Unveiling Nature's Imposter: The Prolific Tree That Defies Eradication

The tree known as Chinese Toon belongs to the genus *Toona* in the mahogany family, while the Tree of Heaven belongs to the genus *Ailanthus* in the quassia family, representing two distinct species in botany. However, their appearance is so similar that without plucking a leaf to crush and smell, it is very difficult to distinguish one from the other, leading many to confuse them. In ancient Chinese texts, the Chinese Toon was referred to as "Chun," while the Tree of Heaven was called "Chu." As Chu is neither pleasant-smelling nor useful as timber, its appearance in literary works often serves to create an unpleasant atmosphere. Nevertheless, the Tree of Heaven possesses remarkable reproductive capabilities through diverse methods, including both sexual and asexual reproduction. The female trees are highly productive, generating thousands of fruit clusters annually, with each cluster containing hundreds of seeds. A mature female Tree of Heaven can stably produce over 300,000 seeds every year! Additionally, the Tree of Heaven has a strong suckering ability, allowing it to generate numerous root sprouts from the base of the parent tree, forming clusters of single-sex "clonal colonies" for efficient asexual reproduction. This suckering capability grants the Tree of Heaven tenacious vitality, making control through mere cutting entirely impossible! A felled Tree of Heaven will regenerate a large number of sprouts from its base, capable of growing from a stump into a cluster of trees over 10 meters tall within just a few years.

How did my robotic companion master Drunken Fist without me noticing? Many have watched the Spring Festival Gala, where challenging martial arts movements like sweeping kicks, flips, and Drunken Fist were successfully replicated by robots. How are these actions achieved? First is the robot's ability to perform precise and powerful movements. When given a target action and position, the robot calculates the optimal movement strategy from the final outcome, a process known as inverse kinematics. A humanoid robot must compute the motion angles for its various joints and continuously optimize its actions. While humans rely on muscle contraction for force, robots depend on electric motors. In martial arts maneuvers, robots utilize the high torque of their motors to simulate the high explosive power of human muscles, enabling them to execute difficult movements with ease. Second is how the robot maintains balance after movement. When humans lose balance, we instinctively step in the direction of the tilt to stabilize ourselves—an evolved reflex. Robots lack this instinct and must rely on algorithms to simulate it. Observing the robots' martial arts performances closely, some robots exhibit a small "adjustment step" upon landing, which is part of their process for recalibrating their center of gravity. Robots use zero-moment point control to constantly monitor their center of gravity. If instability is detected and the center deviates from the support base, the control system calculates the optimal corrective strategy within milliseconds and swiftly adjusts the posture. The entire adjustment process is extremely fast, hardly affecting the execution of subsequent actions.

The challenge of lithium batteries being susceptible to cold has been overcome. Recently, a team led by Academician Chen Zhongwei at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, completed field tests for ultra-low-temperature lithium batteries in Mohe, Heilongjiang. This milestone indicates that China's self-developed battery technology can now support various devices in achieving "plug-and-play" functionality under extreme cold conditions, solving the problem of energy supply in polar regions. The team's independently developed ultra-low-temperature battery technology and its accompanying artificial intelligence power management system address the industry's pain points of sharp declines in activity, rapid reduction in endurance, and even failure of traditional lithium batteries in low temperatures. This is achieved through innovative designs for cold-resistant electrolytes, the development of quasi-solid-state functional separators, and the integration of advanced AI battery management algorithms. In extremely cold environments as low as -34 degrees Celsius, these lithium batteries, without any external insulation measures, can retain over 85% of their effective capacity after being idle for more than 8 hours. They have successfully powered industrial-grade drones to complete long-endurance flights and simulate multiple tasks. This achievement is expected to resolve the issue of batteries "fearing the cold" in extremely cold regions, infusing "warm energy" into operational scenarios such as forest fire prevention, power line inspection, and emergency communications in high-latitude areas of China and globally. The widespread application of this technology will strategically enhance China's energy autonomy and the reliability of technological equipment in extreme cold environments, while also potentially offering Chinese solutions to other regions facing similar challenges. It is reported that in the future, ultra-low-temperature battery technology and AI power systems will be widely used in 3C electronic products and will also ensure that outdoor operational terminals like logistics drones, inspection drones, and specialized robots are no longer limited by cold seasons and regions.

Why is Apple considered the 'fruit deity' for office workers? Apple can be called the "lazy person's delight" in the fruit world. You can just wash it and take a bite directly, with no need to peel or remove seeds. Grab one for breakfast, enjoy one during a break, or carry one when heading out—it's all about convenience, speed, and ease. To earn the title "fruit deity," Apple's health benefits are also maximized! It is rich in various bioactive compounds, which is why it is also referred to as a "functional" food. Besides being convenient and healthy to eat, Apple is particularly good for storage, staying fresh for days and nights without spoiling! Why is that? This is thanks to Apple's thick skin. The edible part of an Apple is actually its hypanthium, which is part of its flower, not the fruit itself; we habitually call the Apple's outer layer the "skin." The skin of an Apple consists of a very dense layer of cells that lock in moisture and resist the invasion of external microorganisms, providing excellent self-protection for the fruit. Additionally, the respiration rate of the Apple itself can change. Under appropriate ratios of oxygen and carbon dioxide, it can enter a nearly dormant state, which also helps extend its shelf life.

In ancient times, how many days did long and short months have? During the Xia Dynasty, people referred to a complete cycle of the moon's phases as a "lunation" or "synodic month," which is the average period of the Moon's orbit around Earth relative to the Sun. To use whole numbers, ancient people defined a long month as 30 days and a short month as 29 days.