Ukubuka Okwezwe
Ukuphilela Inkulungwane Yeminyaka
“Kungenzeka ngempela ukuthi abantu ababangwa nezibi bayaqhubeka bephila ukuze nje babone izenzakalo ezithile eziqavile,” kusho uRichard Suzman we-National Institute on Aging, eBethesda, eMaryland, e-U.S.A. “Izinqubo zamakhemikhali ezenzeka emzimbeni ziyindida kodwa ziyenzeka.” I-Guardian yaseLondon yabika ukuthi ngemva kokuba bezitshele ukuthi bafuna ukubona unyaka ka-2000, abantu abayinani elingavamile bafa ngesonto lokuqala lonyaka omusha. EBrithani, amanye amaphesenti angu-65 afa ngalelo sonto futhi eNew York City, isibalo sabafayo sakhuphuka ngamaphesenti angaphezu kwangu-50 uma kuqhathaniswa nesonto lokuqala ngo-1999. URobert Butler, umongameli we-International Longevity Center, wathi lezi zibalo zaba khona emhlabeni wonke. Wanezela: “Isifiso sokuphila singaba namandla ngempela.”
Ukushayela Umkhumbi Nge-computer
I-Daily Telegraph yaseLondon iphawula ukuthi ngenxa yobuchwepheshe bama-electronic, imikhumbi ngeke isadinga inqwaba yamashadi angamaphepha ukuze ihambe. Ngo-November 1999, i-International Maritime Organization, ngehhovisi laseJalimane lokuhlola amanzi, ngokokuqala ngqá yanikeza imvume yesimiso sokuhamba komkhumbi nge-computer kuphela. Esikhundleni samashadi angamaphepha, i-computer inikeza izinhlobo ezimbili zama-electronic—ikhophi ehloliwe yeshadi eliyiphepha kanye nohlelo lwezinombolo olubizwa ngokuthi ishadi le-vector. Into eyinhloko enhle ngeshadi le-electronic ukuthi njalo liyabonisa ukuthi umkhumbi ukuphi ngempela. Futhi, ngokweleka ishadi elibhaliwe le-radar kuyi-computer, abashayeli bemikhumbi bangakwazi ukuhlola izingozi ezisendleleni yabo. Omunye umqondisi weviyo lemikhumbi, ejabulele le ntuthuko, wathi: “Yenza umthwalo wethu ube lula . . . ukuze sikwazi ukugxila kakhulu ekuqondiseni umkhumbi, ukugada eminye imikhumbi nokuhamba kwayo nokuthi umshayeli wenzani lapho efika esikhumulweni.”
Akunakwenzeka Ukuthi Kunezidalwa Kwamanye Amaplanethi
“Kula mashumi eminyaka ambalwa okugcina, inani elandayo lezazi zezinkanyezi liye lasakaza umbono wokuthi abantu abahlala kwamanye abaplanethi kungenzeka basakazekele ezinkanyezini,” kusho i-New York Times. “Le mfundiso yabantu abahlala kwamanye amaplanethi ayandisanga nje kuphela inqwaba yezincwadi, amabhayisikobho nemibukiso yamathelevishini . . . kodwa nocwaningo olude lwesayensi esebenzisa izinti ezigobile ezinkulu ukuze ihlole amaza omsakazo emkhathini avela kubantu abahlala khona abahlakaniphile.” Lolo cwaningo ngokunokwenzeka ngeke luphumelele, kusho ososayensi abaqavile ababili, uDkt. Peter D. Ward noDkt. Donald C. Brownlee, abalobi bencwadi ethi Rare Earth. Bathi okusha okutholakele kuyisayensi yokuhlolwa kwezinkanyezi, i-paleontology nesayensi yokwakheka komhlaba, kubonisa “ukuthi ukwakheka komhlaba nokuqina kuyivelakancane ngendlela engavamile” futhi izimo kwenye indawo azizifanelekeli izinhlobo zokuphila eziyinkimbinkimbi. UDkt. Ward uthi: “Ekugcineni sesize sasho ngokuzwakalayo lokho abantu abaningi abebekucabanga iminyaka—ukuthi okungenani ukuphila okuyinkimbinkimbi kuyivelakancane.” UDkt. Brownlee uyanezela: “Abantu bathi iLanga liyinkanyezi. Lokho akulona iqiniso. Cishe zonke izindawo emkhathini azikufanelekeli ukuphila. Kungaba khona kuphela ezindaweni zeNsimu yase-Edene ezinjengoMhlaba.”
