Ukubuka Okwezwe
Buvelaphi Ubunkimbinkimbi?
Izazi eziningi zokuziphendukela kwemvelo zicabanga ukuthi izinto eziphilayo zasendulo zazilula kodwa kucatshangelwa ukuthi zase zenziwa ukuzikhethela okungokwemvelo ukuba zibe yinkimbinkimbi ngokwengeziwe ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Ukuhlola kwamuva nje kwehlulekile ukuthola ubunkimbinkimbi obukhulu kanjalo. UDkt. Dan McShea, oyisazi se-paleobiology, wahlola imihlandla evubukuliwe yezilwane ezihlukahlukene ezincelisayo; okunye ukuhlola kwagxila emivubukulweni yezilwane ezinegobolondo. Akukho kulokuhlola okwathola noma yibuphi ubufakazi bokuqhubeka kokuziphendukela kwemvelo kuba inkimbinkimbi ngokwengeziwe. Futhi akuzange kuthole ukuthi ubunkimbinkimbi obukhulu babuletha ithuba elithile lokusinda. Ngokwe-New York Times, ochwepheshe bathi lezinto ezisanda kutholwa “ziyomangaza izazi eziningi zezinto eziphilayo ezivame ukucabanga ngalendlela.” I-Times iyaphawula: “Ngokusho kukaDkt. McShea, umbono wentuthuko yobunkimbinkimbi ungase ube ukubonakaliswa kwezifiso zososayensi zokubona uhlobo oluthile lwentuthuko ekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo kunokuba kube ukubonakaliswa kwanoma yiliphi iqiniso lezinto eziphilayo.”
Ukuzivivinya Nobudala
Ingabe sekwephuze kakhulu ukuba umuntu aqale ukuzivivinya? Akunjalo ngokokuhlola okwenziwa muva nje empumalanga ye-United States. Ukuhlolwa kwamadoda angaphezu kuka-10 000 kwathola ukuthi andisa isikhathi sawo sokuphila esivamile kungakhathaliseki ubudala bawo lapho eqala ukuzivivinya “okunamandla ngokusesilinganisweni.” Lawo ayephakathi kweminyaka engu-45 nengu-54 lapho eqala azuza kakhulu, andisa isikhathi sawo sokuphila ngezinyanga ezingaba yishumi. Iqembu laphakathi kweminyaka engu-65 kuya kwengu-74 lenezela izinyanga eziyisithupha, futhi lawo anengu-75 kuya kwengu-84 athuthukisa isikhathi sawo sokuphila ngezinyanga ezimbili. UDkt. Ralph S. Paffenbarger, owayeqondisa lokuhlola, wagcizelela ukuthi lezi kwakuyizilinganiso; ngakho, abanye abahlolwa babezuza kakhulu ekuzivivinyeni kunabanye. Inzuzo enkulu yabonakala isekuvimbeleni izifo zenhliziyo. Nokho, labo ababezivivinya cishe kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba babulawe ezinye izimbangela zokufa.
Amathambo Ehlosi
Ukufunwa kwamathambo ehlosi ukuze asetshenziswe emithini yendabuko yaseMpumalanga kuletha usongo enanini elinciphayo lamahlosi emhlabeni, kusho umagazini wezokwelapha waseBrithani i-Lancet. Naphezu kwemizamo yomhlaba wonke yokunqanda ukuhweba ngemikhiqizo yehlosi, amathambo ehlosi asetshenziswa kabanzi ewayinini, emithini, nasezingxubeni zemithi (umuthi wokwelapha oyimpuphu oxutshwe noju noma ne-syrup). Ngo-1991 kuphela, kubikwa ukuthi elinye izwe lase-Asia lathumela emazweni angaphandle amabhokisi angu-15 079 amaphilisi, amakhilogremu angu-5 250 ezingxube zemithi, namabhodlela angu-31 500 ewayini elinamathambo ehlosi. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi inani elisele lamahlosi emhlabeni wonke cishe lingu-6 000 kuphela.
