Abantu Abaphila Komnye Ummandla Wendalo—Into Ekudala Kucingwa Ngayo
ABABHALI beentsomi zanamhla zenzululwazi abakhange bazivelisele le ngcamango yokubakho kwabantu abaphila komnye ummandla wendalo. Kwiinkulungwane ezinokuba ngama-23 ezadlulayo, isithandi sobulumko esingumGrike nesasibizwa ngokuba nguMetrodorus safundisa ukuba akunakwenzeka ukuba indalo yonke ibe nehlabathi elinye kuphela ekuhlalwa kulo njengoko ingenakubakho intsimi enkulu ekhula kuphela isikhwebu esinye sokutya okuziinkozo. ULucretius, imbongi yamaRoma yenkulungwane yokuqala Ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, yabhala ukuba “kweminye imimandla yesibhakabhaka kukho eminye imihlaba neentlanga zabantu ezahlukahlukeneyo.”
Le mfundiso, ebizwa ngokuba yeyemimandla emininzi, kangangeenkulungwane ezininzi ayizange yamkelwe yiNgqobhoko. Kodwa ukususela malunga nowe-1700 ukuza kuthi ga ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yethu, inkoliso yabantu abafundileyo, kuquka neengcaphephe ezithile zenzululwazi embalini, ziye zakholelwa ngokuqinileyo ukuba kukho izinto eziphilayo ezikweminye imimandla yendalo. Enyanisweni, omnye umhlohli owayephila phakathi kwiminyaka yee-1800 wahlaselwa ngokubanzi xa wathi wanobuganga bokubhala iphepha ekhanyela le mfundiso.
Abantu babebonakala bekholelwa ngomdla ukuba kukho abantu abaphila kweminye imimandla yendalo, nakubeni benobungqina obuphuthileyo boko. Ngowe-1835 intatheli yephephandaba yabhala isithi izazi ngeenkwenkwezi ziye zafumanisa ukuba kukho izinto eziphilayo enyangeni. Yabhala isithi kuye kwabonwa izilwanyana ezingaqhelekanga, izityalo ezihle kwanabantu abancinane abanamaphiko, abandandazela baze bandolose ngokubonakalayo, konke oku kwakubonwa ngeteleskopu! Lasasazeka gqitha eli phephandaba lakhe. Bambi basaqhubeka belikholelwa eli bali kwanasemva kokuba laye labhencwa njengento ebubuxoki.
Izazinzulu nazo zazingakugatyi ngokupheleleyo oku. Ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yee-1800, isazi ngeenkwenkwezi uPercival Lowell wayeyisekile kukuba wayebona imijelo exananazileyo phezu kwesijikelezi-langa esinguMars. Wayizoba ngokweenkcukacha emaphini waza wabhala iincwadi ngabantu abakrelekrele abayenzileyo loo mijelo. EFransi, iSebe Lezifundo Zenzululwazi laliqinisekile ukuba kukho izinto eziphilayo kuMars kangangokuba lathembisa ngesipho kumntu wokuqala owayeya kunxibelelana nabantu abakummandla ongomnye ngaphandle kwabo kwakucingelwa ukuba bahlala kwisijikelezi-langa esinguMars.
Bambi baye bacinga ngamalinge angaqhelekanga okunxibelelana nabantu abakweminye imimandla yendalo macebo lawo asusela ekubaseni imililo emikhulu kwiNtlango yaseSahara ukusa ekutyaleni amahlathi alungelelaniswe ngendlela ethile anqumla iSiberia. Ngowe-1899 umyili othile waseMerika wamisa ipali ende yeflegi enebhola yesinyithi waza wathumela ngayo imiqondiso enamandla yombane ukuze ifikelele kubantu ekucingelwa ukuba bahlala kuMars. Abantu babethe ntaa iindlebe, yaye kwakukhanyiswe izibane kangangeekhilomitha ezingama-50 ezazingqonge loo mmandla, kodwa akuzange kubekho mpendulo evela kuMars.
