AMAZWI la akhulunywa yiNkosi uSolomoni ayiveza kuhle indlela abantu abazizwa ngayo. Abantu abakufuni ukufa yikho benze imizamo eminengi yokuthi bathole okungabanceda ukuthi baphile isikhathi eside. Kulezinganekwane lezindaba ezitshengisa imizamo eyenziwa ngabanye.

Ngokwesibonelo, kulenganekwane ezinengi ezikhuluma ngoGilgamesh inkosi yeSumeri. Eyinye yakhona ithi uGilgamesh waphuma ijumo esiyadinga izindlela zokubalekela ukufa kodwa kazange aphumelele.

Eminyakeni engaba ngu-2 400 eyadlulayo, abenza imithi e-China bahlangahlanganisa izinto ezitshiyeneyo bezama ukwenza umuthi ababecabanga ukuthi ungenza abantu baphile isikhathi eside. Umuthi abawenzayo wawulamakhemikhali okuthiwa yi-mercury le-arsenic. Kucatshangelwa ukuthi umuthi lo wabulala ezinye izikhulu zase-China. Ngeminyaka yabo-500 kusiya kubo-1500 B.C.E., abanye abezesayensi e-Europe bazama ukuntshintsha igolide ukuthi lidleke futhi ligayeke esiswini ngoba babecabanga ukuthi njengoba lingatshabalali lalingenza ukuthi abantu baphile isikhathi eside.

Lamuhla abanye abezesayensi balala bengalele bedinga ukuthi kuyini okwenza abantu baguge. Lokhu okwenziwa ngabezesayensi kutshengisa ukuthi lalamuhla akulamuntu ofuna ukuguga lokufa. Bakutholile yini okungenza abantu baphile isikhathi eside?

Abezesayensi abahlola ama-cell asemzimbeni womuntu sebethole ingcazelo ezedlula 300 zokuthi kungani abantu beguga futhi besifa. Eminyakeni esanda kwedlula bazamile ukwenza ukuthi ama-cell abantu lawezinyamazana aphile isikhathi eside. Intuthuko le yenze ukuthi abanye osomabhizimusi babanike imali ukuze baqhubekele phambili bedinga. Yiphi imizamo eyenziwe ngabezesayensi ukuze benze abantu bangagugi?

Ukuzama ukwengezelela iminyaka esingayiphila. Abanye abezesayensi bacabanga ukuthi okwenza siguge yilokho okwenziwa ngama-telomere. Ama-telomere avikela ulwazi oluphathelane lomuntu oluphakathi kwama-cell. Nxa ama-cell eqhubeka esehlukana ama-telomere lawo ayabe elokhu esiba mafitshane futhi lokhu kwenza ukuthi ama-cell acine engasehlukani, umuntu abeseguga.

U-Elizabeth Blackburn owaphiwa isicoco seNobel ngo-2009 kanye leqembu lakhe bathola  okuthile okwakungenza ukuthi ama-telomere angaphangisi ukuba mafitshane. Kodwa embikweni abawubhalayo bavuma ukuthi ama-telomere awakwengezeleli ukuphila komuntu.

Ukuntshintsha ulwazi olukuma-cell ngenye indlela yokuzama ukwenza ukuthi umuntu angagugi. Nxa ama-cell esegugile angahambisa ulwazi olungayisilo kulawo ayabe esaphilile besekusenza ukuthi umuntu ahlaselwe yimikhuhlane futhi ahlale esizwa ubuhlungu. Abezesayensi eFrance bathatha ama-cell abantu asebegugile, abanye basebeleminyaka eyedlula 100, bantshintsha ulwazi olukuwo futhi aqalisa ukuzivuselela. Umkhokheli weqembu lelo uJean-Marc Lemaître wathi umsebenzi wabo utshengisa ukuthi ama-cell asegugile angavuselelwa.

Abanye abezesayensi abavumi ukuthi izinto ezenzelwe ukuthi zengezelele ukuphila kwethu ziyasebenza sibili. Liqiniso ukuthi sesiphila isikhathi eside kulaseminyakeni yabo-1800. Intuthuko le ibangelwe yikuthi sekulenhlanzeko engcono kakhulu, njalo sekulemithi yokwelapha imikhuhlane ethelelwanayo kanye lamajekiseni okuvikela imikhuhlane. Abanye abezesayensi bacabanga ukuthi akula esingakwenza ukuze sengezelele iminyaka esiyiphilayo.

Eminyakeni engu-3 500 eyadlulayo, uMosi wathi: “Ubude bezinsuku zethu buyiminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa—loba amatshumi aficamibili, nxa silamandla; kanti lelobanga layo liluhlupho losizi, ngokuba iphanga yedlule, lathi siphaphe nje sedlule.” (IHubo 90:10) Lanxa abantu benze yonke imizamo yokwengezelela impilo yethu, silokhu siphila iminyaka eyaqanjwa nguMosi.

Kodwa ezinye izinyamazana lezinanakazana kanye lezihlahla ziphila iminyaka edlula engu-200. Ngokwesibonelo isihlahla somkhomo singaphila izinkulungwane zeminyaka. Nxa singaqathanisa isikhathi esiphilwa ngabantu laleso esiphilwa zinyamazana lezihlahla, sicina sizibuza ukuthi ‘Singaphila isikhathi eside ukwedlula esisiphila khathesi yini?’