MAWUWA omwe ananenedwa kalekale ndi mfumu yanzeru Solomo, amafotokoza bwino zimene anthufe timafuna. Chifukwa chakuti moyo ndi waufupi ndipo palibe angathawe imfa, anthu akhala akufunitsitsa atakhala ndi moyo wautali. Komanso pali nkhani ndiponso nthano zambiri zosonyeza kuti anthu akhala akufufuza njira yothandiza kuti tizikhala ndi moyo wautali.

Chitsanzo ndi nthano zonena za Gilgamesh amene anali mfumu ya ku Sumeri. Imodzi mwa nthano zake imananena kuti anayenda ulendo woopsa n’cholinga choti akapeze njira yothawira imfa. Koma sizinaphule kanthu.

Komanso m’zaka za m’ma 300 B.C.E., asayansi a ku China anayesa kusakaniza zinthu zosiyanasiyana kuti apange mankhwala omwe ankakhulupirira kuti angatalikitse moyo. Koma asayansiwa anapanga mankhwala omwe anali ndi poizoni. Anthu amaganiza kuti mankhwala amenewa ndi amene anapha mafumu ambiri a ku China. Ku Europe, pa zaka za pakati pa 500 ndi 1500 C.E., asayansi ena anayesa kukonza golide m’njira yoti azidyedwa komanso kugaika. Iwo anachita zimenezi chifukwa ankakhulupirira kuti popeza golide sachita dzimbiri, angatalikitse moyo.

Masiku anonso asayansi ofufuza zinthu zamoyo akuyesetsa kuti apeze chimene chimapangitsa kuti tizikalamba. Mofanana ndi asayansi a ku China aja, zimene akuchitazi zikungosonyeza kuti anthu akukhulupirirabe kuti angathe kupeza chomwe chimachititsa kuti tizikalamba komanso kufa. Koma kodi asayansiwa akuchita zotani?

Asayansi amene amafufuza zokhudza maselo a anthu apereka zifukwa zoposa 300 zofotokoza chifukwa chake timakalamba komanso kufa. Pa zaka zaposachedwapa, asayansiwa akwanitsa kuchititsa kuti nyama komanso maselo a anthu azikhala kwa nthawi yaitali. Zimenezi zachititsa kuti anthu ambiri achuma azipereka ndalama zoti zizigwiritsidwa ntchito pofufuza zimene zimachititsa kuti anthufe tizifa. Ndiye kodi asayansi achita zotani pa ntchito imeneyi?

Kupeza njira yoti maselo asamakalambe msanga. Asayansi amakhulupirira kuti chimene chimachititsa kuti tizikalamba ndi tinthu tina tomwe timapezeka kumapeto kwa makoromosomu. Makoromosomu ndi tinthu tooneka ngati ulusi tomwe timakhala muselo. Tinthu timene timakhala kumapeto kwa makoromosomuti timateteza malangizo amene amakhala muselo, seloyo ikamagawanika. Koma nthawi zonse selo ikagawanika, tinthu timeneti timafupika. Chifukwa cha zimenezi, pakapita nthawi maselo amasiya kugawanika ndipo zikatero munthu amayamba kukalamba.

Wasayansi wina amene analandira mphoto mu 2009, dzina lake Elizabeth Blackburn, limodzi ndi anzake anatulukira timadzi tina tam’thupi tomwe timachititsa kuti  tinthu timene timakhala kumapeto kwa makoromosomu tisamafupike mofulumira zomwe zimachititsanso kuti maselo asamakalambe msanga. Komabe mu lipoti lawo anavomereza kuti tinthu ta kumapeto kwa makoromosomuti “sitithandiza kuti anthu akhale ndi moyo kwa zaka zambiri kuposa zimene timayembekezera.”

Kusintha mmene maselo amagwirira ntchito ndi njira ina imene asayansi ayesa pofuna kuti anthu asamakalambe. Maselo athu akakhala kuti akalamba ndipo sakuthanso kugawanika, angamatumize uthenga wolakwika kumaselo amene amateteza thupi ku matenda. Zimenezi zimayambitsa kutupikana, ululu wosatha komanso matenda. Pa zaka zaposachedwapa asayansi a ku France anatenga maselo a anthu achikulire n’kuwasintha mmene amagwirira ntchito, ndipo maselowo anayambiranso kugawanika. Ena mwa achikulirewa anali azaka zoposa 100. Mtsogoleri wa gulu la asayansili, Pulofesa Jean-Marc Lemaître, ananena kuti zotsatira za zimene anachitazi ndi umboni wakuti maselo amene akalamba akhoza kubwezedwa n’kuyambiranso kugawanika.

Sikuti asayansi onse amavomereza kuti njira zothandiza kuti munthu asakalambe zingachititse kuti munthu akhaledi ndi moyo wautali kuposa umene anthu amakhala nawo masiku ano. N’zoona kuti kuyambira m’zaka za m’ma 1800 anthu akumakhala ndi moyo wotalikirapo. Koma chifukwa chachikulu n’chakuti anthu akuyesetsa kukhala aukhondo, pali mankhwala ambiri othandiza komanso pali katemera woteteza kumatenda osiyanasiyana. Asayansi ena amaona kuti panopa anthu sakukhala ndi moyo waufupi kapena wautali kwambiri kuposa umene timayembekezera.

Zaka pafupifupi 3,500 zapitazo, Mose yemwe analemba nawo Baibulo, ananena kuti: “Masiku a moyo wathu amangokwana zaka 70, ndipo ngati tili ndi mphamvu yapadera amakwana zaka 80. Koma ngakhale zili choncho, amangodzaza ndi mavuto ndi zopweteka. Pakuti masiku amene timakhala ndi moyo amatha mwamsanga ndipo timachoka mofulumira.” (Salimo 90:10) Ngakhale kuti anthu ayesetsa kwambiri kuti atalikitse zaka zimene timakhala ndi moyo, moyo wathu ndi waufupibe ngati mmene Mose ananenera.

Koma pali nyama zina zimene zimakhala ndi moyo zaka mahandiredi komanso mitengo ina imene imakhalako kwa zaka masauzande ambiri. Tikayerekeza zaka zimenezi ndi zaka zimene anthufe timakhala ndi moyo, mwina tingadzifunse kuti, ‘Kodi anthufe tinalengedwa kuti tizingokhala ndi moyo zaka 70 kapena 80 basi?’