EBI bigambo by’Omukama Sulemani ebirukwoleka nk’oku abantu behurra. Kuruga kara abantu baikaire n’ekihika eky’okugonza kwomeera ebiro n’ebiro, n’obukiraaba ngu obwomeezi bw’akacu kake kandi omuntu tasobora kweriinda okufa. Ebyafaayo nibyoleka ngu haroho enganikyo ezirukwoleka ngu abantu baikaire nibaserra omulingo basobora kuhangaara emyaka nyingi.

Tekerezaaho ekyokurorraho eky’omusaija arukwetwa Gilgamesh ayali mukama w’ekicweka kya Sumer. Haroho enganikyo nyingi ezirukukwata ha bwomeezi bwe. Orumu ha nganikyo zinu nirwetwa Epic of Gilgamesh, orukugamba ngu akatandika kuserra omulingo nk’oku asobora kwetantara okufa baitu yalemwa.

Omu kyasa kya kana B.C.E., abantu abarukwetwa alchemists omu ihanga lya China bakakora omubazi ogurukwetwa “elixir of life” ogu batekeriize ngu nigusobora kuletera omuntu kuhangaara. Omubazi ogu, gukaba gurumu ebirungo ebirukwetwa mercury hamu na arsenic. Okuseruliiriza nikwoleka ngu omubazi ogu nigusobora kuba gwaletiire Abacaina baingi abaali bakama kufa. Omu kasumi akaali hagati ya 500 C.E. na 1500 C.E. omu Bulaaya, aba alchemists bakahindura ezaabu nukwo esobole kuliibwa. Bakaba nibatekereza ngu nk’oku ezaabu etasobora kuhwerekerezebwa, n’esobora kuletera omuntu kuhangaara.

Kasumi kanu, abanyasayansi nibalengaho kuseruliiriza habwaki emibiri y’abantu ekaikura. Amaani abanyasayansi agabarukuteeka omu kuseruliiriza, nigoleka ngu abantu nakasumi kanu nibakyanihira ngu nibasobora kutunga omulingo ogw’okwetantaramu okukaikura n’okufa. Baitu bintu ki ebirugire omu kuseruliiriza kunu?

Abanyasayansi abarukuseruliiriza h’akatafaali ak’omubiri gw’omuntu, boolekere ensonga ezirukuhingura omu 300, ezibarukutekereza ngu nizo ziretera abantu kukaikura n’okufa. Emyaka ey’enyuma, abanyasayansi bakasobora kuhindura endangabuzaale rundi genes hamu n’ekiriisa ekirukwetwa proteins kukonyera abantu n’ebisoro kutakura bwangu. Enkurakurana nka zinu ziretiire abantu kuhayo sente nukwo zikonyere abanyasayansikuseruliiriza ha kizibu eky’okufa. Biki ebirugiremu?

Kulengaho kuhangaaza obwomeezi. Abanyasayansi abamu nibatekereza ngu ensonga habwaki omuntu akaikura rundi agurusa nesigikirra ha bucweka oburukwetwa chromosomes oburukusangwa omunda y’obutafaali bw’omubiri. Obucweka bunu oburukwetwa chromosomes bwine obucweka obundi oburukwetwa Telomeres oburukuliinda obutumwa obuli omundangabuzaalekurora ngu tibwahinduka buli kasumi obutafaali obw’omubiri obuburukuba nibuzaara. Baitu buli kasumi obutafaali obw’omubiri obububa nibuzaara, obucweka oburukwetwa Telomeres bweyongera kuba bugufu. Kinu  kiretera obutafaali obw’omubiri kuleka kuzaara kandi omuntu atandika kukaikura rundi kugurusa.

Omukazi arukwetwa Elizabeth Blackburn ayahairwe omuddali omu 2009, uwe n’abantu be, bakazoora enzyme ey’erukukonyera telomeres kutarahuka kuba ngufu kandi kinu kikakonyera obutafaali obw’omubiri kutakaikura. Baitu kandi, ripooti ei bakozere n’eyoleka ngu telomeres “tizikonyera kwongera ha bwomeezi bw’omuntu​—rundi kusobozesa omuntu kuhingura ha myaka ey’abantu basemeriire kufeeraho.”

Okuhindahinduka okw’obutafaali obw’omubiri eri nsonga endi habwaki omubiri gukaikura. Obutafaali bwaitu obw’omubiri obubukura bulekeraho kuzaara, nibusobora kusindikira abaserikale b’omubiri obutumwa obutahikire kandi kinu nikisobora kuletera omubiri kuziimba, kusaasa muno, hamu n’okurwara. Obwire obw’enyumaho, abanyasayansi omu ihanga lya France bakahindura obutafaali obw’omubiri, obw’abantu abakuzire muno babusobozesa kwongera kuzaara. Omusaija ayayebembiire okuseruliiriza kunu, Professor Jean-Marc Lemaître akagamba ngu okuseruliiriza okubakozere kukooleka ngu nikisoboka kugarraho buhyaka obutafaali obw’omubiri.

Abanyasayansi baingi nibagamba ngu, n’obuharaaba haroho obujanjabi oburukutanga omuntu kukaikura, abantu tibarukwija kusobora kuhangaara kuhinguza emyaka omuntu ey’asemeriire kuhangarramu. Kuruga omu kyasa kya 19, obwomeezi bw’abantu busoboire kuhangaaraho kake habw’obwecumi, kweriinda endwaire, hamu n’okukozesa emibazi. Abanyasayansi abamu nibagamba ngu abantu tibamara emyaka ei basemeriire kumara.

Emyaka nka 3,500 enyuma, omu h’abasaija ayahandiikire Baibuli arukwetwa Musa akagamba ngu: “Ebiro ebyemyaka yaitu niyo myaka ensanju, rundi obwamani ehika emyaka kinana; baitu [ijwiremu] okutalibana nokutuntura kwonka; baitu ehwaho bwango, naitwe tuhera.” (Zabuli 90:10) Abantu n’obubaraaba batairemu amaani maingi kuhangaaza obwomeezi bwabo, obwomeezi busigaire nk’oku Musa yagambire.

Harubaju orundi, haroho ebisoro ebirukwetwa red sea urchin, hamu n’ekika kimu ekya quahog clam ebirukwikara omunyanja enkooto kandi ebirukuhangaara emyaka erukuhingura omu 200. Haroho n’emiti nk’ekyokurorraho omuti ogurukwetwa giant sequoia ogurukuhangaara enkumi n’enkumi y’emyaka. Obuturukulengesaniza obwomeezi bwaitu n’ebihangirwe nk’ebyo ebirukuhangaara kutukira, kituletera kwekaguza, ‘Abantu basemeriire kwomeera emyaka 70 rundi 80 yonka?’