IBhayibheli Lihunyushelwa Ezilimini Eziningi
Iphephandaba laseMexico i-Excelsior liyaphawula: “IBhayibheli liyaqhubeka liyincwadi ehunyushwa kakhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni.” Ngokwe-Bible Society yaseJalimane, iBhayibheli lahunyushelwa kwezinye izilimi ezingu-21 ngo-1999, okwenza ukuba manje okungenani ingxenye yalo itholakale ngezilimi ezingu-2 233. Kulezi, “iTestamente Elidala kanye neTestamente Elisha kuye kwahunyushwa ngokuphelele ngezilimi ezingu-371, ezingaphezu kwezango-1998 ngezilimi ezinhlanu.” Zikuphi zonke lezi zilimi? Leli phepha lithi: “Izinguqulo eziningi kunazo zonke zise-Afrika, ezingu-627, kulandele i-Asia nezingu-553, i-Australia/Pacific nezingu-396, neLatin America/Caribbean nezingu-384, iYurophu nezingu-197 ne-United States nezingu-73.” Noma kunjalo, “lezi zilimi osekuhunyushelwe kuzo iBhayibheli azikakabi ngisho nayisigamu sezilimi ezikhulunywayo emhlabeni.” Kungani lingahunyushiwe ngezinye? Ngoba bambalwa ngesilinganiso abantu abakhuluma lezo zilimi, futhi ukuhumushela iBhayibheli kuzo kuyinselele. Kanti futhi, abantu abaningi bakhuluma izilimi ezimbili ngakho uma iBhayibheli lingekho ngolimi lwabo, bangalifunda ngolunye ulimi.
Izikhali Ezilahliwe
Abadobi base-Italy muva nje bebebamba izinto abebengakhetha ukungazibambi—izikhali zamakhemikhali. NgokukaValerio Calzolaio, umsizi kanobhala woMnyango Wendawo Ezungezile Wase-Italy, “kusukela ngo-1946 kuze kube ngawo-1970 . . . , umkhuba ovamile wokulahla izikhali ezindala kwakuwukuziphonsa olwandle.” Kulinganiselwa ukuthi kunamabhomu angaba ngu-20 000 aphansi e-Adriatic, ngasogwini olusempumalanga ye-Italy. Ngo-1997, kwase kufe abadobi base-Italy abahlanu kwathi abangu-236 balaliswa esibhedlela ngenxa yemiphumela yamakhemikhali abulalayo avuza ezikhalini ezidlekile abazithatha ngamanetha abo. Okwenezela kule nkinga, amabhomu ayinani elingashiwongo ajikijelwa kuwo lawo manzi yizindiza zempi phakathi nezingxabano zamuva zaseBalkan, futhi amanye alawa kakade “asebanjiwe” emanetheni okudoba. Akuwona wodwa amanzi ase-Italy athintekile. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi amathani angu-100 000 ezikhali zamakhemikhali aphansi oLwandle iBaltic, futhi izindawo ezifanayo okulahlwa kuzo kuthiwa zikhona emanzini asogwini lwaseJapane, e-United States naseGreat Britain.
Amanani Ayihaba
I-Economist ithi: “Ungakukholelwa ngaso sonke isikhathi lokho okufunda emaphepheni.” Izintatheli “azigonyiwe ukuba zingawenzi amaphutha.” Lokhu kuyiqiniso nakakhulu uma kuhileleke izibalo, ikakhulukazi ezezinhlekelele. Ngani? Lesi sihloko sithi: “Esidididini sempi noma senhlekelele eyenzeka phakathi nesikhathi esinokuthula, ngempela akunakwenzeka ukwazi ngokuthe ngqó ukuthi bangaki abantu abafile noma abalimele.” Ukuze zanelise ilukuluku labantu lokwazi, izintatheli zinikeza amanani awukulinganisela, ngokuvamile aphakeme, futhi “azivamile ukuwanciphisa amanani azo njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka.” Isizathu? “Izintatheli zifuna ukukhangisa izindaba zazo, abahleli amaphephandaba abo, izisebenzi zosizo zifuna ukwandisa amanxusa azo. Ngisho nezikhulu zikahulumeni zingase zifune ukuzwelwa.” Lo magazini utusa ukuba abafundi “baqaphele—izibalo ezikhohlisayo, eziyihaba ngokubonakalayo, nokuthambekela kwezintatheli ukwenza ihaba ngokuphikelelayo.” Liyanezela: “Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lelo phephandaba linethonya elingakanani ngokuvamile, uma kuziwa endabeni yokufa kwabantu, ngempela ipeni linamandla kunenkemba.”