Inkinga Yobulili
“Ngokuvamile emaZweni Asathuthuka, ukuphila kowesifazane akukufanelekele nakancane ukuphilwa,” lwaqala kanjalo uchungechunge lwamuva nje lwemibiko kuyi-Washington Post. Izintatheli ze-Post, ngemva kokuxoxa nabesifazane abaningi ezingxenyeni ezimpofu ze-Afrika, i-Asia, neNingizimu Melika, zathola ukuthi “impucuko, inkolo nomthetho ngokuvamile kuphuca abesifazane amalungelo obuntu ayisisekelo futhi ngezinye izikhathi kubehlise isithunzi kuze kube yilapho bebhekwa khona njengabantu abangelutho.” Ngokwesibonelo, komunye umuzi wasemaphandleni aseHimalaya, abesifazane babenza amaphesenti angu-59 omsebenzi, besebenza kanzima amahora angafinyelela kwangu-14 ngosuku futhi ngokuvamile bethwala imithwalo ephinda isisindo sabo izikhathi ezingu-1,5. Ukuhlola okuthile kwathola ukuthi “ngemva kokukhulelwa kabili noma kathathu . . . amandla abo ayaphela, baba buthaka, futhi lapho besondela eminyakeni engu-40 basuke sebekhandlekile, begugile futhi bekhathele, futhi ngokushesha bafe.” Izingane zesifazane ngokuvamile zinikezwa ukudla okuncane, zikhishwa esikoleni futhi zifakwe emsebenzini ngaphambi kwesikhathi, futhi zinikezwa ukunakekelwa okuncane kwezokwelashwa kunabafana. Abesifazane abaningi babulala izinsana zesifazane, bezibheka njengomthwalo obizayo. Lezintatheli zaphawula ukuthi emaphandleni aseningizimu yeNdiya, indlela evamile yokubulala usana iwukuthela isobho lenkukhu elibilayo emphinjeni wengane. Isikhulu esithile samaphoyisa, lapho sibuzwa ukuthi abenza ubulelesi obunjalo bayajeziswa yini, saphendula: “Kunezindaba eziphuthuma kakhudlwana. Ambalwa kakhulu amacala alethwa ekunakekeleni kwethu. Bambalwa kakhulu abantu abakhathalelayo.”
INyanga Ebalulekile
Ohlwini olumangalisayo kakade lwezici ezenza iplanethi uMhlaba ikufanelekele ngokuyingqayizivele ukuphila, kungase kudingeke ukuba izazi zezinkanyezi namaplanethi zenezele esinye isici: iNyanga. Isiphuphutheki sethu senza okungaphezu nje kokunikeza ukukhanya kwasebusuku okuhlobisayo esibhakabhakeni futhi sibangele amaza. Ngokwezifundo ze-computer ezenziwa izazi zezinkanyezi namaplanethi zaseFrance, sisiza nasekulawuleni ukutsheka komhlaba, okungukuthi, izinga lokutsheka kwama-axis awo okuzungeza. IMars, engenaso isiphuphutheki esikhulu ngalendlela, ngokusobala iye yatsheka ezingeni layo lokuzungeza ngama-degree aphakathi kwangu-10 nangu-50 phakathi neminyaka eminingi edlule. Lokuguquguquka cishe kuye kwabangela ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu okuyinhlekelele, okwenza iziqongo ezisezindaweni ezibandayo zincibilike bese ziba yiqhwa. Lezifundo ze-computer zabonisa ukuthi ngaphandle kwenyanga, enethonya elivimbelayo, ukutsheka komhlaba ngabe sekuguquke ngama-degree angaba ngu-85. Ngakho, lezazi zezinkanyezi namaplanethi zaseFrance ziphetha ngokuthi: “Umuntu angase abheke iNyanga njengesebenza njengomlawuli onamandla wesimo sezulu soMhlaba.”
INingizimu Afrika Ibhekisa Ukunakekela Enkingeni Yokuxhaphaza
Eminyakeni nje emihlanu, inani lezingane ezadlwengulwa eNingizimu Afrika laphindeka izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezimbili, ngokusho kwe-Star, iphephandaba laseGoli. Leliphepha libika ukuthi kwabikwa amacala okudlwengulwa kwezingane angu-1 707 ngo-1988; ngo-1992 lelonani lase linyukele ku-3 639. UNdunankulu Wezobulungisa uKobie Coetsee wacaphuna lezibalo lapho evula inkantolo yokuqala yalelizwe eklanyelwe ukusebenza ngamacala okudlwengula kuphela, eseWynberg, eKapa. Wazwakalisa ithemba lokuthi lenkantolo yayizosingatha amacala anjalo ngokushesha nangozwela olukhulu. IPhini LoMmeli-Jikelele uNatalie Fleischack lathi lesinyathelo esisha sizoqeda okunye kokululazwa nokuhlazeka izisulu zokudlwengulwa ezivame ukubhekana nakho phakathi nokuthethwa kwamacala futhi kuzosheshisa ‘nokululama kwazo okungokwengqondo.’
