Umhlaba—Ingabe ‘Wasekelwa’ Ngengozi?

UKUZE ugweme amazinga eqile okushisa nokubanda, umhlaba kufanele uzungeze ilanga ebangeni elifanele. Kwezinye izimiso zonozungezilanga, kuye kwatholakala amaplanethi azungeza izinkanyezi ezinjengelanga futhi kuthiwa ‘asendaweni okungase kuhlalwe kuyo’—okungukuthi, ayakwazi ukuba namanzi. Kodwa ngisho nala maplanethi okuthiwa kungase kuhlalwe kuwo angase angakufanelekeli ukuphila komuntu. Nawo kufanele azungeze ngejubane elifanele futhi abe makhulu ngokwanele.

Ukube umhlaba wawuthe ukuba mncane futhi ulula kunalokhu oyikho, amandla adonsela phansi abeyoba mancane futhi ingxenye enkulu yomoya oyigugu ozungeze umhlaba ibiyophumela emkhathini. Lokhu kungabonakala enyangeni namaplanethi amabili i-Mercury ne-Mars. Njengoba emancane futhi enesisindo esingaphansi kwesomhlaba, anomoya owazungezile omncane noma awanawo nhlobo. Kodwa kuthiwani ukube umhlaba ubumkhudlwana futhi usinda kunalokhu oyikho?

Khona-ke amandla omhlaba adonsela phansi abezoba namandla kakhulu bese kuthi amagesi alula, njenge-hydrogen ne-helium, athathe isikhathi eside ukuphumela emkhathini. Incwadi yesayensi ethi Environment of Life iyachaza: “Okubaluleke nakakhulu ukuthi ukulinganiswa ngokucophelela kwamagesi asemkhathini bekuyophazamiseka.”

Noma cabangela nje umoya-mpilo, oyigesi ebhebhethekisa amandla omlilo. Uma amazinga ayo ebenganyuka ngephesenti elilodwa, bekuyohlale kunomlilo wequbula. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukube igesi ebamba ukushisa, isikhutha, ibilokhu yanda, besiyobulawa ukushisa kakhulu komhlaba.

Ukuzungeza Komhlaba

Esinye isici esihle yindlela umhlaba ozungeza ngayo. Ukube umhlaba ubuzungeza emzileni ome njengeqanda, besiyobulawa amazinga okushisa nokubanda angabekezeleleki. Kunalokho, umhlaba uzungeza emzileni ocishe ube isiyingi. Yebo, isimo besingashintsha uma iplanethi enkulu njenge-Jupiter ibingadlula eduze. Eminyakeni yamuva nje ososayensi baye bathola ubufakazi bokuthi ezinye izinkanyezi zinamaplanethi amakhulu njenge-Jupiter azungeza eduze kwazo. Amaningi ala maplanethi anjenge-Jupiter azungeza emzileni ome njengeqanda. Noma imaphi amaplanethi anjengomhlaba asesimisweni esinjalo abeyoba senkingeni.

Isazi sezinkanyezi uGeoffrey Marcy saqhathanisa  lezi zimiso zamaplanethi ezingaphandle namaplanethi amane i-Mercury, i-Venus, uMhlaba ne-Mars, asenkabeni yesimiso sethu sonozungezilanga. Lapho kuxoxwa naye, uMarcy wababaza: “Bheka ukuthi leli [lungiselelo] lihle kanjani. Linjengegugu. Kunemizila eyisiyingi. Wonke amaplanethi asendaweni elinganayo. Wonke azungeza aye nganxanye. . . . Isimangaliso.” Ingabe ngempela lokhu kungathiwa kwazivelela?

Isimiso sethu sonozungezilanga sinesinye isici esiyisimangaliso. Amaplanethi amakhulu i-Jupiter, i-Saturn, i-Uranus ne-Neptune azungeza ilanga ebangeni elikude nathi. Esikhundleni sokuba usongo, la maplanethi afeza indima ebalulekile. Izazi zezinkanyezi ziye zawafanisa ‘nama-vacuum cleaner omkhathi’ ngoba amandla awo ashwabadela izinkanyezi ezinkulu ezitshuza emoyeni, ebezingase zisongele ukuphila emhlabeni. Ngempela, umhlaba ‘usekelwe’ kahle. (Jobe 38:4) Kokubili ubukhulu bawo nendawo okuyo esimisweni sethu sonozungezilanga kufanele. Kodwa akugcini lapho. Umhlaba unezinye izici ezivelele ezibalulekile ukuze umuntu aphile.

