Ikhala lenja: kukhona yini okungaqhathaniswa nalo?

Kungakho abantu kade baqala ukusebenzisa leli khono lezinja ngezinhloso zabo:

• Izinja zisiza ngophenyo lokushiswa kwempahla. Ikhala labo lingahogela isipuni sikaphethiloli esicishe sibe yisigidigidi - akukabikho i-analogue kule ndlela yokuthola iminonjana yokushiswa kwempahla.
• Izinja zisiza amaphoyisa namasosha ukuthola izidakamizwa, amabhomu nezinye iziqhumane.
• Basiza ukuthola abantu ngokuhogela ngesikhathi sokusesha nokuhlenga.
• Muva nje kutholakale ukuthi izinja zingaqeqeshelwa ukubona izinhlobo ezithile zomdlavuza, okuhlanganisa umdlavuza wesibeletho nowendlala yesinye, imelanoma nomdlavuza wamaphaphu, kanye nokubona umalaleveva nesifo sikaParkinson. Ngokocwaningo lweMedical Detection Dogs, izinja zingaqeqeshelwa ukuzwa iphunga lokugula, elilingana nethisipuni likashukela elihlanjululwe ngamanzi kuma-swimming pool amabili ama-Olympic.

Kodwa inkinga ukuthi azikho izinja eziningi eziqeqeshwe kukho konke lokhu. Futhi ukuqeqeshwa kwabo kubiza kakhulu, ngakho-ke kukhona ukushoda "kwamakhala ezinja". Ngakho-ke, akumangazi ukuthi ososayensi bafuna ukukhiqiza kabusha leli khono elingavamile le-canine ngosizo lwezinto zokwakha, ezobuchwepheshe noma zokwenziwa.

Ingabe isayensi ingadala i-analogue yekhala lenja?

E-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, isazi se-physics u-Andreas Mershin, kanye nomeluleki wakhe u-Shuguang Zhang, benza uchungechunge lwezifundo ukuze bafunde ukuthi ikhala lenja lisebenza kanjani, bese benza irobhothi elingakwazi ukukhiqiza kabusha le nqubo. Ngenxa yokuhlolwa okuhlukahlukene, bakwazile ukudala "i-Nano-nose" - mhlawumbe lokhu kuwumzamo wokuqala ophumelelayo wokudala umuzwa wokwenziwa wokuhogela. Kodwa okwamanje, le Nano-Nose ingumtshina nje, njengomtshina we-carbon monoxide, isibonelo - ayikwazi ukuhumusha idatha eyitholayo.

I-Startup Aromyx izama ukusebenzisa inzwa yokuhogela ngezinjongo zokuthengisa. Le nkampani ifuna ukubeka wonke ama-receptors olfactory angama-400 ku-chip, ngokungafani ne-Nano-Nose, esebenzisa kuphela ama-receptors athile we-20, kuye ngokusetshenziswa okuhlosiwe.

Umgomo oyinhloko wawo wonke amaphrojekthi anjalo ukudala into ezosabela ekuhogeleni ngendlela efanayo nekhala lenja. Futhi mhlawumbe akukude.

Kodwa ingabe izinja zinamakhala amahle kakhulu?

Eqinisweni, kunezinye izinhlobo eziningana zezilwane ezinomuzwa omuhle kakhulu wokuhogela futhi zingaphambi kwezinja kulokhu.

Kukholakala ukuthi umuzwa obukhali kakhulu wokuhogela ezindlovu: bathola inani elikhulu lezakhi zofuzo ezinquma iphunga. Izindlovu zingakwazi ngisho nokuhlukanisa phakathi kwezizwe zabantu eKenya, ngokocwaningo lwango-2007: isizwe esisodwa (amaMasai) sizingela futhi sibulale izindlovu, kanti esinye isizwe (amaKamba) singazingeli.

Amabhere nawo aphakeme kunezinja. Nakuba ubuchopho babo buncane ngokuphindwe kabili kwezintathu kunomuntu, umuzwa wabo wokuhogela ungcono izikhathi ezi-2. Ngokwesibonelo, ibhere elimhlophe likwazi ukuhogela insikazi eqhele ngamakhilomitha ayikhulu.

Amagundane namagundane ayaziwa futhi ngokuzwa kwawo ukuhogela. Futhi ushaka omkhulu omhlophe ungezwa ngisho neconsi elilodwa legazi ebangeni elingaphezu kwekhilomitha.

Kodwa kuyacaca ukuthi zonke lezi zilwane, ngokungafani nezinja, azikwazi ukusiza umuntu, yingakho kuyiphunga lenja elaziswa kakhulu ngabantu.

7 September 2020

Kuvuselelwe: Septhemba 7, 2020