Ukubuka Okwezwe

Ubuhle Obubulalayo

I-hyacinth iyisitshalo sasemanzini esiqhakaza imbali enhle ensomi. Njengoba yalethwa e-Afrika eLake Victoria emashumini eminyaka edlule, i-hyacinth iye yasabalala ngokushesha kangangokuba manje isihlanganisa indawo yaleli chibi engamakhilomitha-skwele angu-2 000, iphazamisa imboni yokudoba ebalulekile eyondla izigidi zabantu abasemazweni angomakhelwane eKenya, eTanzania nase-Uganda. Iye yabangela izinkinga ezinkulu ezimbonini zase-Uganda zamanzi neziphehla ugesi ngokuvala amapayipi amanzi. Futhi iyindawo ekahle yomiyane, iminenke nezinyoka, okwenza ukuba kwande ukulunywa izinyoka, isifo sikamalaleveva nesichenene (bilharzia). Nakuba kuye kwafakwa ama-weevil adla ama-hyacinth ngokukhethekile, kuze kube manje ayehluleka ukumelana nalesi sitshalo esikhula ngokushesha. Abantu abaziphilisa ngokudoba sebenqume ukulusiphula ngezandla lolu khula, basusa izinkulungwane zamathani. Kodwa lokhu kuyikhambi nje lesikhashana. IBhange Lomhlaba lisungule umkhankaso wezindodla zamaRandi wokuhlanza leli chibi.

Umvubukulo Onezimpaphe Uyinkohliso

I-National Geographic yabika ukuthi umvubukulo otholakale eSifundazweni saseLiaoning, eChina “ugcwalisa ubufakazi obuyiqiniso enqubweni eyinkimbinkimbi ehlobanisa izibankwakazi nezinyoni.” Kuthiwa lo mvubukulo, owethiwa ngokuthi i-Archaeoraptor liaoningensis, unomsila wesibankwakazi kanye nesifuba namahlombe enyoni. Nokho, i-Science News ibika ukuthi manje ososayensi sebeqala ukubona ukuthi “lo mvubukulo uwumgunyathi oyinkohliso.” Izazi ze-paleontology ezahlola lo mvubukulo zaqala ukusola ngemva kokuphawula ukuthi ayengekho amathambo axhumanisa umsila nomzimba futhi idwala lo mvubukulo owawuthathwe kulo lalinezimpawu zokwakhiwa kabusha. Lo mbiko uthi uPhilip Currie, waseRoyal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology eDrumheller, e-Alberta, eCanada, usola ukuthi othile “wayefuna ukuthuthukisa i-Archaeoraptor ngokunamathisela ingxenye yesisila sesibankwakazi ezinsaleleni zomzimba wenyoni.”

Abaphathi Bezibhamu Abangaphansi Kwamanzi

Kufana nebhayisikobho yama-cowboy: Izilwi ezimbili zibhekene ngeziqu zamehlo, izikhali zazo zimi ngomumo. Ngemva kokuba isilwi sokuqala sesidubulile futhi sahlehla, esesibili siyakala bese sidubula. Kodwa uma izimfanzi ezingama-pistol zilwa, ayikho elimalayo, ngoba zishiya isikhala esanele phakathi kwazo. Nokho, njengoba kwabikwa ephephabhukwini i-Spiegel, amanzi aphuma etshaza esidladleni sokudla, ayalimaza ngezinye izikhathi. Lesi sibhamu samanzi sisetshenziselwa nokushaqisa nokubulala izilwane ezinjengezibungu, izinkalankala nezinhlanzi ezincane. La manzi atshazayo, abangelwa isidladla esivaleka ngokushesha ngamandla amakhulu, anamandla anele ukuphihliza ingilazi yendawo okugcinwa kuyo izilwane zasolwandle. Uma kwenzeka imfanzi i-pistol ilahlekelwa isidladla sayo sokudla, lo “mphathi wesibhamu” omncane usebenzisa isandla sokunxele, isidladla sakhe sokunxele siyakhula sibe isibhamu esisha, kuyilapho isidladla ebesidubula ngaso sikhula uzipho olusha.

