350 years ago, an apple fell gently from a branch that inspired Isaac Newton to think about gravity, and this extraordinary apple tree became a global symbol of scientific exploration and discovery. On March 25th, this Newton apple tree, which carries the spirit of science and wisdom, came to Huangpu from Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, and settled on the lawn of Shanghai Science Hall.
From No. 84 Yandang Road into the Shanghai Science Hall, all the way straight to the front of the big lawn, in the eyes full of verdant greenery, you can see a striking white fence at a glance, the fence protects the only Newton apple tree in China with two certificates, one is the "birth certificate" issued by the British Trust Fund, and the other is the "ID card" issued by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
The sign in front of Newton's apple tree shows the name of the apple tree and the time it was settled in the Science Hall in both Chinese and English. Stop and look closely, compared to March 25, when the Newton apple tree settled in the science hall in the spring rain, the branches of the Newton apple tree have sprouted many tender green shoots, and small apple blossoms are hidden in the middle, some are budding, and some have already stretched their petals. The young green shoots and pink and white petals are full of vitality and vitality. The branches stretch across the boundaries of time and space, and every flower and leaf seems to tell the story of science, inspiring people to explore the unknown and pursue the truth.
Tips: Civilized visit
Walk along the cobblestone paths on either side of the Great Lawn to reach the Newton apple tree
It is understood that the Newton apple tree is a national cultural relic in the United Kingdom, managed by the British National Trust, and Queen Elizabeth issued a conservation order for the tree. In 2014, British astronauts brought the seeds of the Newtonian apple tree into space. Now, Newton's apple trees have been transplanted from the small town of Woolthop, Lincolnshire, and Newton's ideas are sown like the seeds of the apple tree.
Newton's apple tree at the University of Cambridge
The fate of Newton's apple trees and Shanghai began in 2014, through the initiative of scientists represented by Academician Yang Fujia, chairman of the Fifth Committee of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as the Municipal Association for Science and Technology), and under the promotion of the then British Consul General in Shanghai (now the British Consul General in Shanghai) Bao Maixiu, the Municipal Association for Science and Technology got in touch with the British National Trust and expressed the desire to introduce Newton apple trees. The Foundation replied to the letter of approval to prune and graft to Shanghai, and sincerely invited the delegation of the Association for Science and Technology to go to Woollshow Manor in Lincolnshire, England to prune.
With the approval of the State Forestry Administration, in March 2015, five Newtonian apple tree branches imported from the United Kingdom entered the customs from Shanghai Pudong International Airport and were successfully grafted onto the potted apple tree under the operation of the chief horticulturist of Shanghai that night. With the efforts of the technicians, this Newton apple tree, the only one in the country with two certificates, successfully overcame the problems of water and soil adaptation, and grew, flowered and fruited in Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden. And finally, hundreds of years later, it officially became part of the Shanghai Science Hall.
Newton's apple trees bloom and bear fruit in the Chenshan Botanical Garden
As a warm home for academic exchanges among scientific and technological workers, Shanghai Science Hall has always been a sacred temple for scientists to "contend", and in 2022, it was successfully selected as the first batch of "Scientist Spirit Education Bases" in China. The arrival of the Newton apple tree not only inherits the spirit of scientists, but also becomes a witness to the friendship and scientific exchanges between China and the UK.
It is hoped that the scientific spirit represented by the Newton apple tree will inspire more and more young talents who are full of passion and dreams for science to create the future, and thus leave more scientific seeds and bear more scientific fruits. Academician Zhang Jie, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chairman of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology, said that one of the important responsibilities of the Association for Science and Technology is to popularize science, and the core essence of science popularization is to enable the scientific spirit to take root and sprout among the public. The "Newton Apple Tree" connects the cultures and wisdom of the East and the West, and the Municipal Association for Science and Technology hopes to further inspire the public's curiosity about science by introducing the apple tree. "The lawn and apple trees in the Science Hall are open, and teenagers are welcome to come and grow with the apple trees. ”