“Ungqondongqondo Oselitshelwe” WaseBrithani

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRITHANI

UROBERT HOOKE, owayechazwa abantu bangesikhathi sakhe ngokuthi “indoda evelele kunawo wonke ake aphila anekhono lokusungula izinto,” manje ubhekwa njengoLeonardo da Vinci waseNgilandi.a UHook wazalwa ngo-1635, wamiswa njengomphathi wezocwaningo wenhlangano iRoyal Society of London ngo-1662, futhi waba unobhala wayo ngo-1677. Wafa ngo-1703. Nokho, nakuba ayevelele kwezesayensi, isidumbu sakhe sangcwatshwa ethuneni elingaziwa ndawana-thile enyakatho yeLondon.

Eminyakeni yamuva nje ososayensi nezazi-mlando baye bazikhandla ukuze bavuselele idumela lalo “ngqondongqondo oselitshelwe,” njengoba umlobi wemilando yabantu uStephen Inwood embiza kanjalo uHooke. Ngo-2003, ukuze kukhunjulwe iminyaka engu-300 uHooke ashona, iRoyal Observatory Greenwich yaseLondon yabukisa ngezinye zezinto eziphawulekayo azisungula nazithola. Wayengubani uRobert Hooke, futhi kungani alitshalwa cishe ngokuphelele isikhathi eside kangaka?

Ifa Elashiywa UHooke

UHooke wayefundile futhi engumsunguli wezinto ohlakaniphile. Phakathi kwezinto eziningi azisungula kubalwa i-universal joint, insimbi esetshenziswa ezimotweni zanamuhla; i-iris diaphragm, elawula ubukhulu beso lekhamera; kanye nesipilingi esilawula umshini ohambisa iwashi. Wasungula inqubo yokubala esasetshenziswa nanamuhla ekuchazeni amazinga okunwebeka kwezipilingi ebizwa ngokuthi i-Hooke’s law. Wenza nephampu yomoya eyenzela uRobert Boyle, isazi saseBrithani esidumile sesayensi yemvelo futhi esasingusokhemisi.

Nokho, enye yezinto ezinkulu uHooke azenza waklama isibonakhulu esinama-lens amabili, esakhiwa kamuva uChristopher Cock, umklami wemishini odumile waseLondon. Kamuva, uHooke waqamba igama elithi “ingqamuzana” ukuze achaze izimbotshana zikakhokho ezinjengamakhekheba, ayekwazi ukuzihlola ngalo mshini wakhe. Kamuva elithi “ingqamuzana” laqala ukusetshenziswa ezakhini eziyisisekelo zezinto eziphilayo.

Incwadi kaHooke ethi Micrographia (Imidwebo Emincane), eyanyatheliswa ngo-1665, iyona eyaqala ukumlethela udumo. Iqukethe imidwebo emihle futhi enembile eyadwetshwa uHooke ngokwakhe, ebonisa ngokuphila kwezinambuzane njengoba ayezihlola ngesibonakhulu. Umdwebo wakhe wodumo owezeze. Lo mdwebo oqoshiwe ongaba amasentimitha angu-30 ubude nangu-45 ububanzi, ubonisa izindlawu zezeze, iziboya namazenga alo. Ukuthi lezi zinambuzane ezincane ziphila ngokudla abantu kwabashaqisa abafundi abacebile bangaleso sikhathi. Kuthiwa izintokazi zaquleka lapho zibona lo mdwebo!

Ngemva kokuqhathanisa isihloko esikhulisiwe senaliti eyenziwe umuntu nezinto zemvelo, uHooke wabhala: ‘Isibonakhulu singasisiza ukuba sibone amakhulukhulu ezibonelo zezinto ezicije kakhulu’ kunenaliti. Wakhuluma ngeziboya nezidladla zezinambuzane kanye nameva, amahhuku neziboya zamaqabunga. Waba nomuzwa wokuthi le “misebenzi yeMvelo” ifakazela ukuthi uMenzi wayo unamandla onke. I-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi “ngokokuqala ngqá,” isibonakhulu sasembule “umkhakha lapho izinto eziphilayo zibonisa khona ukuthi ziyinkimbinkimbi ngendlela emangalisayo.”

UHooke waba umuntu wokuqala ngqá owahlola izinsalela zezinto zakudala ngesibonakhulu, okwamenza waphetha ngokuthi zaziyizinsalela zezinto ezafa kudala. Incwadi i-Micrographia yayiqukethe nenye inqwaba yezinto zesayensi ezithakazelisayo azithola. Empeleni, uSamuel Pepys, umlobi wezenzakalo odumile owayephila ngesikhathi sikaHooke, wathi i-Micrographia “incwadi equkethe ukuhlakanipha kunazo zonke engake ngazifunda.” U-Allan Chapman, isazi-mlando sesayensi e-Oxford University, wachaza le ncwadi ngokuthi “enye yezincwadi ezakha kakhulu ezweni lanamuhla.”

