MAJWI aaya aa Mwami musongo Solomoni alapandulula kabotu mbobalimvwa bantu kujatikizya buumi. Kuzwa kaindi, bantu bali kuyanda kupona kwamyaka minji, ambweni akaambo kakuti bapona buyo kwaciindi cisyoonto alimwi akuti lufwu tabakonzyi kulweeleba. Kwamyaka iili mbwiibede, bantu bali kusola kuyandaula nzila iikonzya kupa kuti bantu kabapona myaka minji.

Mucikozyanyo, amuyeeye kujatikizya mwami muna Sumeriya uutegwa Gilgamesh. Kaindi kwakali kwaambwa twaano tunji twakuyeeyela kujatikizya buumi bwakwe. Kweelana atwaano tudumide kapati twa Gilgamesh, muntu umwi wakaamba kuti mwami ooyu wakapanga lweendo lukatazya kapati kutegwa ajane nzila yambolukonzya kweelebwa lufwu. Pele wakaalilwa kwiijana nzila yakucita boobo.

Mumwaanda wamyaka wane B.C.E., basyaazibwene mumakani aasayaansi baku China bakasola kupanga “musamu wamasalamuzi” ngobakali kuyeeyela kuti ulakonzya kupa kuti bantu kabapona mane kukabe kutamani. Bakapanga dilinki iyakajisi mercury alimwi amusamu uukola kapati uutegwa arsenic. Akaambo kaceeci, kuyeeyelwa kuti musamu ooyu wamasalamuzi wakajaya bami banji baku China. Mu Europe, akati-kati kamyaka yakuma 500 C.E. alimwi a 1500 C.E., basyaazibwene mumakani aasayaansi bamwi bakasola kucinca ngolida munzila imwi kutegwa bantu kabakonzya kwiimena mpoonya akusungunuka mumubili nkaambo bakali kuyeeya kuti ngolida taikonzyi kunyonyooka, aboobo yakali kukonzya kupa kuti bantu kabapona myaka minji.

Mazuba aano, basayaansi bamwi alimwi abasyaazibwene mumakani aambozizyalana zintu zyuumi baluujisi kusola kuzyiba kaambo kapa kuti bantu kabacembaala. Kusoleka canguzu nkobacita basayaansi aaba, ncitondezyo cakuti naaba mazuba aano bantu bacijisi bulangizi bwakuti bayakwiijana nzila yakuleka kucembaala alimwi akuleka kufwa. Pele ino ncinzi cacitika akaambo kakusoleka ooku?

Basayaansi aabo ibaiya maseelo aabantu bakapa bupanduluzi bwiindene-indene ibwiinda ku 300 ikupandulula kaambo ncotucembaalila alimwi akufwa. Mumyaka yaino-ino, basayaansi bacikonzya kupa kuti maseelo aabanyama alimwi aabantu kaakkala kwaciindi cilamfwu kakunyina kucembaala. Akaambo  kaceeci, bantu bamwi bavwubide kapati batalika kubapa mali basayaansi kutegwa bazumanane kuyandaula kaambo kapa kuti katufwa. Ino ninzila nzi nzyobabelesya mukusola kucita buvwuntauzi bwabo?

Kusola kuyungizya myaka yakupona. Basayaansi bamwi bayeeya kuti tulacembaala akaambo kacintu cicitika kutuntu tutegwa telomeres itujanika kumamanino aatubeela-beela tupanga mubili itutegwa chromosome. Ituntu ootu itutegwa telomeres ntotukwabilila malailile oonse aayandika mumaseelo eesu ciindi nokupangika aambi. Pele kufwumbwa ciindi nokupangika maseelo aambi, tuntu ootu tulafwiimpa. Kumane mukuya kwaciindi, maseelo alaleka kupanga maseelo aambi mpoonya kucembaala kulatalika.

Ba Elizabeth Blackburn, balo ibakatambula bulumbu mu 2009 akaambo kamulimo wabo mumakani aasayaansi bakabelekela antoomwe abeenzinyina ikujana musamu uujanika muzintu zipona (enzyme) walo uupa kuti tuma telomere ootu katumuka kufwiimpa kutegwa maseelo kaatafwambaani kucembaala. Nokuba boobo, mulipooti yabo bakazumina kuti tuma telomere tatukonzyi kupa kuti bantu kabapona myaka minji kapati kwiinda myaka njobapona bantu mazuba aano.

Kucinca maseelo ninzila imbi njobabelesya kusola kulesya kucembaala. Ciindi maseelo eesu naacembaala cakuti taacikonzyi kupanga aambi, alakonzya kutalika kupa zitondezyo zimwi kumaseelo aakwabilila mubili aali munsi-munsi calo icikonzya kupa kuzimba, kucisa kutaleki alimwi amalwazi. Caino-ino, basayaansi ku France bakacikonzya kugwisya maseelo aamwi kubantu bacembeede kapati, bamwi ibakajisi myaka iinda ku 100 mpoonya akwaacinca. Kumane maseelo aaya akatalika alimwi kupanga aambi. Musololi wakabunga kabasikuvwuntauzya, syaazibwene Jean-Marc Lemaître, wakaamba kuti mulimo ngobakacita wakatondezya kuti cilakonzyeka kucinca maseelo aacembeede.

Basayaansi banji baamba kuti, nokuba kuti kuli nzila zinji zyakucesya kucembaala, pele bantu tabalangilwi kupona myaka minji kwiinda njobapona mazuba aano. Masimpe kuti, kuzwa mumwaanda wamyaka wa 19, myaka njobapona bantu yayungizyika asyoonto. Pele cili boobo akaambo kabulondo, misamu iikwabilila bantu kumalwazi alimwi amisamu iimbi iisilika malwazi manji. Basyaazibwene bamwi mumakani aambozizyalana zintu zyuumi bayeeya kuti kulibonya kuti bantu basika amyaka njobeelede kupona.

Myaka iibalilwa ku 3,500 yainda, mulembi wa Bbaibbele Musa wakaamba kuti: “Imyaka yabuumi bwesu ili buyo 70, naa 80, ikuti muntu kali muyumu kapati. Pele yoonse izwide buyo mapenzi amause; ilafwambaana kumana.” (Intembauzyo 90:10) Nokuba kuti bantu basoleka kupa kuti katupona myaka minji, tulazumanana kupona mbubwenya mbuli mbwaakaamba Musa.

Mukwiimpana amyaka njobapona bantu, banyama bamwi balakonzya kupona myaka iinda kuma 100 alimwi azyalo zisamu zimwi mbuli cisamu camubuyu cilakonzya kupona myaka iinda kuma 1,000. Ikuti tweezyanisya myaka njotupona amyaka njozipona zilenge eezyi alimwi azimbi, tulakonzya kulibuzya kuti, ‘Sena buumi oobu bwakupona buyo myaka iili 70 naa 80 mbobuliko bulikke?’