LA MAZWI eNkosi uSolomoni ayichaza kahle indlela abantu abazizwa ngayo. Ngenxa yokuthi ukuphila kufushane futhi asikwazi ukubalekela ukufa, abantu bebelokhu belangazelela ukuphila okungcono. Umlando ugcwele izindaba zabathile abaye bazama ukuthola izindlela zokuphila isikhathi eside.

Cabanga nje ngokwesibonelo, uGilgamesh inkosi yaseSumer. Kuqanjwe izindaba eziningi ngokuphila kwayo. Enye yazo yaziwa ngokuthi i-Epic of Gilgamesh lapho kuthiwa le nkosi yathatha uhambo oluyingozi izama ukuthola izindlela zokugwema ukufa. Nokho, yehluleka.

Eminyakeni engaba ngu-2400 eyedlule, osokhemisi baseChina bazama ukwenza ikhambi ababecabanga ukuthi lalizosiza ekululeni isikhathi sokuphila komuntu. Benza ikhambi elalinamakhemikhali imekhyuri ne-asenikhi. Kucatshangwa ukuthi leli khambi labulala ababusi abaningi baseChina. Phakathi kuka-500 C.E. kuya ku-1500 C.E., abanye osokhemisi eYurophu baqhamuka nezindlela zokuba abantu bakwazi ukudla igolide, ngoba bekholelwa ukuthi izakhi zalo ezilenza lingaboli kalula zazizokwenza abantu baphile isikhathi eside.

Namuhla ososayensi abacwaninga ngezinto eziphilayo nangezakhi zofuzo, basazama ukuthola ukuthi kungani abantu beguga. Imizamo eyenziwa yilabo sosayensi ibonisa ukuthi nanamuhla abantu basenethemba lokuthola izindlela zokuvimba ukuguga nokufa. Ube yini umphumela wemizamo yabo?

Ososayensi abacwaninga ngokusebenza kwamaseli omzimba sebeqhamuke nezincazelo ezingaphezu kuka-300 zokuthi kungani siguga futhi sifa. Eminyakeni yakamuva ososayensi baye baphumelela ekwenzeni amaseli ezilwane nawabantu ukuba aphile isikhathi eside. Le ntuthuko yenze ukuba abantu abanemali baxhase ucwaningo olwenziwayo ukuze kutholakale imbangela yokufa. Ibe yini imiphumela yalolu cwaningo?

Ukuzama ukulula isikhathi sokuphila komuntu. Abanye ososayensi bacabanga ukuthi abantu bagugiswa yilokho okwenzeka ezingxenyeni ezisekugcineni kwama-chromosome, ezibizwa ngama-telomere. Lama-telomere avikela imininingwane yofuzo lapho amaseli amadala ekhiqiza amasha. Lapho kukhiqizwa amaseli amasha, ama-telomere aba mafushane. Ekugcineni amaseli ayayeka ukukhiqiza amanye bese umuntu eqala ukuguga.

U-Elizabeth Blackburn, owathola umklomelo kaNobel  ngo-2009, eneqembu lakhe bathola ikhemikhali elibambezela inqubo yokuncipha kwama-telomere okuyikho okwenza iseli liguge. Nokho, umbiko wabo ubonisa ukuthi ama-telomere awakwazi ukwenza abantu baphile isikhathi eside.

Ukushintsha indlela iseli elisebenza ngayo kungenye yezinto ososayensi abazizamile ukuze balwisane nokuguga. Lapho amaseli amadala esehluleka ukukhiqiza amasha, angase athumele imiyalezo engeyiyo kwamanye amaseli. Lokho kungabangela ukuvuvukala, izinhlungu ezingapheli nezifo. Muva nje, ososayensi baseFrance bathathe amaseli kubantu asebekhule kakhulu, bazama ukushintsha indlela asebenza ngayo. Ngemva kwalokho, lawo maseli akwazi ukukhiqiza kabusha. UProfesa Jean-Marc Lemaître owayehola kulolu cwaningo wabika ukuthi ucwaningo abalwenzile lubonise ukuthi amaseli angasiza ekuvimbeni ukuguga.

Ososayensi abaningi bayavuma ukuthi nakuba kunezindlela eziningi zokulwisana nokuguga, abantu ngeke basakwazi ukuphila isikhathi eside kunalesi abasiphilayo. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi kusukela ngawo-1800 C.E., abantu sebephila isikhathi eside kunangaphambili. Nokho, lokho kubangelwa ukuthi abantu sebeyazinakisisa izinto ezinjengenhlanzeko futhi sekunemithi elwisana namagciwane nemijovo evikela izifo. Abanye ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi abantu ngeke basakwazi ukuphila isikhathi eside ukwedlula lesi abasiphilayo manje.

Eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-3 500 eyedlule, umbhali weBhayibheli uMose wavuma: “Izinsuku zeminyaka yethu ziyiminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa; uma kungenxa yamandla akhethekile, ziyiminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili, nokho ukuphikelela kwazo kusezinkathazweni nasezintweni ezilimazayo; ngoba kumelwe kudlule masinyane, futhi sindize simuke.” (IHubo 90:10) Naphezu kwemizamo eyenziwa abantu, ukuphila komuntu kusanjengoba nje uMose ayekuchazile.

Ngokungafani nabantu, ezinye izilwane zingaphila amakhulu eminyaka kanti ezinye izihlahla zingaphila izinkulungwane zeminyaka. Uma siqhathanisa ukuphila kwethu nokwezinye izinto eziphilayo, asifikelwa yini umbuzo othi, ‘Ingabe abantu babedalelwe ukuphila iminyaka engu-70 noma engu-80 nje kuphela?’