Esinye isichazamazwi sithi isayensi “yindlela ehlelekile yokufunda indalo nendlela esebenza ngayo—lokho kuhilela ukuhlola, ukucwaninga nokukala izinto.” Ukwenza wonke lo msebenzi kunzima futhi ngokuvamile kuyakhungathekisa. Ososayensi bachitha isikhathi eside, amasonto, izinyanga ngisho neminyaka becwaninga futhi behlola izinto. Ngezinye izikhathi umsebenzi wabo uphelela emoyeni, kodwa ezikhathini eziningi bathola futhi benze izinto ezizuzisa abantu. Cabanga ngezibonelo ezimbalwa ezilandelayo.

Inkampani yaseYurophu iye yahlanganisa upulasitiki oqinile nezisefo zobuchwepheshe ukuze yenze ithuluzi eliye lasiza abantu bakwazi ukugwema izifo ezitholakala ngokuphuza amanzi angcolile. Amathuluzi anjengaleli aye asetshenziswa lapho kunezinhlekelele zemvelo, njengalapho kuzamazama umhlaba eHaiti ngo-2010.

Phezulu emkhathini, kunama-satellites amaningi akha lokho okubizwa ngokuthi i-Global Positioning System (GPS). Ekuqaleni yayenzelwe ukuba isetshenziswe amasosha, kodwa manje i-GPS isisiza abashayeli bezimoto, abezindiza, amatilosi, abazingeli nabaqwali bezintaba ukuba babone lapho okufanele baye khona. Ososayensi abasungula i-GPS benze kwaba lula ukufika endaweni ofuna ukuya kuyo.

Ingabe uyawusebenzisa umakhalekhukhwini, icomputer noma i-Internet? Uyiqaphelile yini indlela impilo yakho ethuthuke ngayo noma indlela oye welashwa ngayo kusetshenziswa ezokwelapha zanamuhla ezithuthukile? Wake wahamba yini ngendiza? Uma kunjalo, uyazuza kwenye yezindlela isayensi eye yenza ngayo ukuphila kwabantu kwaba ngcono. Isayensi iye yathinta ukuphila kwakho ngezindlela eziningi ezizuzisayo.

Emizamweni yokwandisa ulwazi lwabo, ososayensi namuhla bacubungula izinto ezijulile zemvelo. Ososayensi abafunda ama-athomu bacwaninga indlela i-athomu elisebenza ngayo, kuyilapho ososayensi abafunda umkhathi behlola lokho okwenzeka eminyakeni eminingi edlule ukuze bazame ukuqonda umsuka wendawo yonke. Njengoba becubungula izinto ezincane nezikude kakhulu, ngisho nezindawo eziqhelile ezingabonakali nezingafinyeleleki, abanye ososayensi banomuzwa wokuthi uma uNkulunkulu weBhayibheli ekhona, kufanele bakwazi ukumthola.

Abanye ososayensi abavelele—nezazi zefilosofi—benza okungaphezu kwalokho. Bakholelwa kulokho umbhali wesayensi u-Amir D. Aczel akubiza ngokuthi “isizathu esingokwesayensi sokuphikisa ukuba khona kukaNkulunkulu.” Ngokwesibonelo, usosayensi owaziwa kakhulu emhlabeni wathi “ukungabibikho kobufakazi obubonisa ukuthi ukhona uNkulunkulu ofeza indima ebalulekile endaweni yonke, kunikeza ubufakazi bokuthi akekho ngempela unkulunkulu.” Abanye bathi izinto ezenziwa uNkulunkulu weBhayibheli zimane nje “ziwumlingo.” *

 Noma kunjalo, kumelwe sibuze lo mbuzo: Ingabe isayensi inolwazi olwanele ngomhlaba ukuze ikwazi ukufinyelela iziphetho ezinembile? Impendulo elula ingu-cha. Isayensi iye yathuthuka kakhulu, kodwa ososayensi abaningi bayaqaphela ukuthi kusenezinto eziningi abangazazi futhi mhlawumbe abangasoze bazazi. Usosayensi owathola umklomelo weNobel, uSteven Weinberg washo lokhu lapho ekhuluma ngokuqonda indalo: “Asisoze sayiqonda ngokuphelele indalo.” UProfesa uMartin Rees, ongusosayensi omkhulu waseBrithani, wabhala: “Kungase kube nezinto abantu abangasoze baziqonda.” Iqiniso liwukuthi kusekuningi isayensi namuhla ehluleka ukukuqonda ezintweni eziningi ezidaliwe, kusukela engqamuzaneni elincane kuya ezinkanyezini ezinkulu. Phawula izibonelo ezilandelayo:

• Ososayensi abafunda izinto eziphilayo, abayiqondi ngokuphelele inqubo eyenzeka emangqamuzaneni aphilayo. Indlela amangqamuzana athola ngayo amandla, indlela akhiqiza ngayo amaprotheni nendlela ahlukana ngayo, konke lokhu kuyizinto isayensi engakaziqondi ngokuphelele.

• Amandla adonsela phansi asithinta ngaso sonke isikhathi. Nokho ososayensi abaqondi ukuthi asebenza kanjani. Abayiqondi ngokuphelele indlela amandla adonsela phansi akubuyisela ngayo phansi lapho ugxuma noma indlela agcina ngayo inyanga izungeza umhlaba.

• Ososayensi abafunda umkhathi balinganisela ukuthi izinto ezicishe zibe amaphesenti angu-95 ezakha konke okudaliwe azibonakali futhi nemishini yososayensi ayikwazi ukuzithola. Lezi zinto ezingabonakali bazihlukanise zaba izingxenye ezimbili, i-dark matter ne-dark energy. Kuze kube manje akwaziwa ukuthi lezi zinto zibukeka kanjani.

Kukhona nezinye izinto ezingaziwa ezidida ososayensi. Kungani lokhu kubalulekile? Umbhali wesayensi odumile waphawula: “Kuningi kakhulu esingakwazi uma kuqathaniswa nesikwaziyo. Ngicabanga ukuthi isayensi kumelwe ikukhuthaze ukuba ufune ukufunda okwengeziwe kunokuba ube nomqondo ovalekile.”

Uma uzibuza ukuthi kazi isayensi izothatha indawo yeBhayibheli futhi iqede ukukholelwa kuNkulunkulu, cabanga nganali iphuzu: Uma ososayensi abahlakaniphile, beye bakwazi ukuqonda izinto ezimbalwa ngomhlaba besebenzisa imishini yabo esezingeni eliphezulu, kungaba ukuhlakanipha yini ukukwenqaba ngokushesha ukukholelwa ezintweni isayensi engenakukwazi ukuziqonda? Lapho iphetha isihloko eside esikhuluma ngomlando, ukusungulwa nokukhula komkhakha wesayensi yokufundwa kwezinkanyezi i-Encyclopedia Britannica ithi: “Ngemva kweminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-4 000 yokufundwa kwezinkanyezi, ukuqondwa kwezinto ezisemkhathini kusasidida nanamuhla njengoba kwakunjalo kubantu baseBhabhiloni lasendulo.”

OFakazi BakaJehova bayalihlonipha ilungelo lomuntu lokunquma lokho afuna ukukukholelwa kule ndaba. Silwela ukwenza ngokuvumelana nalesi siqondiso seBhayibheli: “Ukucabangela kwenu makwaziwe yibo bonke abantu.” (Filipi 4:5) Yingakho sikumema ukuba uhlole indlela isayensi neBhayibheli okuvumelana ngayo.