Qaphela Izilwane Ezifuyiwe
Ngokwephephandaba lansuku zonke laseFrance i-Monde, amaphesenti angu-52 emikhaya eFrance afuye izilwane. Nokho, ucwaningo lwamuva olwenziwa iqembu lodokotela bezilwane kuyi-Institute of Comparative Animal Immunology, eMaisons-Alfort, eFrance, lubonisa ukuthi isikhunta namagciwane athwalwa amakati aseFrance ayizigidi ezingu-8,4 nezinja eziyizigidi ezingu-7,9 kubangela izifo ezihlukahlukene kubanikazi bazo. Lokhu kuhlanganisa umbandamu, izikelemu, utwayi, i-leishmaniasis ne-toxoplasmosis. Lesi sakamuva singabangela ukuphuphuma kwesisu noma ukukhubazeka kombungu kwabesifazane abakhulelwe. Lo mbiko uphawula nezifo eziningi ezibangelwa ukungezwani nezilwane zasendlini nezifo ezibangelwa ukulunywa izinja—okungaba ngu-100 000 ngonyaka eFrance.
Indawo Yezinto Eziphilayo Ewumlomo
I-Toronto Star ibika ukuthi: “Ososayensi baseStanford University baye bathola izinto eziphilayo ezingu-37 ezintsha neziyinqaba kwenye indawo yezinto eziphilayo ezinhlobonhlobo kakhulu emhlabeni: umlomo womuntu.” Lokhu kwandisa izinhlobo ezaziwayo zama-bacterium asemlonyeni zibe ngaphezu kuka-500, “izinhlobonhlobo eziningi kangangokuthi zingase zidlule lezo zamahlathi emvula ashisayo, ezivame ukubonakala njengeqophelo eliphezulu lokuceba kwezinto eziphilayo.” Ingabe i-bacterium iyingozi? Ngemva kokuthola igciwane elisha oqweqweni lwamazinyo, isazi samangqamuzana ezinto eziphilayo uDkt. David Relman sathi: “Izinhlobonhlobo ezinjalo ziyaqinisekisa kakhulu ngoba zinikeza ukuqina kwezinto eziphilayo nokuvikeleka.” I-Star sinezela ukuthi izinhlobo eziningi zama-bacterium “kucatshangwa ukuthi ziyaduduza, ziyavikela futhi ziyondla.” Zimbalwa ezibangela inkinga enjengokubola kwamazinyo, izifo zezinsini nomlomo onukayo.
Ukwanda Kwezimpi
Ngo-1999 “inani lezimpi laqhubeka lenyuka,” kubika iphephandaba laseJalimane i-Siegener Zeitung. IQembu Elihlolayo loCwaningo Ngezimbangela Zempi, e-University of Hamburg, labala izingxabano ezingu-35 okwakuhlonyiwe kuzo ngo-1999, zande ngezintathu kunangonyaka owandulele. Kuzo ezingu-14 zazise-Afrika, ezingu-12 zise-Asia, eyodwa iseYurophu, kanti ezinye zaziseMpumalanga Ephakathi naseLatin America. Impi ayikazukuphela, kusho leli qembu elihlolayo. Eqinisweni, “izimpi ezingu-8 zavela ohlwini lwalo nyaka ngokokuqala, phakathi kwazo kunezimpi ezinobudlova zaseChechnya, eNepal, eKyrgyzstan naseNigeria.” Esinye isizathu ukuthi ezinye izimbangela zezingxabano zingafukameleka isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba ziqubuke zibe ukungquzulana noma impi enkulu.