Imilinganiselo Itshintshile, Akukho Kuthembana
Ngemihla kaKumkani uHenry I waseNgilani (1100-1135), iyadi enye yayilinganiswa “ngomgama osusela kwimpumlo kaKumkani ukusa ekupheleni komnwe wakhe owoluliweyo.” Ayechane kangakanani amadondolo okulinganisa awayesetyenziswa ngabantu ababelawulwa nguKumkani uHenry? Ukutyelela umlawuli kwakuyeyona ndlela ubani anokuqiniseka ngayo.
NAMHLANJE imilinganiselo ichane nangakumbi. Ngaloo ndlela, imitha ngumgama ohanjwa kukukhanya emoyeni ngomzuzwana uze wahlulwe ngama-299 792 458. Ngokuthe ngqo, oku kukhanya kungumgama ophakathi kwamaza okuthe ngqo yaye kudluliselwa luhlobo olukhethekileyo lwelaser. Ukuba banezixhobo ezivelisa imilinganiselo, abantu banokukhangela ukuba imilinganiselo yabo yobude iyafana neyabanye.
Ukuguquka kwemilinganiselo, enoba kuncinane kangakanani, kunokubangela ukungaqiniseki, yaye kwenziwa imigudu emikhulu ukuze kulondolozwe loo milinganiselo. Ngokomzekelo, eBritani kusetyenziswa isitena seplatinum ne-iridium alloy xa kulinganiselwa ubunzima obuyikhilogram enye. Esi sitena sigcinwa kwiNational Physical Laboratory. Ukungcoliswa komoya ovela kwiinqwelo-mafutha neenqwelo-moya kwenza ukuba umlinganiselo wekhilogram ube nzima suku ngalunye. Noko ke, esi sitena sesinyithi, okanye isilinda siyikopi yomlinganiselo wehlabathi ogcinwa phantsi kweebell jar ezintathu ezikwigumbi elingaphantsi komhlaba kwi-International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sèvres, eFransi. Kodwa nobunzima bale nto buyaguquguquka ngenxa yokungcola okubonwa ngemikroskopu. Kude kube ngoku, iimetrologist zomhlaba azikasunguli mlinganiselo ozinzileyo.
Nangona ukuguquguquka okuncinane kunokubonakala kungenamiphumo kumntu oqhelekileyo, ukuguqulwa kwemilinganiselo ngokupheleleyo kunokubangela isiphithiphithi. EBritani, ukutshintsha kwendlela ekulinganiselwa ngayo (iiponti neeawunsi) ukusa kumlinganiselo obala ngamashumi (iikhilogram neegram) kwabangela ukungathembani—yaye oku kwakunesizathu. Amanye amatshivela abanini-venkile aqhatha abathengi kuba inkoliso yabantu ingayazi inkqubo entsha.
Imilinganiselo Yentsapho Neyokuziphatha
Kuthekani ngokuguquguquka kwemilinganiselo yentsapho neyokuziphatha? Imiphumo yokuguquguquka okunjalo inokubangela umonakalo omkhulu. Iingxelo zakutshanje zeentsapho eziqhekekileyo, ukuziphatha vakalala ngokwesini, nokwanda kokuxhatshazwa kwabantwana kukhwankqisa abaninzi yaye kusiqinisekisa ukuba siphila kwixesha lokuwohloka kwemilinganiselo. Iintsapho ezinomzali omnye, abantwana abakhuliswe “ngabazali” abangamafanasini, nokuxhatshazwa ngokwesini kwabantwana abaphantsi kwamagunya asekuhlaleni zonke ziyimiphumo yabantu abayikhabe ngawo omane imilinganiselo eyamkelekayo. Ngakumbi nangakumbi, abantu baba “ngabazithandayo, . . . abangenawo umsa wemvelo, . . . abangathandi kulunga, . . . abathandi beziyolo kunokuba bathande uThixo,” njengoko iBhayibhile yaxela kwangaphambili kwiminyaka engamawaka amabini eyadlulayo.—2 Timoti 3:1-4.
Ukuwohloka kwemilinganiselo kunxibelelene nokuphelisa intembelo. Kutshanje, ukuwohloka kwemilinganiselo ephakamileyo kwezonyango kuye kwabhencwa eHyde, idolophu esemntla Ngilani, apho abahlali bazityand’ igila koogqirha babo “ababahlonelayo nababathembayo.” Kodwa baphoxeka kakhulu. Njani? Iingxelo zeli tyala zatyhila ukuba lo gqirha wabulala ubuncinane abali-15 kubaguli abangamabhinqa. Eneneni, kwafuneka ukuba amapolisa ahlolisise kwakhona ukufa kwabantu abali-130 ababenyangwa ngulo gqirha. Abantu bayeka ukumthemba lo gqirha xa wafunyaniswa enetyala waza wavalelwa entolongweni. Amapolisa amabini entolongo ekusenokuba oonina babulawa ngulo gqirha banikwa eminye imisebenzi ukuze banganyamekeli eli banjwa lidume kakubi. Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba ingxelo yeli tyala kwiThe Daily Telegraph yachaza lo gqirha unetyala “‘njengoMtyholi’ wogqirha.”
Xa sikhangela le milinganiselo iguquguqukayo newohlokayo kwiinkalo ezininzi ebomini, ngubani onokumthemba? Unokuyifumana phi imilinganiselo engaguquguqukiyo, exhaswa ligunya elinamandla yokuyimela? Inqaku elilandelayo liphendula le mibuzo.