UBuddha Ophilayo Ubekwa Esihlalweni Sobukhosi

I-New York Times ibika ukuthi “iziphathimandla zaseChina bezengamele ukubekwa komfana oneminyaka emibili esihlalweni sobukhosi ‘njengoBuddha ophilayo’ obalulekile enkolweni yaseTibet.” Lo mfana, uSoinam Puncog, wakhethwa phakathi kwabafana abangu-670 ukuba akhonze njengoReting Lama wesikhombisa. Kuthiwa izindela ezakhetha lo mholi zasebenzisa ukubhula ukuze zimkhethe. Kodwa leli phephandaba lithi “umbuzo uwukuthi abantu baseTibet nezindela bazomamukela yini lo mfana njengofanelekayo noma cha.” Ngani? Ngoba ngaphambi kwalokho, uDalai Lama, umholi ophakeme wenkolo yaseTibet, wazikhethela owakhe uReting Lama. Esikhathini esidlule, oReting Lama baye bakhonza njengababambeli uma bengekho oDalai Lama.

Izithombe Ezingcolisayo

Kuwumkhuba ovamile kumaHindu ukucwilisa izithombe emfuleni oseduze ngemva kweholide lomkhosi. Lokhu kwakungeyona inkinga emvelweni ngesikhathi izithombe zisapendwa ngemibala eyenziwe ngodayi bezimbali noma bemifino. Nokho, lapho abakhiqizi beqala ukusebenzisa opende abenziwe ngezithako ezisansimbi nangezinto ezibangela umdlavuza, amanzi ezindaweni ezithile eNdiya angcola kakhulu ngemva kokuba kucwiliswe izinkulungwane zezithombe emifuleni nasemachibini. Ukuze zinciphise ukungcola kwamanzi, izakhamuzi zedolobhana elithile zaqoqa amakhulukhulu ezithombe zawayisa endaweni evulekile zawaphihliza aba izicucu. Umagazini i-Down to Earth usikisela ukuthi lokhu kufanele kwenziwe kulo lonke elaseNdiya futhi abakhi bezithombe babuyele ekusebenziseni odayi abavamile esikhundleni sopende bokwenziwa. “Kungenjalo,” kusho lo magazini, “imifula ekhulekelwa amaHindu ingase ibe nobuthi ngenxa yezithombe azikhulekelayo.”

Ucwaningo Ngentsha Emhlabeni

I-Globe and Mail ibika ukuthi inhlolo-vo yabasha abangaphezu kuka-4 300 abaneminyaka ephakathi kuka-12 no-24 yembula ukuthi intsha yanamuhla iyazazisa izindinganiso ezingokwesiko, ezinjengokwethembeka, inhlonipho nokuzikhandla. Ngokwe-Angus Reid Group, eyaxoxa nentsha yasemazweni angu-11 ahlukahlukene, engamaphesenti angu-95 kuyo yathi isimiso esibaluleke kakhulu ukuba umuntu ‘agcine izwi lakhe.’ Engamaphesenti angu-92 yaphawula ukuthi “ukuhlonipha abanye” kuyinto elandelayo ngokubaluleka, kanti engamaphesenti angu-83 okwakuxoxwa nayo yayibheka “ukuzikhandla” njengokubaluleke kakhulu. Nakuba “cishe engu-8 eshumini yayicabanga ukuthi kubalulekile ukuthola umngane womshado wokuphila konke,” engamaphesenti angu-56 kuphela eyayikubheka njengokubalulekile ukushada. Okumangalisayo ukuthi engamaphesenti angu-31 kuphela eyayibheka “ukuceba” njengento ebalulekile. Le miphumela ibonisa nokuthi engamaphesenti angu-45 kuphela “enethemba lokuhle ngekhulu lama-21.”

