THE

I-WORD

APRIL 1910

AMADODA NABANGANE

Ingabe ubumnyama abukho ukukhanya, noma into ehlukene ngokwayo futhi ethatha indawo yokukhanya. Uma behlukene futhi behlukene, buyini ubumnyama nokukhanya?

Ubumnyama akubona “ukungabikho kokukhanya.” Ukukhanya akubona ubumnyama. Ubumnyama buyinto ngokwabo, hhayi ukukhanya. Ubumnyama bungathatha indawo yokukhanya nokukhanya okufiphele okwesikhashana, kodwa ukukhanya kuyoxosha ubumnyama. Ukukhanya ekugcineni kuzobunqoba ubumnyama ngokuphakamisa nokwenza ubumnyama bube ukukhanya. Ukukhanya nobumnyama esibubona ngemizwa akukhona ukukhanya nobumnyama ngokwabo, nakuba lokho esikubona njengokukhanya nobumnyama kuvela ekukhanyeni kweqiniso nasebumnyameni. Njengento, ubumnyama buyinto efanayo, okuyimpande, isisekelo noma isizinda sakho konke ukubonakaliswa njengodaba. Esimeni sayo sokuqala, ithule futhi iyafana kuyo yonke indawo. Iqulekile, ayihlakaniphile futhi ayiphazamiseki. Ukukhanya kungamandla avela kohlakaniphileyo abadlule ekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo futhi bangaphezulu noma ngaphezu kokubonakaliswa. Lapho izihlakaniphi ziqondisa amandla azo okukhanya entweni engenambandela nefanayo, okuwubumnyama, leyo ngxenye yento noma ubumnyama, futhi okuqondiswe kuyo ukukhanya, iqala ukusebenza. Ngokuqala komsebenzi, into eyayiyinye iba kabili. Esenzweni ubumnyama noma ingqikithi akuseyona into, kodwa kukabili. Lokhu kubili kwento noma ubumnyama kwaziwa ngokuthi yindaba yomoya. Umoya kanye nodaba yizinto ezimbili eziphikisanayo zento eyodwa, ewumsuka wayo, kodwa indaba yomoya isebenza. Amayunithi lapho ingqikithi ihlukaniswa khona njengendaba yomoya, kanye nendaba yomoya ebonakaliswayo iyonke, kugcizelele kubo futhi imvelaphi yomzali wabo oyimpande kanye nembangela yesenzo sabo noma ukubonakaliswa. Into iyimpande kanye nomzali wayo yonke iyunithi yezinhlayiya ezingahlukaniseki zesisindo esibonakalayo kanye nesisindo sisonke. Ukukhanya kuyimbangela yokuvezwa kanye nesenzo kuyunithi ngayinye kanye nenqwaba ebonisayo iyonke. Ukuze kuyunithi ngayinye engabonakali, kanye nakuyo yonke inqwaba ebonisayo iyonke imelelwe: umzali oyimpande njengento kanye namandla abambayo njengokukhanya. Engxenyeni ngayinye ebizwa nge-spirit-matter kukhona okungenzeka kube ngumzali, into, namandla, ukukhanya. Into imelelwa leyo ngxenye yeyunithi engenakuhlukaniswa ebizwa ngokuthi i-matter, futhi ukukhanya kumelelwa olunye uhlangothi noma ingxenye yeyunithi efanayo engenakuhlukaniswa ebizwa ngokuthi umoya. Yonke imikhathi noma ukubonakaliswa kubizwa ukuba kuphume entweni engaqondakali noma ebumnyameni ukuze kubonakaliswe ngamandla okukhanya obuhlakani, futhi lokhu kukhanya kugcina indaba yomoya ngaleyo ndlela ibizelwe esenzweni ngokuqhubekayo phakathi nesikhathi sayo sokubonakaliswa. Ngesikhathi sokubonakaliswa ukukhanya okukhona ngokubonakaliswa nobumnyama kuyimbangela yalokho esikubiza ngokuthi ukukhanya. Indaba ebonakaliswayo yimbangela yalokho esikubiza ngobumnyama. Ukukhanya nobumnyama kubonakala kungqubuzana njalo futhi kubonakala kunikezana indawo kulo lonke ukubonakala. Imini nobusuku, ukuvuka nokulala, ukuphila nokufa, kuyiziphambano noma izinhlangothi ezihlehlayo zento efanayo. Lezi zimbangi zisebenza ngokushintshana ezikhathini ezimfushane noma ezinde, kuze kube yilapho ubumnyama buphenduka ukukhanya. Ngamunye ubonakala komunye njengokungathandeki nakuba okunye kuyisidingo komunye. Umuntu unobumnyama namandla okukhanya kuye. Kumuntu izinzwa ziwubumnyama bakhe futhi ingqondo yakhe ingukukhanya kwakhe. Kodwa lokhu ngokuvamile akubhekwa kanjalo. Ezizweni umqondo ubonakala njengobumnyama. Emqondweni izinzwa zimnyama. Lokho ezinzwa kubonakala sengathi kuvela elangeni, sikubiza ngokukhanya kwelanga. Emqondweni izinzwa nalokho ezikubiza ngokukhanya kufana nobumnyama lapho, ingqondo, ikhanyiswa amandla okukhanya obuhlakani bayo bomzali. Ukukhanya kwelanga nokuqonda okuhlakaniphile ngakho kungase kufike kithi nakuba ingqondo igxilile futhi ingqubuzana nobumnyama; khona-ke sizobona ukukhanya kwelanga njengokubonakaliswa noma uphawu lokukhanya kwangempela. Ubumnyama bunikeza indawo futhi buyaguqulwa bube ukukhanya okuhlala njalo njengoba bunqotshwa imibono kanye nezenzo zomqondo.

