LA MAZWI abhalwa kudala sisilumko esinguKumkani uSolomon ayichaza kakuhle indlela abantu abaziva ngayo. Abantu bebesoloko befuna nyhani ukuphila ubomi obude kuba ubomi ababuphilayo ngoku bufutshane kwaye abakwazi ukukuphepha ukufa. Kangangeminyaka bebesoloko bekhangela iindlela zokuphila ixesha elide.

Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngokumkani wamaSumeri, uGilgamesh. Abantu abaninzi ekuthiwa bakha baphila baxelelwa ngobomi bakhe. Kwibali elaziwayo likaGilgamesh kuthiwa uthi wahamba iindlela eziyingozi ekhangela indlela yokuphepha ukufa. Wabuya engayifumananga.

Malunga neminyaka eyi-2 400 eyadlulayo abenzi bemilingo baseTshayina bazama ukwenza umxube ababekholelwa ukuba uza kwenza abantu baphile ixesha elide. Benza isiselo esasinentwana yemekyuri kunye nekhemikhali ebizwa ngokuba yiarsenic. Kucingelwa ukuba esi siselo sabulala abantu basebukhosini abaninzi eTshayina. Malunga naphakathi konyaka ka-500 C.E. no-1500 C.E. eYurophu, abanye abenzi bemilingo bazama ukwenza ukuba igolide ibe yinto etyiwayo. Babecinga ukuba ngenxa yokuba ingaphelelwa ingenza nabantu baphile ixesha elide.

Nanamhlanje, abanye oososayensi abafunde ngezinto eziphilayo nabafunde ngendlela iimpawu zomzimba nezengqondo ezidluliselwa ngayo ngabazali kubantwana babo bazama ukufumana isizathu sokuba abantu baluphale. Iinzame ezenziwe ngabo sosayensi zibonisa ukuba nanamhlanje abantu basenethemba lokufumana indlela yokuba bangoluphali kwaye bangafi. Baye benza ntoni ke?

Oososayensi abafunde ngeeseli zomzimba bafumene izinto ezingaphezu kweziyi-300 ezicacisa ukuba kutheni sisaluphala size sisweleke. Kule minyaka, oososayensi baye benza iiseli zezilwanyana nezabantu ukuba zikwazi ukuphila ixesha elide. Abanye abantu abanemali baye babhatala oososayensi ukuze baphande ukuba kutheni sisifa. Baye bafumana ntoni kuphando lwabo?

Bazame ukwenza umntu aphile ixesha elide. Oososayensi bathi xa iiseli zisenza ezinye iiseli kubakho into eya iphela. Bakholelwa ukuba yile nto ebangela ukuba abantu baluphale. Ngoba? Kuba xa le  nto ingasekho ezinye iiseli azikwazi ukwenza ezinye iiseli, loo nto ibangele ukuba umntu aluphale.

UElizabeth Blackburn owafumana imbasa kwezesayensi ngo-2009 kunye neqela lakhe bafumanisa ukuba yimoletyhuli yeproteni ebangela ukuba le nto ingakhawulezi ukuphela aze umntu angakhawulezi aluphale. Kodwa bathi le nto ayibangeli ukuba abantu baphile ixesha elide.

Bazame ukutshintsha iiseli ezindala bazenze ntsha. Bathi le yenye indlela yokuphelisa ukwaluphala. Bathi xa iiseli zindala ibe zingakwazi ukwenza ezinye iiseli, zinokwenza umzimba ungakwazi ukuzikhusela kwizifo aze umntu adumbe, abe neentlungu ezingapheliyo nezifo. Kutshanje oososayensi baseFransi benze iiseli zabantu abaneminyaka engaphezu kweyi-100 zaba ntsha. Owayekhokela elo qela uProfesa Jean-Marc Lemaître wathi le nto bayenzayo yabonisa ukuba banokukwazi ukwenza umntu angakhawulezi aluphale.

Abanye oososayensi bathi nangona zininzi iindlela zokuphelisa ukwaluphala abantu abanakukwazi ukuphila ixesha elide. Ewe kona, ukususela kwiminyaka yoo-1800 abantu baye bakwazi ukuphila ixesha elidana. Le nto ibangelwa kukuba bahlala becocekile, basebenzisa amayeza abangela ukuba bangaguli naphelisa iiintlungu. Abanye oososayensi bakholelwa ukuba abantu baphila iminyaka ababedalelwe ukuba bayiphile.

Kwiminyaka emalunga neyi-3 500 eyadlulayo, umbhali weBhayibhile uMoses wathi: “Imihla yeminyaka yethu yiminyaka engamashumi asixhenxe; yaye ukuba ithe ngenxa yamandla akhethekileyo yangamashumi asibhozo, ukuzingisa kwayo kusenkathazweni nakwizinto ezenzakalisayo; kuba imele idlule ngokukhawuleza, siphaphazele simke.” (INdumiso 90:10) Abantu benze konke okusemandleni abo ukuze siphile ixesha elidana, kodwa ubomi esibuphilayo busenjengokuba uMoses wayetshilo.

Ngoxa siphila le minyaka mifutshane kangaka, kukho iintlanzi eziphila iminyaka eyi-200 nemithi ephila ngaphezu kweminyaka eyi-1000. Xa sithelekisa iminyaka esiyiphilayo nobezi zidalwa, inoba siyazibuza ukuba, ‘Ngaba sasidalelwe ukuphila iminyaka eyi-70 okanye eyi-80?’