LAMAVI aSolomoni iNkhosi lehlakaniphile ayichaza kahle indlela bantfu labativa ngayo ngekuphila. Imphilo yimfisha, nekufa asikhoni kukubalekela, bantfu bebasolo bafisa kuphila sikhatsi lesidze. Sekuphele iminyaka leminyenti bantfu solo bafuna imfihlo yekuphila sikhatsi lesidze.

Cabanga ngesibonelo saGilgamesh inkhosi yaseSumari. Emachawe lamanyenti abewati umlandvo wakhe. Lenye incwadzi yaGilgamesh ichaza kutsi watsatsa luhambo loluyingoti kute ayofundza indlela bantfu labangaphila ngayo sikhatsi lesidze bangafi. Lemetamo yakhe yekutfola lolwati ayizange iphumelele.

Eminyakeni yabo-400 B.C.E., bososayensi baseChina bazama kwakha umutsi wemlingo, lobekukholelwa kutsi ungenta umuntfu aphile sikhatsi lesidze. Benta umutsi lonatfwako lobewufakwe kancane i-mercury ne-arsenic. Kucatjangwa kutsi lomutsi wabulala babusi labambalwa baseChina. EYurophu ngesikhatsi sabo-500 C.E. kuya ku-1500 C.E., labanye bososayensi betama kuncibilikisa ligolide kute bantfu balidle, ngobe bebakholelwa kutsi lolokulenta lingaboli kungenta bantfu kutsi baphile sikhatsi lesidze.

Namuhla, bososayensi labadadisha tintfo letiphilako kanye nalabadadisha takhi telufuto, betama kutfola kutsi kungani bantfu baguga. Lemetamo yabo ibufakazi bekutsi nalamuhla, bantfu basenelitsemba lekutfola likhambi lekuncoba kuguga nekufa. Ube yini umphumela walokudadisha kwabo?

Bososayensi labadadisha takhi temtimba wemuntfu banikete tinchazelo letingetulu kwa-300 tekutsi kungani bantfu baguga baphindze bafa. Muva nje, bososayensi bakhonile kwenta tinhlayiya tetilwane netebantfu kutsi tiphile sikhatsi lesidze. Ngenca yaloko, bantfu labanjingile basekele bososayensi ngetimali, kulolucwaningo lwabo lwekutfola kutsi kungani sifa. Ube yini umphumela walolucwaningo lwabo?

Imetamo yekwelula sikhatsi sekuphila. Labanye bososayensi bacabanga kutsi sigugiswa nguloku lokwenteka kuma-telomeres, lasekugcineni kwema-chromosomes. Ema-telomeres avikela imininingwane yetakhi telufuto lesetinhlayiyeni temtimba njengobe tehlukana kute tandze. Njalo letinhlayiya temtimba natehlukana, ema-telomeres ayancipha. Ekugcineni, letinhlayiya temtimba tiyayekela kwehlukana bese sicala kuguga.

Elizabeth Blackburn, lowatfola umklomelo ngenca yemsebenti wakhe kwetesayensi, akanye nelicembu lakhe, batfola kutsi kune-enzyme leyenta  lama-telomeres anganciphi futsi loko bekwenta letinhlayiya temtimba tingagugi. Noma kunjalo, kwadzingeka bavume kutsi ema-telomeres akabenti bantfu baphile sikhatsi lesidze.

Kuhlela kabusha tinhlayiya temtimba kungulenye indlela yekuzama kucedza kuguga. Ngesikhatsi letinhlayiya temtimba setiguga tingasakhoni kutivusetela, tingase titfumele umlayeto longasiwo etinhlayiyeni letilwa netifo, lokungabangela kuvuvuka, buhlungu lobungapheli, kanye netifo. Muva nje, bososayensi base-France batsetse tinhlayiya temtimba kubantfu lesebaguge kakhulu, kuze batihlele kabusha. Loko kwente letinhlayiya kutsi tiphindze tandze. Profesa Jean-Marc Lemaître lohola licembu lebacwaningi, uvete kutsi, lolucwaningo lwabo luyitfolile indlela yekwenta tinhlayiya temtimba kutsi tingagugi.

Bososayensi labanyenti batsi nanobe titinyenti tintfo tekwelapha letivimba kuguga, kodvwa bantfu angeke bakhone kuphila sikhatsi lesidze kunalesi labasiphila nyalo. Kuyavunywa kutsi iminyaka yekuphila yebantfu yengetekile kusukela ngeminyaka yabo-1900. Loku kungenca yekutsi bantfu batigcina bahlobile, basebentisa imitsi lebavikela ekuguleni, kanye naleminye leyelapha kugula lokunyenti. Labanye bososayensi betakhi telufuto bakholelwa kutsi iminyaka yebantfu yekuphila seyifike lapho ingeke isangeteka khona.

Eminyakeni lengu-3 500 leyendlulile, umbhali weliBhayibheli, Mosi watsi: “Iminyaka yekuphila kwetfu ingiminyaka lengemashumi lasikhombisa, nangabe sisacinile iba ngiminyaka lengemashumi lasiphohlongo; noko linyenti laleyo minyaka seliphetse kuhlupheka nelusizi. Kuphila kwetfu kwendlula ngekushesha, yebo, siyandiza sihambe.” (Tihlabelelo 90:10) Ngetulu kwemetamo yebantfu yekwengeta iminyaka yabo yekuphila, kuphila kuchubeke kwaba njengobe Mosi akuchaza.

Kuphila kwebantfu kufishane nakucatsaniswa nekwetilwane letifana ne-red sea urchin noma i-quahog clam, letingaphila iminyaka lengetulu kwa-200. Kantsi tihlahla letifana ne-giant sequoia tona tingaphila tinkhulungwane teminyaka. Nasicatsanisa kuphila kwetfu nekwaletinye tintfo letiphilako, asitibuti yini, ‘kuphelela kuleminyaka lengu-70 noma lengu-80 yini kuphila?’