Iyini i-radium futhi kungenzeka kanjani ukuba ilahle ngokuqhubekayo amandla amakhulu ngaphandle kokulahlekelwa nokulahleka okubonakalayo kwamandla nomzimba wayo, futhi yini eyimithombo ye-radioactivity yayo enkulu?

Kucatshangwa ukuthi umbhali wombuzo ujwayelene nezitatimende zesayensi mayelana nokutholakala kwakamuva kwe-radium, njengokukhishwa kwayo ku-pitchblende, ukutholwa kwayo nguMadame Curie, amandla ayo okukhanya, umphumela wesenzo sayo kwezinye izinhlaka, ukushoda kanye nobunzima bokuhambela ukukhiqizwa kwayo.

I-Radium yisimo somzimba sendaba lapho amandla nodaba olungcono kunomzimba lubonakaliswa khona ezinzwa. I-Radium iwudaba oluphathekayo oluthintana nolunye udaba futhi amandla ngokuvamile okucatshangwa ukuthi ayacatshangelwa. I-Ether kanye nalawa mandla ayizimo zento ecokeme kakhulu kunomzimba futhi asebenza phezu noma ngalokho okubizwa ngokuthi indaba ebonakalayo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi indaba ebonakalayo iyidayimane noma i-molecule ye-hydrogen. Ukube bekungengenxa yendaba ye-ethereal noma ecatshangelwayo esebenza ngendaba yenyama bekungeke kube khona ushintsho noma ukubola kwento ebonakalayo. Isenzo sokucwenga nge-gross matter sidala inhlanganisela “yamakhemikhali” kanye nezinguquko zendaba ekusetshenzisweni okuvamile nanjengoba kusingathwa osokhemisi.

I-Radium iyindaba engokwenyama eyenziwa ngokuqondile noma nge-astral matter ngaphandle kwesici sesithathu futhi ngaphandle kokushintshwa ngokubonakalayo isenzo se-astral matter. Okunye okubonakalayo kwenziwa yi-astral matter, kodwa ngezinga elincane kune-radium. Ngokuvamile, imiphumela yesenzo se-astral kwezinye izinto ezibonakalayo ayibonakali ngoba izinto ezibonakalayo azikwazi ukunikeza ukuxhumana nokumelana nendaba ye-astral ehlinzekwa yi-radium, kanti ezinye izinto eziningi azithinteki ngokuqondile ne-astral matter njengoba kunjalo. i-radium. Izinhlayiya ezingapheli nezingabonakali ze-radium zikhona kuzo zonke izinto. Kodwa kuze kube manje i-pitchblende ibonakala iwumthombo lapho zingaqoqwa khona ngenani elikhulu kakhulu, nakuba lincane. Lapho izinhlayiya ezibizwa ngokuthi i-radium zihlanganiswa zibe isisindo esisodwa, i-astral matter isebenza ngokuqondile kuyo futhi ngayo ngekhwalithi namandla abonakala ezinzwa.