Umoya-mpilo Ne-photosynthesis

Ama-athomu omoya-mpilo akha amaphesenti angu-63 esisindo sezinto eziphilayo emhlabeni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umoya-mpilo osemkhathini uvikela izitshalo nezilwane emisebeni yelanga eyingozi. Kodwa umoya-mpilo uyashesha ukuxubana nezinye izakhi, njengalapho uxubana nensimbi bese ubangela ukugqwala. Pho, umkhathi uligcina kanjani izinga elingamaphesenti angu-21 lalesi sakhi esisheshayo ukuxubana nezinye?

Impendulo yi-photosynthesis—inqubo eyisimanga izitshalo zomhlaba ezisebenzisa kuyo ukukhanya kwelanga ukuze ziveze ukudla. Umoya-mpilo uwumkhiqizo we-photosynthesis—angaphezu kwezigidi eziyinkulungwane amathani awo adedelwa emkhathini usuku ngalunye. I-New Encyclopædia Britannica iyachaza: “Ngaphandle kwe-photosynthesis, akukhona nje ukuthi ukutholakala kokudla okuyisisekelo bekuyophela kodwa ekugcineni uMhlaba ubuyophelelwa umoya-mpilo.”

Izincwadi zesayensi zinamakhasi amaningi achaza isinyathelo ngasinye senqubo ebizwa ngokuthi i-photosynthesis. Ezinye izinyathelo azikaqondakali ngokuphelele. Ososayensi bokuziphendukela kwemvelo abakwazi ukuchaza  ukuthi isinyathelo ngasinye savela kanjani entweni elula. Ngempela, isinyathelo ngasinye sibonakala siyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu. I-New Encyclopædia Britannica iyavuma: “Awukho umbono owamukelwa kabanzi ngomsuka wenqubo ye-photosynthesis.” Omunye usosayensi wokuziphendukela kwemvelo washalazela le nkinga ngokuthi i-photosynthesis ‘yasungulwa amangqamuzana ambalwa angamavulandlela.’

Nakuba leyo nkulumo ingeyona engokwesayensi, yembula okunye nakho okumangalisayo: I-photosynthesis idinga ulwelwesi lwamangqamuzana ukuze ibe khona, futhi ukuqhubeka kwale nqubo kudinga ukukhiqizwa kwamangqamuzana. Ingabe konke lokho kwamane kwazenzekela ‘emangqamuzaneni ambalwa angamavulandlela’?

Ukusuka Engqamuzaneni Eliziphindaphindayo Kuya Kumuntu

Kungenzeka yini ukuba ama-athomu azihlanganele ndawonye akhe ingqamuzana elilula eliziphindaphindayo? Encwadini yakhe ethi A Guided Tour of the Living Cell, usosayensi owazuza uMklomelo KaNobel uChristian de Duve uyavuma: “Uma uqhathanisa ithuba lokuvela kwengqamuzana legciwane nethuba lokuba ama-athomu alo ahlangane ngokuzenzakalelayo, alisoze lakhiqiza ngisho naphakade.”

Njengoba sesixoxe kangaka, ake siyeke ingqamuzana legciwane siye ezigidini eziyizinkulungwane zamangqamuzana ezinzwa akha ubuchopho bomuntu. Ososayensi bachaza ubuchopho bomuntu njengento eyinkimbinkimbi kunazo zonke endaweni yonke. Buyingqayizivele ngempela. Ngokwesibonelo, izingxenye ezinkulu zobuchopho bomuntu zibizwa ngokuthi ama-association area. Lezi zindawo zihlaziya futhi zihumushe ukwaziswa okuvela ezinzweni zobuchopho. Enye i-association area engemuva kwesiphongo sakho ikwenza ukwazi ukuzindla ngezimangaliso zomkhathi. Ingabe kungashiwo ngempela ukuthi ama-association area anjalo azivelela? Encwadini yakhe ethi The Wisdom of the Body usosayensi wokuziphendukela kwemvelo, uDkt. Sherwin Nuland, uyavuma: “Asikho nesisodwa isilwane okutholakala kuso izingxenye ezibalulekile ezifana nalezi.”

