AMEZWI kaSolomoni atlolwa kade la, ahlathulula indlela abantu abazizwa ngayo ngokuphila. Kungenzeka lokho kungebanga lokuthi abantu abaphili isikhathi eside begodu ukufa angekhe bakubalekele, sekuphele iminyaka abantu bafuna izinto zibe ngcono. Umlandu utjengisa bona abantu abanengi bebasolo bafuna intatha yokuphila isikhathi eside.

Akhucabange ngoGilgamesh ikosi yeSumeria. Iinganekwane ezinengi zikhuluma ngokuphila kwakhe. Indaba eyatjhiwo encwadini ethi, the Epic of Gilgamesh iveza bona wakhamba ikhambo elithusako wafunda ngokuthi ungakubalekela njani ukufa. Kodwana akhenge aphumelele.

Ngeminyaka ehlangana nabo-1301 kufikela ku-1400 B.C.E omunye umejigi eChina walinga ukuhlanganisa isihlahla sokwelapha esibizwa ngokuthi “yi-elixir” abantu bebakholelwa bona ukwenza njalo kwenza abantu baphile isikhathi eside. Beza nebhodlela elinekhemikhali i-mercury ne-arsenic elibotjhwe ngetjhila elisefelako. Abantu bebakholelwa ukuthi ukwenza njalo kwabulala imibuso eminengi yeChina. Abomejigi beYurobhu balinga ukutjhugulula igolide bona abantu bakghone ukuliginya bebakholelwa ukuthi ukwenza njalo kuzokwandisa ukuphila kwabantu.

Abanye abososayensi namhlanjesi balinga ukufumana bona kubayini abantu baluphala. Kodwana imizamwabo itjengisa ukuthi bekube kunamhlanjesi abantu basesenethemba lokufumana indlela yokungaluphali nokungafi. Alo umphumela ube yini?

Abososayensi abafunda ngemizimba yabantu beze neendaba ezi-300 ezitjengisa bona kubayini abantu baluphala bebahlongakale. Ingasi kade abososayensi bakghonile ukwenza bona ama-cell wabantu neweenlwana bona aphile isikhatjhana. Lokho kwenze bona abantu abanemali banikele ngeemali zabo bona kwenziwe irhubhululo lokuthi kubayini sihlongakala. Khuyini abayenzileko?

Ukulinga ukwenza bona abantu baphile isikhathi eside. Abanye abososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi into esenza siluphale iseziqini zokuphila ezibizwa ngokuthi yi-telomeres. I-telomeres ivikela isiqi sefuzo esisemzimbenethu nasizakha kabutjha. Kodwana isiqesi nasizihlukanisako i-telomeres iba yifitjhani. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi iziqezi azisahlukani kulapho-ke ukuluphala kuthoma khona.

U-Elizabeth Blackburn yena nesiqhema sakhe bathumba unongorwana we-Nobel laureate ngo-2009, uhlathulula isiqi esiladelisa i-telomeres bese senze siluphale. Kodwana umbikwabo uyaveza ukuthi bayatjheja ukuthi i-telomeres “ayisimumejigi, ayisivumeli  bona siphile ukudlula isikhathi sokuphila komuntu njengombana sazi.”

I-Cellular reprogramming ngenye indlela yokuhlathulula ukuluphala. Izakhi zethu zomzimba naziluphalako, zingathumela umlayezo okungasiwo kezinye izakhi zokuphila, lokho kubangele ukuvuvukala, ubuhlungu nokugula. Kungasikade abososayensi beFrance bahlela kabutjha izakhi zomzimba zabantu abalupheleko, abanye bakhona bebaneminyaka engaphezu kwe-100. Umdosi phambili wesiqhema sokurhubhulula loyo, uPhrofesa Jean-Marc Lemaître uthi umsebenzabo uveza ukuthi “ukuluphala kungabuyiselwa emva” ngezakhi zomzimba.

Akusibo boke abososayensi abavumako ukuthi iinongo zokukhandela ukuluphala zingenza abantu baphile isikhathi eside ukudlula njenganje. Liqiniso ukuthi ukuphila kwabantu kuthuthukile nasimadanisa neminyaka yabo-1801 kufikela 1900. Kodwana lokho kungebanga lokuthi zehlanzeko zingcono kunangaphambilini, sele kunetuthuko nakuziwa emagulweni, nekusebenziseni imitjhoga yokuhlwengisa amanceba, kunemitjhoga ekhandela amalwele neminye eminengi yokwelapha amalwele. Abanye abosiyazi bakholelwa ukuthi ukuphila komuntu kufika lapho kufuze kugcine khona.

Pheze iminyaka ezi-3 500 edlulileko umtloli weBhayibheli uMosi wabona ukuthi: “Iminyaka yokuphila kwethu imatjhumi alikhomba, nasiqinileko ibe matjhumi abunane; kodwana ubuhle bayo bunobudisi nesizi. Mbala iminyakethu idlula masinyana bese thina siyaphapha semuke.” (IRhubo 90:10) Ngitjho nangaphezu kokulinga okungaka kokuthi abantu baphile isikhathi eside, kodwana kusaba njengombana uMosi ahlathulula.

Ngakelinye ihlangothi, indalo enjengelwandle elibomvu, nengcenye yinye ye-quahog clam ingaphila iminyaka engaphezu kwema-200, imithi enjenge-giant sequoia ingaphila iingidigidi zeminyaka. Nasimadanisa ukuphila kwethu nekwezinto esele sikhulume ngazo, singazibuza ukuthi ‘kukhona na okungcono kunokuphila iminyaka imatjhumi alikhomba, nasiqinileko ibe matjhumi abunane?’