuze bakhiphe izitho zazo.

Unyaka Omubi Ngababikezeli Benhlanhla

Ababikezeli benhlanhla baseJalimane bonke babeshaywe “ngobumpumputhe” ngo-1997, kubika i-Nassauische Neue Presse yaseFrankfurt. Ezibikezelweni ezicishe zibe ngu-70 ezahlaziywa yi-Association for Scientific Research Into the Parasciences (GWUP), asikho nesisodwa esagcwaliseka. Izenzakalo zango-1997 ezimangalisa ngempela zahlala ziyimfihlakalo kulezi zangoma. Ngokwesibonelo, asikho nesisodwa isangoma esabikezela ukufa ngokungazelelwe kukaNkosazana Diana. Ababikezeli benhlanhla abaningi sebeqaphe kangangokuthi sebezama ukubikezela izimo ezithile kuphela eziqhubekayo, njengezinkinga zezomnotho noma zezepolitiki. Lezi “izinto noma imuphi umfundi wephephandaba angase akwazi ukuzibikezela,” kusho u-Edgar Wunder we-GWUP.

Ubulili Obuyingozi Kakhulu

Kusukela ngo-1994 kuya ku-1996, abacwaningi eRhode Island Hospital naseBoston City Hospital, e-United States, babuza iziguli ezingu-203 ezingenwe i-HIV ngokuziphatha kwazo ngokobulili. Loku kuhlola kwabonisani? “Abane kwabayishumi ababengenwe i-H.I.V. bahluleka ukutshela abantu abathandana nabo ngesimo sabo, futhi cishe abayizingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu balabo babengawasebenzisi njalo ama-condom,” kubika i-New York Times. Ukugodlwa okunjalo kokwaziswa kokuthi umuntu ungenwe i-HIV kuvamile, kusho abacwaningi. “Lokhu akubangelwa ukungazi,” kusho uDkt. Michael Stein we-Brown University Medical School, eProvidence, eRhode Island. “Abantu bayayiqonda ingozi yokudluliselwa kwe-H.I.V. Akukhona ukuthi [abakwazi] lokhu. Kuwumthwalo wemfanelo womuntu ngokwakhe.”

Ukukhuluphala Nesifo Senhliziyo

“Isu eliphumelela kakhulu ekuvimbeleni ukuphathwa i-CAD [coronary artery disease (isifo semithambo yenhliziyo)] usumdala kungase kube ukuvimbela ukukhuluphala lapho useyingane,” kubika i-Journal of the American Medical Association. Izazi zezempilo bezilokhu zazi ukuthi ukukhuluphala lapho useyingane kwandisa ingozi yokuba nomfutho ophakeme wegazi, isifo sikashukela, i-hyperlipemia (ukuba namafutha amaningi egazini), isifo semithambo yenhliziyo nezinye izifo ezingamahlalakhona. Kodwa naphezu kokusikisela kodokotela ukuba kulinganiselwe ukudla amafutha nokuba kuvivinywe umzimba njalo, kubikwa ukuthi ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu zabo bonke abantu baseNyakatho Melika inesisindo eseqile noma ikhuluphele. “Thina njengomphakathi sifuna kuze kuthiweni andukuba sithathe isinyathelo sokuvimbela ukukhuluphala ngokuthuthukisa ukudla esikudlayo nemikhuba yokuvivinya umzimba ezinganeni zethu?” kubuza uLinda Van Horn we-Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. “Izinzuzo ongazithola azilinganiseki. Uma kungenziwa lutho ngakho, nakanjani kuzobangela isifo senhliziyo nemithambo yayo, esikhubazayo futhi okubizayo ukuselapha.” Nokho, imiphumela yokuhlola kwamuva ephume kuyi-New England Journal of Medicine ithi ukukhuluphala kusongela impilo yomuntu ngesilinganiso esithile kuphela. Kwatholakala ukuthi ukukhuluphala “kwenyusa amathuba okufa ngaphambi kwesikhathi kodwa hhayi njengoba izazi zezempilo eziningi bezicabanga,” kubika i-New York Times.

Amahlathi Anyamalalayo

Cishe izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zamahlathi ezazimboze umhlaba ngaphambi kokuba impucuko yomuntu iqale ukuwahlasela sezinyamalele, kusho i-World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Naphezu kokuzikhandla komuntu ezama ukuxwayisa abantu ngale nkinga, ukugawulwa kwamahlathi kuleli shumi leminyaka kuye kwanda kwaze kwaba sezingeni lapho amazwe amaningi ngokushesha ezobe engasenawo nhlobo amahlathi emvelo. Ukugawulwa kwamahlathi ukuze kutholakale amapulangwe noma indawo yokulima kulimaza izinhlobo eziningi zezilwane nezezitshalo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukushisa imithi kukhiphela isikhutha emkhathini womhlaba, abaningi besaba ukuthi kuzobangela ukufudumala kwembulunga. I-WWF inxusa ukuba ngonyaka ka-2000 kube sekuvikelwe okungenani amaphesenti ayishumi azo zonke izinhlobo zamahlathi emhlabeni wonke, kubika iphephandaba laseLondon i-Guardian.

