Ingabe Ukhona Olapho Ngaphandle?
KUKHONA umuntu eMassachusetts, eU.S.A., lowo njengengxenye yomsebenzi wakhe wansuku zonke ohlolayo ukuze athole ukuthi ikhona yini imibiko eye yafika. Usuku nosuku, ayikho efikayo. Sekuyiminyaka eminingi manje, ayikho eye yafika. Kodwa namanje usahlola njalo, futhi uyadumazeka njalo. Ingabe ungumuntu ongathandeki? Ingabe umshini wakhe wokuphendula wephukile?
Akunjalo. Uyawuhlola umshini, kodwa awuxhunyiwe ocingweni lukathelefoni. Icomputer exhunywe entweni enkulu yokwamukela imibiko esebenza ngogesi ebheke phezulu, eqhele kakhulu emhlabeni wethu, eya ekujuleni kwemikhathi engaphandle: isibona-kude esisebenza ngamaza omsakazo. Lendoda isiza iqembu lezazi zesayensi ukuhlola izinkanyezi ukuze kwamukelwe umbiko ovela kubantu abahlala kwamanye amaplanethi abakhaliphile, abantu abahlala ngalé kwezwe lethu.
Abanye abafana naye, bebelokhu belalele iminyaka engu-30 manje. Ngo-1960, isazi sokuhlola izinkanyezi uFrank Drake waba umuntu wokuqala ukuba alalele ngesibona-kude esisebenza ngamaza omsakazo ukuze athole izimpawu ezivela kubantu abahlala kwamanye amaplanethi abakhaliphile. Ngokomphumela, kusukela ngalesosikhathi umuntu uye wabeka izindlebe zakhe emazwini avela kweminye imikhathi. Kuze kube manje kuye kwenziwa ukucwaninga okukhulu okungafani okungu-50 kwesibhakabhaka.
Emhlabeni-jikelele, izibona-kude ezisebenza ngamaza omsakazo ziye zahlanganyela ekuthungatheni—eFrance, eFederal Republic yaseJalimane, eNetherlands, eAustralia, eSoviet Union, eArgentina, eUnited States, naseCanada. Njengoba omunye umuntu ekubeka: “ISETI [igama lesiNgisi elifushanisiwe elisho Ukufuna Komuntu Ukuhlakanipha Kwabantu Abahlala Kwamanye Amaplanethi] iba khona kuyo yonke indawo njengomkhathi uqobo lwawo.” Olunye uchungechunge lwezingxoxo ngalesihloko lwadonsa izazi zesayensi ezingu-150 emazweni angu-18 ahlanganisa wonke amazwekazi amahlanu.
Nokho, umklamo weSETI okucatshangelwa ukuthi uzoba ophumelela kakhulu okwamanje, usazoqaliswa ngo-1992. INASA, iNational Aeronautics and Space Administration yaseUnited States, isongoza ukusebenzisa ithuluzi elinamandla kakhulu eliyokwenza kube nokwenzeka ukuhlola izigidigidi zenani lamaza omsindo omsakazo ngesikhathi esifanayo. Lokuhlola kuklanyelwa ukuba kuhlale iminyaka eyishumi ngenani lezigidi ezingamaRandi angu-234. Uyothuthukiswa izikhathi eziyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyishumi ngaphezu kwakho konke okunye ukuhlola kwangesikhathi esidlule kuhlangene.
Kodwa lapho umuntu ebuza ngembulunga eyinkimbinkimbi, “Ingabe ukhona umuntu olapho ngaphandle?” uyodinga okungaphezu kwezinsimbi ezenziwe ngobuchwepheshe obukhulu ukuze athole impendulo. Ngezindlela eziningi kuyindaba engokomoya. Ekufuneni impendulo ngokuphumputheka, umuntu wembula amanye amathemba akhe ayigugu kakhulu: ukuphela kwempi, ukuphela kwezifo, mhlawumbe futhi ngisho nokufinyelela ukungafi ngokwakho. Ngakho kukhulu okulindelwe ukuba kufinyelelwe. Kodwa ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka okukhathazeka namashumi eminyaka okufuna, umuntu useseduze kangakanani nempendulo?