Ososayensi baye bafakazela ukuthi ubuchopho bomuntu busingatha ukwaziswa ngezinga elishesha kakhulu kunele-computer enamandla kunawo wonke. Khumbula ukuthi ubuchwepheshe bama-computer anamuhla buwumphumela wamashumi eminyaka omzamo womuntu. Kuthiwani ngobuchopho bomuntu obungenakuqhathaniswa? Encwadini yabo ethi The Anthropic Cosmological Principle, ososayensi ababili, uJohn Barrow noFrank Tipler, bavuma: “Ososayensi bokuziphendukela kwemvelo sebeyavumelana ngokuthi ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kokuphila okuhlakaniphile, okufana nesintu ngekhono lokusebenzisa ukwaziswa, akunakwenzeka kangangokuthi kwakungenakuba khona kunoma iyiphi enye iplanethi emkhathini obonakalayo.” Labo sosayensi baphetha ngokuthi ukuba khona kwethu “kuyinto eyazenzekela ngenhlanhla enkulu.”

Ingabe Konke Kwazenzekela?

Wena uphetha ngokuthini? Ingabe kungenzeka ngempela ukuthi umkhathi nazo zonke izimangaliso zawo kwazivelela? Awuvumi yini ukuthi zonke izingoma ezimnandi kufanele zibe nomqambi nokuthi izinsimbi kufanele zivunyelaniswe kahle ukuze lowo mculo uzwakale kamnandi? Kuthiwani ngomkhathi wethu omangalisayo? Isazi sezibalo nesezinkanyezi, uDavid Block, saphawula: “Siphila emkhathini ovunyelaniswe kahle kakhulu.” Saphetha ngokuthini? “Umkhathi wethu uyikhaya. Ngikholelwa ukuthi waklanywa yisandla sikaNkulunkulu.”

Uma nawe uphetha kanjalo, khona-ke uzovumelana nencazelo iBhayibheli eliyinikezayo ngoMdali, uJehova: “Wawenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, walimisa izwe ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, ngokuqonda kwakhe waleneka izulu.”—Jeremiya 51:15.

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 8, 9]

IPLANETHI EKHETHEKILE

“Izimo ezikhethekile ezisemhlabeni ngenxa yobukhulu bawo obufanele, ukwakheka kwezakhi zawo nokuyizungeza kwawo okuyisiyingi ebangeni elifanele inkanyezi endala, ilanga, konke kwenza sibe namanzi amaningi emhlabeni. Kunzima ngisho nokucabanga umsuka wokuphila ngaphandle kwamanzi.”—Integrated Principles of Zoology, Uhlelo Lwesithupha.

[Umthombo]

NASA photo

 [Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 10]

UKUPHILA—INGABE KWABA KHONA NGENGOZI?

Ngo-1988 kwabukezwa incwadi ezama ukuchaza ukuthi ukuphila kwavela kanjani ngengozi kumagazini i-Search, onyatheliswa i-Association for the Advancement of Science yase-Australia naseNew Zealand. Ekhasini elilodwa nje kuphela lale ncwadi, umlobi wesayensi uL. A. Bennett wathola “izinkulumo eziqagelayo ezingu-16, ngayinye incike kweyandulelayo ukuze ikholeke.” UBennett waphetha ngani ngemva kokuyifunda yonke le ncwadi? Wabhala: “Kulula kakhulu ukwamukela uMdali onothando owavele wadala ukuphila futhi wakuqondisa ezindleleni ezinenjongo . . . kunokwamukela inqwaba ‘yamathuba enhlanhla’ adingekayo ukuze asekele imiqondo yombhali.”

[Izithombe]

I-“photosynthesis” ibalulekile ekukhiqizweni kokudla nasemjikelezweni womoya-mpilo

Yini eyabangela izici ezinhle zomhlaba ezidingekayo ekusekeleni ukuphila?

Ososayensi bachaza ubuchopho bomuntu njengento eyinkimbi- nkimbi kunazo zonke endaweni yonke. Kwakungenzeka kanjani ukuba bube khona ngengozi?

[Imithombo]

Photo: Zoo de la Casa de Campo, Madrid

Monte Costa, Sea Life Park Hawaii

[Izithombe ekhasini 8, 9]

Amaplanethi aboniswe ngobukhulu bawo

ILanga

I-Mercury

I-Venus

UMhlaba

I-Mars

I-Jupiter

I-Saturn

I-Uranus

I-Neptune

I-Pluto

[Imithombo]

Sun: National Optical Astronomy Observatories; Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn: Courtesy of NASA/JPL/Caltech/USGS; Venus and Uranus: Courtesy of NASA/JPL/Caltech; Earth: NASA photo; Mars: NASA/JPL; Neptune: JPL; Pluto: A. Stern (SwRI), M. Buie (Lowell Obs.), NASA, ESA