Izilinganiso Zokuntuleka Kokudla Emhlabeni Wonke

Ngokokuhlola okwenziwa i-Johns Hopkins University, i-Associated Press yabika, “ngaphandle kokuba inani labantu lande kancane futhi imikhiqizo kwezolimo ikhuphuke ngokuphawulekayo, ngo-2025 ngeke kube khona ukudla okwanele kwemilomo elambile elinganiselwa ezigidini eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-8.” Abacwaningi babikezela ukuthi “uma izinga lokuzala lingehli, owesifazane abe cishe nezingane ezimbili,” ukukhiqizwa kokudla kuyodingeka kuphindwe kabili ngo-2025 ukuze “kutholakale ukudla okwanele okunempilo nokwakhayo” ukuze abantu bahlale benempilo. Ezinye izinkinga ukuswelakala kwamanzi, ukungcoliswa kwendawo, ukulahleka kancane kancane kwenhlabathi ephezulu ngenxa yokuguguleka, nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu. Ngisho nanamuhla, unyaka ngamunye abantu ababalelwa ezigidini ezingu-18 babulawa indlala, ngisho noma kukhiqizwa ukudla okwanele kokusekela abantu abacishe babe yizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyisithupha abaphilayo manje emhlabeni.

Ama-alligator Ase-Orinoco Anyamalalayo

Ngokukamagazini waseCaracas i-Estampas, ama-alligator aseMfuleni i-Orinoco eVenezuela asengozini. Kusukela ngo-1930 lezi zidalwa bezizingelwa ngenxa yesikhumba sazo. Lo magazini uthi, ngaleso sikhathi “inani lama-alligator eVenezuela lalilikhulu kunenani labantu.” Kodwa phakathi kuka-1931 no-1934, cishe amakhilogremu ayizigidi ezingu-1,5 esikhumba sama-alligator, aphuma kuma-alligator okungenani ayizigidi ezingu-4,5, ayedayiselwa amanye amazwe. Ngo-1950, “ngemva kokuzingela okungapheli okwathatha iminyaka,” inani lama-alligator lase linciphe kangangokuthi kwase kungamakhilogremu angu-30 000 “kuphela” ayengadayiselwa amanye amazwe. Namuhla, kusele ama-alligator angaphansi kuka-3000 e-Orinoco, futhi ochwepheshe bathi wona kanye nezinye izinhlobo ezingu-312 zezilwane zaseVenezuela, kusongelwa ukuqothulwa abantu.

Amandla Esabekayo Enkanyezi

Isithombe sesibonakude i-Hubble samuva sinikeza ubufakazi obengeziwe bokuthi inkanyezi ethile esemthaleni wethu iwuhlobo lwenkanyezi olungavamile olubizwa ngokuthi “ukushintshashintsha kokukhanya okuluhlaza.” Ngokwezazi zezinkanyezi, le nkanyezi ekhazimulayo kanye ne-nebula eyizungezile kumise okwesibhamu, ngakho iye yabizwa ngokuthi i-Pistol. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi i-Pistol inkulu ngokuphindwe izikhathi okungenani ezingu-60 kuneLanga lethu futhi cishe inamandla ngokuphindwe izikhathi eziyizigidi eziyishumi kunalo. Kungaba “inkanyezi enamandla kunazo zonke emazulwini,” kusho umagazini i-Science News. Kodwa ngenxa yothuli oluphazamisayo, le nkanyezi ingabonakala ngomshini wokubona ama-infrared kuphela. Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi kungani i-Pistol, eqhele eMhlabeni ngebanga elingama-light-year angu-25-000, ingazange yaziwe kwaze kwaba ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1990. Ziyisithupha kuphela ezinye izinkanyezi zalolu hlobo eziye zatholakala emthaleni wethu.

Ukushayela Nokushaya Ucingo—Inhlanganisela Eyingozi

Abashayeli bezimoto abashaya ucingo ngesikhathi beshayela bangase benze amaphutha angathi sína benganakile. Lesi isiphetho esafinyelelwa lapho i-General Automobile Club of Germany yenzelwa ukuhlola. Abashayeli bacelwa ukuba bashayele izikhathi ezintathu ukuze kwenziwe loku kuhlola. Okokuqala, babengalusebenzisi ucingo. Okwesibili, babesebenzisa ucingo olungabanjwa ngezandla okuhanjwa nalo; kanti okwesithathu, babesebenzisa ucingo olubanjwa ngesandla. Bashayela kahle kangakanani laba bashayeli ababehlolwa? Ngokwesilinganiso, abashayeli ababengalusebenzisi ucingo benza amaphutha angu-0,5 ekubambeni amabhuleki nasekugcineni izimoto zabo zihamba emzileni wazo, labo ababesebenzisa ucingo olungabanjwa ngesandla, aba ngu-5,9 kanti ababesebenzisa ucingo olubanjwa ngesandla aba ngu-14,6. Ngakho-ke, i-Süddeutsche Zeitung yabika ukuthi, loku kuhlola kwaphetha ngokuthi ukusetshenziswa kwezingcingo ezibanjwa ngesandla lapho ushayela “kubeka ukuphepha engozini enkulu.”