Ukuvuselela ILondon

Ngemva koMlilo Omkhulu waseLondon ngo-1666, uHooke wamiswa njengomhloli wokuma kwendawo. Basebenzelana eduze nomngane wakhe uChristopher Wren, naye owayengusosayensi futhi engumklami wezigodlo, ukuze bavuselele leli dolobha. Phakathi kwezinto eziningi uHooke aziklama kuneMonument yaseLondon engamamitha angu-62 ukuphakama, eyakhiwa njengesikhumbuzo salo mlilo. UHooke wayefuna ukusebenzisa iMonument, eyinsika yetshe ezimele ephakeme kunazo zonke emhlabeni, ukuze ahlole imibono ayenayo ngamandla adonsela phansi.

Nakuba kuthiwa nguWren owaklama iRoyal Observatory Greenwich, uHooke waba nendima enkulu ekuklanyweni kwayo. IMontague House, isikhungo sokuqala seBritish Museum, yayingenye yemisebenzi eminingi kaHooke.

UHooke wayevelele njengesazi sezinkanyezi futhi ephakathi kwabantu bokuqala abakha isibonakude esinezibuko, asetha ngoJames Gregory, isazi saseScotland sezibalo kanye nezinkanyezi. UHooke waqaphela ukuthi iplanethi i-Jupiter inezingosi ezungeza kuzo, futhi imidwebo yakhe ye-Mars yasetshenziswa ngemva kwamakhulu amabili eminyaka ukuze kutholakale umjikelezo wale planethi.

Kungani Alitshalwa?

Ngo-1687, u-Isaac Newton wanyathelisa incwadi ethi Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Njengoba yanyatheliswa eminyakeni engu-22 ngemva kwe-Micrographia kaHooke, le ncwadi kaNewton yachaza imithetho yokuhamba kwezinto, kuhlanganise nomthetho wamandla adonsela phansi. Kodwa njengoba u-Allan Chapman asho, uHooke “wavela neziningi zezimiso zokusebenza kwamandla adonsela phansi ngaphambi kukaNewton.” Ucwaningo lukaNewton ngemisebe yokukhanya nalo lwalugqugquzelwe incwadi kaHooke.

Ngokudabukisayo, ukuphikisana ngemisebe yokukhanya namandla adonsela phansi kwaqeda ubuhlobo phakathi kwala madoda amabili. UNewton waze wakhipha nezingxenye ayecaphuna kuzo uHooke encwadini yakhe ethi Mathematical Principles. Umthombo othile uthi uNewton wazama nokususa izingxenye ezithile kumarekhodi ezazikhuluma ngegalelo likaHooke kwezesayensi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngokushesha nje lapho uNewton eba umongameli weRoyal Society amathuluzi kaHooke—amaningi ayenziwe ngesandla—imibiko yakhe eminingi, kanye nomdwebo wale ndoda, okuwukuphela kwawo oqinisekile kwanyamalala. Ngenxa yalezi zenzakalo, udumo lukaHooke lwanyamalala ngokuphelele iminyaka engaphezu kwamakhulu amabili.

Kuyadida ukuthi kwakusencwadini ayeyibhalela uHooke ngo-February 5, 1675, lapho uNewton asho khona la mazwi odumo: “Ngikwazile ukubona kude ngenxa yokuma emahlombe emidondoshiya.” Njengomklami wezakhiwo, isazi sezinkanyezi, usosayensi ocwaningayo, umsunguli wezinto nomhloli wokuma kwendawo, uRobert Hooke wayengumdondoshiya ngempela ngosuku lwakhe.

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Imidwebo kaHooke yezinhlayiya zeqhwa nokwakheka kwalo

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Umklamo kaHooke wesibonakhulu

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UHooke waqamba igama elithi “ingqamuzana” ukuze achaze izimbotshana ezikukhokho

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Incwadi kaHooke ethi “Micrographia” yayinemidwebo yalokho ayekubona ngesibonakhulu

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Kuthiwa izintokazi zaquleka lapho zibona umdwebo kaHooke wezeze

Izeze lithi alibe ngaka ngobukhulu

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IMontague House yayingomunye wemiklamo eminingi yezakhiwo eyenziwa uHooke

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Umdwebo kaHooke obonisa isimiso asisungula ngamazinga okunwebeka kwezinto

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IMemorial Tower yaseLondon iyinsika yetshe ezimele futhi ende kunazo zonke emhlabeni

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IRoyal Observatory

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Spring, microscope, and snowflakes: Images courtesy of the Posner Memorial Collection, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries

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Images courtesy of the Posner Memorial Collection, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries

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Spring diagram: Image courtesy of the Posner Memorial Collection, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries; London’s Memorial Tower: Matt Bridger/DHD Multimedia Gallery; Royal Observatory: © National Maritime Museum, London