Umsebenzi womsakazo we-radium awukho, njengoba sekushiwo manje, ngenxa yokuzikhiqiza noma ukulahla izinhlayiya zomzimba wayo. Indaba ebonakalayo okwakhiwa ngayo i-radium ayinikezi umsebenzi womsakazo noma amanye amandla abonakala ngayo. I-Radium ayiwona amandla, kodwa iyindlela yamandla. (Indaba ikabili futhi ikhona ezindizeni ezihlukene. Endizeni ngayinye ibalulekile lapho ingenzi lutho futhi inamandla lapho isebenza. Ngakho-ke udaba olubonakalayo luyindaba eguquguqukayo futhi amandla ayinto esebenzayo. I-astral matter i-passive astral matter kanye namandla ku-astral. Indiza iyindaba ye-astral esebenzayo.) I-Radium ingumzimba lapho udayi lwezinkanyezi lubonakala khona. I-Radium iyindaba yezwe elibonakalayo; umsakazo wudaba lwe-astral oluvela emhlabeni we-astral olubonakala kusetshenziswa i-radium ebonakalayo. Umhlaba wezinkanyezi uzungeza futhi udabula umhlaba wenyama, futhi, njengoba udaba lwawo luhamba kahle, lungaphakathi futhi ngokusebenzisa izinto ezibonakalayo ezimbi kakhulu, njengoba isayensi ithi i-ether ingaphakathi noma nge-crowbar, noma njengoba kwaziwa ukuthi ugesi usebenza futhi emanzini. Njengekhandlela elinikeza ukukhanya, i-radium ikhipha ukukhanya noma amandla. Kodwa ngokungafani nekhandlela, alishi ekukhanyiseni. Njengejeneretha noma intambo kagesi ebonakala ikhiqiza ukushisa noma ukukhanya noma amandla, i-radium ibonakala ikhiqiza noma ilahla amandla; futhi kunjalo, mhlawumbe. Kodwa ukukhanya noma amanye amandla abonakala sengathi akhiqizwa awanikezwa ngocingo. Kuyaziwa ukuthi amandla kagesi awaveli ku-dynamo noma ocingweni lukagesi. Kuyaziwa futhi ukuthi ugesi obonakala njengokushisa noma ukukhanya noma amandla uqondiswe ocingweni. Ngendlela efanayo, leyo khwalithi noma amandla aziwa ngokuthi umsebenzi womsakazo ubonakala nge-radium evela emthonjeni okwamanje ongaziwa kwisayensi. Kodwa umthombo awuyona i-radium njengoba nje nomthombo kagesi uyi-dynamo noma ucingo. Izinhlayiya zomzimba wayo ziyalahlwa futhi zishiswe noma zisetshenziswe ngezinga elincane kunezinhlayiya ze-dynamo noma intambo kagesi ngokusebenza kwamandla kagesi. Umthombo walokho okubonakala nge-radium ufana nomthombo wokubonakaliswa kukagesi. Zombili ziphuma emthonjeni ofanayo. Umehluko phakathi kokubonakaliswa kukagesi njengokushisa, ukukhanya noma amandla kanye nalokho okubonakala nge-radium ebonakalayo kuyindlela yokubonakaliswa hhayi kugesi noma umsakazo. Izinhlayiya ezakhiwe i-dynamo, ijeneretha noma ucingo, azikho ezingeni elifanayo nezinhlayiya okwakhiwa ngazo i-radium. Indaba ye-astral kanye namandla asebenza endabeni yezinkanyezi asebenza ngqo ku-radium ngaphandle kwanoma iyiphi enye into noma ukulamula. Umsinga odlala ngocingo lukagesi ubonakaliswa ngezinye izici, njengamabhethri, omagnethi, amajeneretha, ama-dynamos, isitimu nophethiloli. Azikho kulezi zici ezidingekayo yi-radium ngoba ixhumene ngqo nayo futhi ngokwayo ivumela indaba ye-astral ukuthi ibonakale ngayo noma ngayo, i-radium.

Kuyaziwa ukuthi amandla kagesi awadluli ocingweni, kodwa azungeze ucingo. Kuzophinde kutholakale ukuthi ngendlela efanayo umsebenzi womsakazo awukho kwi-radium, kodwa uzungeze noma umayelana ne-radium. Abasebenza ngogesi bazamile futhi basazama ukwenza ezinye izindlela amandla kagesi angenziwa ukuze abonakale futhi aqondiswe ngaphandle kokusebenzisa isitimu noma isibaseli noma isenzo se-galvanic. I-Radium iphakamisa futhi ikhombisa ukuthi lokhu kungenziwa kanjani.

Umngani [HW Percival]