Amaqiniso Ngezingosi Ze-Internet

I-Internet iyisimiso sama-computer esikhulu esixhumanisa izigidigidi zabasebenzisi bama-computer emhlabeni wonke. Ukuze kutholakale ukuthi sikhulu kangakanani, i-Inktomi, inkampani yezinhlelo ze-Internet, yachitha izinyanga ezine ihlola futhi ihlela izingosi ze-Internet. Waba yini umphumela? Inani lezingosi ezihlukahlukene lalingaphezu kwezigidi eziyinkulungwane! IsiNgisi siwulimi olusetshenziswa kakhulu kunazo zonke kuyi-Internet. Sisetshenziswa izikhathi ezingaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-86. IsiFulentshi sitholakala ezingosini ze-Internet ezingaphezudlwana kwamaphesenti amabili, kanti isiDashi siyingxenye yephesenti.

Imithi Enobuthi?

I-Institute of Medicine ibika ukuthi amaphutha enzeka kwezokwelapha abulala abantu baseMelika abalaliswe esibhedlela abasukela ku-44 000 kuya kwabangu-98 000 ngonyaka. Kuthiwa inkinga ibangelwa amaphutha endleleni izibhedlela, imithola-mpilo namakhemisi asebenza ngayo. Ngokwesibonelo, osokhemisi abakhipha imithi bavame ukuphazanyiswa indlela yokubhala yodokotela engabonakali. Ingabe udokotela uthé kukhishwe ama-milligram ayishumi noma ama-microgram ayishumi? Okubhebhethekisa le nkinga ukuthi imithi eminingi inamagama abizwa cishe ngendlela efanayo, okungase kubangele ukudideka kodokotela, abahlengikazi, osokhemisi neziguli. I-Institute of Medicine iye yayala ukuba ancishiswe ngamaphesenti angu-50 amaphutha enziwa kwezokwelapha ingakapheli iminyaka emihlanu ezayo.

I-Internet Nasebekhulile

Imiyalezo ethunyelwa ngama-computer ibonakala iyinzuzo kwabahlala emakhaya asebekhulile. I-New York Times ithi: “Ochwepheshe bathi izakhamuzi zasemakhaya asebekhulile, ngisho nesezixhwalile, zimagange ngama-computer futhi zingavuselela ukuphila kwazo nge-e-mail nange-Internet. Abantu abasheshe babufunde lobu buchwepheshe baba nokuzethemba okuthinta nezinye izici zokuphila kwabo, futhi abaningi bayaziqhenya ngokusiza ekufundiseni izakhamuzi abakanye nazo.” I-E-mail ayigcini nje kuphela ngokusiza asebekhulile ukuba bathintane namalungu omkhaya akude, abanakekeli bezempilo nabangane abadala kodwa futhi ifeza okukhulu ekuqedeni umuzwa wokuphelelwa yithemba, isithukuthezi nesizungu esiphatha labo abahlala emakhaya asebekhulile futhi abasebenzisa izihlalo zabakhubazekile ngenxa yokugula nokuguga. Ithemba liyavuseleleka, nokucindezeleka kunciphe. Abanye asebekhulile bahlanganyela ngisho nasezinhlelweni zokufunda kuyi-computer, ezibasiza ukuba bakwazi ukudlulisela ezizukulwaneni ezizayo ulwazi nobuhlakani abanako. Nokho, kudingeka kwenziwe ushintsho oluthile. Lolu luhlanganisa ama-keyboard asebenziseka kalula nendlela elula yokukhulisa amagama.

Ukuntuleka Kokudla Okubangelwa Umuntu

I-Food and Agriculture Organization yeZizwe Ezihlangene (FAO) ibika ukuthi “izinhlekelele ezibangelwa umuntu njengezimpi zombango nezinkinga zezomnotho zibangela ukuntuleka kokudla okukhulu ukwedlula izinkinga ezingokwemvelo.” UDkt. Hartwig de Haen, oyiphini lomqondisi-jikelele we-FAO, wathi: “Ngo-1984, izinhlekelele ezibangelwa umuntu zabangela cishe amaphesenti ayishumi kuphela akho konke ukuntuleka kokudla okuphuthumayo. Manje, sezingaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-50.” Kulinganiselwa ukuthi abantu abayizigidi ezingu-52 emazweni angu-35 babhekene nokuntuleka kokudla. Lo mbiko uyenezela: “Lelo inani elikhulu labantu ababhekene nokuntuleka kokudla okungathi sína kusukela kwaba nesomiso esahlasela i-Afrika eningizimu yeSahara ngo-1984.”