Ukuzalwa Nezici Zokukhubazeka Ezingabazisayo EHungary
Edolobhaneni elithile eningizimu-ntshonalanga Hungary, inani eliphakeme labantwana lazalwa likhubazeke kakhulu ngo-1989 nango-1990. Eqinisweni, abantwana abangu-11 kwabangu-15 abazalwa ngaleyonkathi babehlushwa yizifo ezinjengesifo sikaDown nokungasebenzi kahle kwamaphaphu, inhliziyo, nomgudu wokugaya ukudla. Lesilinganiso sasiphinda esezwe lonke izikhathi ezingu-223. U-Andrew Czeizel, ekanye neqembu lososayensi baseHungary naseJalimane, bagxilisa ukunakekela kulokho okungenzeka ukuthi kuyimbangela: i-trichlorfon, isibulala-zinambuzane. Kubonakala sengathi ngo-1988 indawo yokudoba izinhlanzi yakulendawo yasemaphandleni yaqalisa indlela entsha yokusebenzisa i-trichlorfon: izinhlanzi zazicwiliswa kulelikhemikhali elingahlanjululiwe bese zibuyiselwa emanzini zinezinga elituswayo lalelikhemikhali eliphindwe izikhathi eziyinkulungwane. UCzeizel uthi nge-trichlorfon: “Iwushevu.” Ngokukamagazini i-New Scientist, iguquka kancane kancane ibe elinye ikhemikhali eliyingozi ngokuphindwe izikhathi eziyikhulu futhi iyakwazi ukudlula kuyi-placenta kamama ingene embungwini.
Zahunyushwa Nge-computer
Kulokho okuchazwa njengesenzakalo sokuqala ngqá, muva nje i-computer yahumusha izingxoxo zocingo ezaziphakathi kwabacwaningi baseJapane, eJalimane, nase-United States. Lapho bexoxa, ososayensi eKyoto, eMunich, nasePittsburgh balinganisela ingxoxo yabo emagameni angu-550 asetshenziswa nsuku zonke nasemagameni akhethekile engeziwe angu-150 avela emkhakheni wokufaka isicelo semihlangano namahhotela. Lawa awukuphela kwamagama lesimiso sama-computer esingawaqonda futhi siwahumushe. Iphephandaba laseMunich i-Süddeutsche Zeitung libika ukuthi ososayensi “basebenza ndawonye ukuze bakhe i-computer ezosingatha izicelo zemihlangano ezivela kubantu emazweni ahlukahlukene futhi iphendule imibuzo elula.”
Inkantini Yabakhulekeli BakaBuddha
Emzamweni wokubuyisela ubuBuddha emihlanjini yabo edukayo, abapristi bamaBuddha baye bavula inkantini e-Osaka, eJapane. I-Asahi Evening News yacaphuna omunye walabapristi ethi: “Ezikhathini zasendulo, zonke izinhlobo zabantu zazihlangana emathempelini futhi zixoxe kuyilapho zidla futhi ziphuza. Njengoba kwakudlula amakhulu eminyaka, ubuBuddha bahlukaniswa nabantu.” Abapristi abangu-15, iningi labo abasebasha, bayashintshana ekusebenzeni njengabangenisi bezihambi futhi baphuze namakhasimende. “Inkantini yethu iyithempeli ngokomqondo ophelele lapho ungaxoxa khona ngokukhululekile nompristi,” kusho umphathi. Izitsha zokushisa impepho nemifanekiso engokwenkolo kulenga odongeni. Umculo odlalwayo yi-rock.
Iwayini Eliyingcosana Lenhliziyo Yakho
Ukuphuza iwayini elibomvu ngokusesilinganisweni kungase kunciphise ingozi yokuhlaselwa yisifo senhliziyo. Sekuyisikhathi esithile ososayensi bedidwa yilokho okubizwa ngokuthi “Indida YaseFrance.” Nakuba ukudla komuntu waseFrance ovamile kunesilinganiso esiphakeme samafutha abangela izinkinga zenhliziyo nemithambo yayo, abantu baseFrance banelinye lamazinga aphansi kakhulu okubulawa yisifo semithambo yenhliziyo eNtshonalanga ethuthukile. Ngokwephephandaba laseParis i-Figaro, elalibhekisela emibikweni eyakhishwa ephephabhukwini lezokwelapha laseBrithani i-Lancet, ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi lokhu kungenzeka kubangelwa iwayini elibomvu abantu baseFrance ngokuvamile abaliphuza nokudla kwabo. Kuye kwaboniswa ukuthi izithako ze-acid ezisewayinini elibomvu, ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-phenol, zivimbela lokho okubizwa ngokuthi amafutha amabi (i-LDL) ukuba kungavimbanisi imithambo ngamafutha abangela izifo zenhliziyo. I-Figaro yenezela ukuthi lama-phenol ayizakhi zewayini ezingenayo i-alcohol nokuthi uma umuntu ephuza ngaphezu kwengxenye yesine yelitha le-alcohol ngosuku, yenza umonakalo omkhulu kunokuba yenze okuhle.