Kuyera Nyika Nekamuti

WATI wambonzwa here nezvenyanzvi yemasvomhu nezvinhu zvomuchadenga yokuGirisi yainzi Eratosthenes? Zita rake rinenge rinonyanya kuzivikanwa panyanzvi dzezvomuchadenga. Nei vachinyanya kumukudza zvakadaro?

Eratosthenes akaberekwa munenge muna 276 B.C.E. uye akambodzidza muAthens kuGirisi. Zvisinei, akapedza nguva yakareba youpenyu hwake ari muAlexandria kuIjipiti, panguva iyo yaitongwa neGirisi. Munenge muna 200 B.C.E., Eratosthenes akatanga kuwana kukura kwepasi achishandisa kamutiwo zvako. Ungati ‘hazviiti!’ Akazviita sei?

Muguta reSyene (zvino rava kunzi Aswân), Eratosthenes akacherechedza kuti masikati pazuva rokutanga rechirimo, zuva rainge rakanyatsonanga panhongonya. Akaziva izvi nokuti paisava nomumvuri paisvika chiedza chezuva pasi pasi pematsime akadzika. Zvisinei, masikati pazuva iroro muguta reAlexandria, raiva mastadia * 5 000 nechokuchamhembe kweSyene, mumvuri waioneka. Izvozvo zvakapa Eratosthenes pfungwa yezvaaizoda kuita.

Eratosthenes akamisa kamutiwo zvako kakamira kuti tote kanonzi gnomon. Zuva rakati rasvika panhongonya masikati, akayera kufara kwekona yaiva pakati pomumvuri nekamuti kacho muAlexandria. Akawana kona yacho yakafara madhigirii 7,2 kubva pakamuti kakati tote.

Zvino, Eratosthenes aidavira kuti nyika yakaita sebhora, uye aiziva kuti denderedzwa rine madhigirii 360. Saka akapinza 7,2 wekona yaakanga ayera muna 360. Akawanei? Kona yake yaiva chikamu chimwe chezvikamu makumi mashanu zvedenderedzwa. Akazogumisa kuti rwendo rwokubva kuSyene kusvika kuAlexandria, kana kuti mastadia 5 000, runofanira kuva chikamu chimwe chezvikamu makumi mashanu zvokutenderera pasi rose. Nokupeta 50 ka5 000, Eratosthenes akawana kuti paiva nemastadia 250 000 kutenderera denderedzwa repasi.

Zvaakawana zvakanga zvakarurama sei kana tichienzanisa nokuita masvomhu kwanhasi? Mastadia 250 000 akaenzana nemakiromita ari pakati pe40 000 ne46 000 mukuyera kwanhasi. Dzichishandisa zvitundumuseremusere zvinotenderera zvichidzoka pazvabva, nyanzvi dzezvomuchadenga dzakayera denderedzwa rose repasi dzichitenderera nokuchamhembe nokumaodzanyemba dzikawana makiromita 40 008. Saka, anopfuura makore 2 000 akapfuura, Eratosthenes akasvika zvinoshamisa pedyo nenhamba yanhasi. Kururama kwaakanga akaita kunotoshamisa zvikuru kana ukafunga kuti akangoshandisa kamuti nounyanzvi hwemasvomhu bedzi! Nyanzvi dzezvomuchadenga nhasi dzinoshandisa unyanzvi hwemasvomhu uhwu sepokutangira kana dzichiyera nzendo dziri kunze kwegwara redu renzou.

Vamwe vangatoona zvichishamisa kwazvo kuti Eratosthenes aiziva kuti pasi rakatenderera. Pamusoro pazvo, kunyange vamwe varume vakachenjera vaiita zvesayenzi vaifunga kuti pasi rakanga rakati sandarara kutozosvikira mazana mashomanana emakore apfuura. VaGiriki vekare vakanga vaziva kuti pasi rakamira sei nokuongorora kwavo kwesayenzi. Zvisinei, anenge makore 500 Eratosthenes asati avapo, muprofita wechiHebheru akafuridzirwa kunyora kuti: “Ndiye [Mwari] ugere kumusoro kwenyika yakaurungana.” (Isaya 40:22) Isaya akanga asiri musayendisiti. Akaziva sei kuti nyika yakanga yakaurungana? Kwakanga kuri kufuridzira kwaMwari kwakaita kuti chokwadi ichi chizivikanwe.

[Mashoko Omuzasi]

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 10]

(Kana uchida mashoko azere, ona bhuku racho)

Sunray

Syene

7,2°

Alexandria

7,2°