Abantu Abahlala Kwamanye Amaplanethi—Iphupho Elidala Kakhulu
ABALOBI besayensi ecatshangelwe bosuku lwanamuhla abazange basungule umqondo wabantu abaphila kwamanye amaplanethi. Amakhulu eminyaka angu-23 adlule, isazi sefilosofi esingumGreki okuthiwa uMetrodorus safundisa ukuthi imbulunga enomhlaba owodwa nje kuphela onabantu abaphila kuwo uyoba yinto engenakwenzeka njengensimu enkulu emila nje kuphela uhlamvu olulodwa lwembewu yommbila. ULucretius, imbongi yaseRoma yekhulu lokuqala leminyaka B.C.E., wabhala ukuthi “kwezinye izingxenye zomkhathi kuneminye imihlaba nezinhlobonhlobo zezinhlanga zabantu.”
Lemfundiso, ebizwa ngokuthi ubuningi bemihlaba, emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka eLobukholwa lalingayithandi. Kodwa cishe kusukela ngo-1700 kuya engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu lethu leminyaka, abantu abaningi abafundile, kuhlanganise nezinye izazi zesayensi ezivelele emlandweni, zakholelwa ngokuqinile ekubeni khona kokuphila kweminye imihlaba. Eqinisweni, omunye uthisha wamaphakathi nawo-1800 wahlaselwa kabanzi lapho equnga isibindi sokubhala iphepha eliphika lemfundiso.
Abantu babonakala beshukunyiswa isifiso esinamandla sokukholelwa kubantu abaphila kwamanye amaplanethi, ngisho naphezu kokuba bungekho ubufakazi obuphathekayo. Ngo-1835 umcosheli wephephandaba wabhala ukuthi izazi zezinkanyezi zazithole ukuphila enyangeni. Wabhala ukuthi izilwane ezingajwayelekile, izitshalo eziyisimanga, futhi ngisho nabantu abancane abanezimpiko, abandiza bevule izimpiko futhi ababonakala bekhuluma ngokunyakazisa umzimba, konke kwabonwa ngesibona-kude! Ukusakazwa kwephephandaba lakhe kwafinyelela iqophelo eliphezulu. Abaningi baqhubeka bekholelwa kulenganekwane ngisho nangemva kokuba idalulwe njengeyinkohliso.
Ososayensi babelindele imiphumela emihle ngokufanayo. Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1800, isazi sezinkanyezi uPercival Lowell wayeqinisekile ukuthi wayengabona inqubo eyinkimbinkimbi yemisele yokunisela endaweni engaphandle yeplanethi iMars. Wayidweba ngokuningiliziwe futhi wabhala izincwadi eziphathelene nempucuko eyayikhande leyomisele. EFrance, Imfundo Ephakeme Yezesayensi yayiqiniseke kakhulu ukuthi kwakukhona ukuphila kuyiMars kangangokuthi yakhipha umklomelo owawuzonikezwa umuntu wokuqala owayengakhulumisana nanoma yibaphi abantu abahlala kwamanye amaplanethi ngaphandle kwabantu abahlala kuyiMars.
Abanye basongoza izindlela ezingajwayelekile ngokumangalisayo ukuze bakhulumisane nabantu abakweminye imihlaba eseduze, ngokwehlukahlukana kusukela ekubaseni amakloba amakhulu emililo esiQhingini saseSahara kuya ekutshaleni amahlathi ame ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene anqume eSiberia. Ngo-1899 umsunguli waseMelika wamisa isigxobo esinesihloko esiyindilinga sethusi futhi wathumela amaza anamandla kagesi kuyo ukuze axoxe ngezimpawu nabantu abahlala kuyiMars. Abantu bahlala becijise izindlebe, futhi ukukhanya kwezinto ezikhanyisayo kwakulokoza amakhilomitha angu-50 nxa-zonke, kodwa kwakungekho mpendulo eyayivela kuyiMars.
Bagcwele Ithemba
Nakuba ulwazi lobuchwepheshe olusetshenziswa ekufuneni ukuphila kwanamuhla kweminye imihlaba lungase lube lusha, kunento eyodwa ehlala ingashintshi: Ososayensi basenethemba lokuthi isintu asisodwa embulungeni. Njengoba isazi sokuhlolwa kwezinkanyezi uOtto Wöhrbach abhala ephephandabeni laseJalimane iNürnberger Nachrichten: “Asikho isazi sesayensi esivamile esasiyothi cha uma sibuzwa ukuthi kukhona yini ukuphila kwabantu abahlala kwamanye amaplanethi.” UGene Bylinsky, umlobi weLife in Darwin’s Universe, wakubeka ngalendlela: “Noma yiluphi usuku manje, uma izazi zokuhlolwa kwezinkanyezi ngamaza omsakazo kufanele zikholelwe, uphawu oluvela ezinkanyezini luyonyazima lunqamule igebe lomkhathi elingacatshangwa ukuze liqede isizungu sembulunga yethu.”
Kungani ososayensi beqiniseka kangaka ukuthi kukhona ukuphila kweminye imihlaba? Ukulindela kwabo imiphumela emihle kuqala ngezinkanyezi. Kunenqwaba yazo—izinkulungwane zezigidi emthaleni wethu. Khona-ke ziqalisa ukufinyelela iziphetho zokuzicabangela. Ngokuqinisekile, eziningi zalezozinkanyezi kumelwe ukuba nazo zinamaplanethi azizungezile, futhi kungenzeka ukuphila kwaqalisa kweminye yaleyomihlaba. Zilandela leyondlela yokucabanga, izazi zezinkanyezi ziye zacabangela ukuthi khona kanye lapha emthaleni wethu kukhona izimpucuko ezisukela ezinkulungwane kuya ezigidini!
Ingabe Kunendaba?
Kwenza mehluko muni ukuthi kukhona ukuphila noma akukho ngalé koMhlaba? Phela, izazi zesayensi zinomuzwa wokuthi noma iyiphi impendulo yayiyoba nethonya elikhulu emkhayeni wesintu. Zithi ukwazi ukuthi sisodwa kulembulunga kwakuyofundisa isintu ukwazisa ukuphila lapha ngombono wokuthi yikho kodwa okukhona. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, esinye isazi sesayensi esihloniphekayo sibonisa ukuthi ngokunokwenzeka impucuko yakweminye imihlaba yayiyoba ngethuthuke izigidi zeminyaka kuneyowethu futhi babengase bahlanganyele nathi ukuhlakanipha kwabo okukhulu. Bangase basifundise ukwelapha izifo zethu, ukuqeda ukunukubezwa, izimpi, nendlala. Bangase basibonise ngisho nendlela yokunqoba nokufa imbala!
Zingabe zisaba khona izifo, impi, ukufa—lolohlobo lwethemba lusho okukhulu kubantu ezikhathini zethu ezigcwele izinkathazo. Akungabazeki ukuthi lisho okufanayo nakuwe. Nokho, cishe uzovuma ukuthi kungcono ukungabi nalo nhlobo ithemba kunokuncika ethembeni elingamanga. Khona-ke, uma ososayensi benezizathu eziqinile lapho begomela ngokuthi imbulunga igcwele imihlaba ehlalwa ngabantu, kubalulekile ngathi ukuba sithole ukuthi kunjalo yini.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]
Ingabe izazi zesayensi zinezizathu eziqinile lapho zigomela ngokuthi imbulunga igcwele imihlaba ehlala abantu?