EBINYWE ebyabughawa kera ebi, eby’Omwami w’amenge Solomona bikakanganaya ndeke-ndeke eriyowa ly’abandu bawithe erihambire okwa ngebe. Obundi busana n’engebe eribya ini nyikuhi n’olhuholho eribya isilhwanga kakiribwa, abandu babirikandira engebe nyiri. Eritsuka kera, abandu babirisondekania ekyanga leka ibabyaho mughulhu muuli.

Thuthalebya eky’erileberyako ekya Gilgamesh omwami we Sumer. Emyatsi mingyi ey’eriyilengekanirya n’eyithe yangabya muyakanibwa okwa ngebe yiwe. Omughuma w’okwa myatsi eyi ali omwa lhughano olhwasibwe mwa Epic of Gilgamesh, olhukabugha lhuthi mwatsuka olhumimbi olhukalire olhw’erianza eriminya ngoku wanga bisama olhuholho. Mwalemwa.

Ihakine emyaka nga 2000 Yesu isyalyabuthwa, abanyasayansi balebe omwa Chaina mubalengesya erikolha omubatsi owababya bakalengekania bathi anganaleka abandu ibabya n’engebe nyiri. Mubakolha othubatsi omw’idungania e makyure [mercury] ne aseniki [arsenic]. Kikalengekanibawa omubatsi oyu eribya imw’itha abami bangyi be Chaina. Omwa Yuropu, ahakathi-kathi k’emyaka eya 500 na 1500 E.K. [Ekighanzire Kino], abandi banya sayansi mubalengesya erikolha omubatsi omwa horo nuku yibye iyangana libwa iy’ingira omwa mubiri kundi mubalengekania bathi eribya ini kyuma ekithe tsanda-tsanda, kyangana wathikya eryongera engebe y’omundu.

Munabwire, abanya sayansi abakasoma okwa ngebe, banemulengaho eriyitheghererya ekikaleka abandu ibakekelhuha. Akaghalha kabu ako kakakanganaya ngoku abandu bakinawithe amaha manene bathi bangana syabana ekyanga balya abandu okw’ikekelhuha n’eriholha. Aliwe ni byahi ebyabirilhua omw’isekulya eryo?

Abanya sayansi abakasoma okwa syoselu sy’omundu babiriha esyonzoborera esilhabire oku 300 bakasoborera ekikaleka omundu iniakekelhuha n’eriholha. Omwa myaka ya lino-lino, abanya sayansi babirithathoka eryongera engebe y’esyoselu sy’abandu n’esy’ebindi bisoro. Busana n’ekyo, abagaga balebe babiriwathikya abanya sayansi omwa by’esyosente nuku basekulhaye “ekikaleka ithwaholha.” Bamahikahi omw’isekulya eryo?

Erilengesya eryongera emyaka y’eribyaho. Abandi banya sayansi bikirirye bathi ekikulhu ekikaleka ithwakekelhuha ni busana n’ebikabya okwa ehitsweka hy’okwo mithwe-mithwe y’esyo chromosomes syethu ehikahulhawamo telomeres. Esyo telomeres ni hindu ehikatheghaya omwatsi w’emikwikire yethu owali omwa syoselu syethu omughulhu sikayithahangulha. Eselu yikabya yikayighaba, esyo telomeres sikaghenda sikabya sikuhi. Endambi yikahika, esyoselu isyaleka erithasyayighaba neryo erikekelhulha iryatsuka.

 Elizabeth Blackburn oyuwahebawa ekihembo omwaka owa 2009 busana n’omubiiri wiwe omwa by’esayansi n’abakolha nabu omw’isekulya mubabana akandu (enzyme) akakaleka esyo telomeres isithahwerera lhuba-lhuba, ekikaleka esyoselu isyatseka. Aliwe, omwa ripoti, mubabugha bathi esyo telomeres “si busaki bw’eryongera engebe—sisiryongera emyaka yethu.”

Erihindulha omwatsi w’emikwikire omwa syoselu ni yindi nzira y’erilengesya erikakirya erikekelhuha. Esyoselu syethu syamabirikulha kutsibu eribya isisyangathasyalhuamo esindi, isyanganathumira esyoselu esikatheghaya omubiri esiri hakuhi nasyo omwatsi owathahikire, neryo ikyaletha eribimba-bimba, amakeku, n’erilhwalha. Lino-lino, abanya sayansi omwa France mub’imirye esyoselu sy’abandu abakulire, abandi ibawithe emyaka eyilhabire omu 100, n’erithasyahindulha omwatsi w’emikwikire owali musyo. Oyuw’imanire erisekulya eryo, iya Profesa Jean-Marc Lemaître, mwabugha athi omubiiri wabu mwakangania ngoku esyoselu “syanganasuba ndere.”

Abanya sayansi bangyi bakabugha bathi nomuhane emibatsi ey’erikakirya erikekelhuha, emyaka y’abandu siyanga lhaba kutsibu okwa eya bandu bakaghunza munabwire. Ni kwenene, eritsuka omwa kighonye kye 19, emyaka ey’omundu atholere iniaghunza yabirighenda yik’ongera lyolho-lyolho. Aliwe eki kikathokekana busana n’erikanyirira ly’eby’obuyonzo, eriyitheya okwa malhwere awakasighalira, n’erikolesya emibatsi n’amakiriko kutse ebikato. Abandi banya sayansi bakabugha bathi emyaka y’abandu yangabya iyabirihika okwa lhulengo olhwa thuthe thwang’ongera.

Myaka nga 3,500 kera, omuhandiki we Biblia ya Musa mwabugha athi: “Emyaka yethu ni makumi alinda; kutse thwamabya n’amaaka iyabya makumi munani; nikwa yikathulethera amaghaniryo n’obulighe; neryo engebe yikahwa ithwaghenda.” (Esyonyimbo 90:10) Nomwakine indi abandu babirilengaho erianza eryongera emyaka ey’omundu angaghunza, aliwe erithwalira haghuma emyaka yethu yine ngoku Musa anabugha.

Mbaghane n’abandu, ebindi bisoro byangana ghunza emyaka eyilhabire oku 200, kandi n’eyindi mithi yangana ghunza esyongumi sy’emyaka. Thukabya thukalinganisya emyaka yethu n’ebihangikwa ng’ebi kutse ebindi bindu, thukayibulhaya, ‘Mbwino engebe y’emyaka 70 kutse 80 yana nyisa eya thutholere eribya nayo?’