Ukuzaliswa Lithemba
Ngoxa ubugcisa bophando lwanamhlanje lokubakho kwabantu abathile abaphila kweminye imimandla yendalo lusenokuba lutsha, kuphela inye into engaguqukiyo: Izazinzulu zisaqinisekile ukuba abantu ababodwa kule ndalo inkulu kangaka. Kunjengokuba isazi ngeenkwenkwezi uOtto Wöhrbach wabhala kwiphephandaba laseJamani iNürnberger Nachrichten esithi: “Akukho nasinye isazinzulu ngendalo ebesingayi kuthi ewe xa besibuzwa enokuba kukho abantu abathile abaphila kweminye imimandla kusini na.” UGene Bylinsky, umbhali wencwadi ethi Life in Darwin’s Universe, ukuchaza oku ngolu hlobo: “Nanini na ukususela ngoku, ukuze sizikholelwe izazi ngeenkwenkwezi ezisebenzisa oonomathotholo kuya kuvela umqondiso ovela ezinkwenkwezini kwisibhakabhaka esikhulu ngokungenakuthelekiswa nanto uze uphelise ubulolo bethu kulo mmandla wendalo iphela.”
Kutheni izazinzulu ziqiniseke kangaka ukuba kukho ezinye izidalwa eziphilayo kweminye imimandla yendalo? Ithemba lazo liqalisa ezinkwenkwezini. Zininzi gqitha—amakhulu ezigidi kumnyele wethu wesibhakabhaka. Zandula ke ziqikelele ukususela apho. Ngokuqinisekileyo, uninzi lwezo nkwenkwezi zifanele ukuba zinezijikelezi-langa ezizijikelezayo, yaye kufanele ukuba kubekho izidalwa eziphilayo kwenye yaloo mimandla yendalo. Emva kokucinga ngolo hlobo, izazi ngeenkwenkwezi ziye zathelekelela ukuba kusenokuba kukho abantu abasusela kumawaka ukusa kwizigidi abahlala kulo mmandla wethu wesibhakabhaka!
Ngaba Oku Kunomsebenzi?
Kwenza wuphi umahluko enoba kukho izinto eziphilayo ngaphaya koMhlaba okanye akunjalo? Kaloku, izazinzulu zivakalelwa kukuba ukuphendulwa kombuzo onjalo kuya kuba kwenza umahluko omkhulu kwintsapho yoluntu. Zithi ukwazi ukuba sisedwa kwindalo iphela kuya kubafundisa abantu ukubuxabisa ubomi apha ngenxa yokuba bungekho kwenye indawo. Kwelinye icala, esinye isazinzulu esihloniphekileyo siqiqa ngelokuba abantu abaphila komnye ummandla basenokuba banezigidi ezininzi zeminyaka bephila kwindawo yabo ngaphambi kwethu yaye basenokwabelana nathi ngobulumko babo obukhulu. Basenokusifundisa ukunyanga izifo esinazo, ukuphelisa ungcoliso lomoya, iimfazwe nendlala. Basenokude basibonise nendlela yokuphelisa ukufa ngokwako!
Ukupheliswa kokugula, kwemfazwe nokufa—ithemba elinjalo lithetha lukhulu kubantu bexesha lethu elineenkathazo. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo lithetha lukhulu nakuwe. Phofu ke, uya kungqinelana nathi xa sisithi, kuhle ukuba ungabi nathemba kwaphela kunokuxhathisa ngesithembiso esibubuxoki. Ngoko, kubalulekile ngathi ukufumanisa enoba izazinzulu zinezizathu ezibambekayo kusini na xa ziqinisekisa ukuba indalo iphela ineminye imimandla yendalo ephuphumayo ngabantu.
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 5]
Ngaba izazinzulu zinezizathu ezibambekayo xa ziqinisekisa ukuba indalo iphela ineminye imimandla yendalo ephuphumayo ngabantu?