Newton's Apple

Newton's Apple
200px The Newton's Apple title.
Created by	James Steinbach
Starring	Ira Flatow David Heil Peggy Knapp SuChin Pak Dave Huddleston Brian Hackney Eileen Galindo
Country of origin	United States
Production
Running time	30 Minutes
Production company(s)	KTCA
Release
Audio format	Mono (1983-1984) Stereo (1984-1999)
Original release	October 15, 1983 – October 31, 1999
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

Newton's Apple is an American educational television program produced and developed by KTCA, and distributed to PBS stations in the United States that ran from October 15, 1983 to January 3, 1998 and in re-runs until October 31, 1999. The show's title is based on the rumor of Isaac Newton sitting under a tree and an apple falling near him—or, more popularly, on his head—prompting him to ponder what makes things fall, leading to the development of his theory of gravitation (an event often loosely described as him "discovering" gravity). The show was produced by Twin Cities Public Television (tpt). For most of the run, the show's theme song was Ruckzuck by Kraftwerk, later remixed by Absolute Music. Earlier- and later- episodes of the show featured an original song.

NPR science correspondent (and current host of Science Friday) Ira Flatow was the show's first host, later succeeded by David Heil, then assistant director of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Peggy Knapp was a longtime field reporter and served as co-host in the 14th season. The last season was hosted by the team of David Heil, Dave Huddleston, actress and voiceover artist Eileen Galindo, Brian Hackney and SuChin Pak, now a frequent host and pop culture reporter for MTV. An occasional short feature appeared called "Science of the Rich and Famous" in which celebrities appeared to explain a science principle; as examples, rock star Ted Nugent explained guitar feedback, Olympic Gold Medalist skater Scott Hamilton demonstrated the angular momentum of a skater's spin, Let's Make a Deal host Monty Hall demonstrated the science of probability, and Betty White showed how cats purr.

"Newton's Apple" won numerous national awards including the American Association for the Advancement of Science Science Journalism Award, the Parent's Choice Award, and in 1989, the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Series. James W. Head III was biology consultant for the series.

A segment in the early years was entitled "Newton's Lemons" which used 1950s era newsreels of a then-futuristic device that had long since been forgotten.

Episodes

Season 1 (1983-1984)

• Body Fat/Fiberoptics/Fainting Chat/Dolphins (October 15, 1983)
• Voiceprints/Curveball/Goosebumps Chat/Hawk (October 22, 1983)
• Astronaut Training/How A Hand Falls Asleep/Clouded Leopard (October 29, 1983)
• Hypnosis/Sky Blue/Seeing Stars Chat/Cold Remedies (November 5, 1983)
• Visual Cliff/Heart/Ears Pop Chat/Wolves (November 12, 1983)
• Video Games/Holograms/Funnybone Chat/Onions & Tears Chat (November 19, 1983)
• Color Blindness/Taste Buds/Black Hole Chat (November 26, 1983)
• Digital Sound/Eggs/Teeth Chatter Chat/Camel (December 3, 1983)
• Ultrasound/Spacesuit/Knuckles Crack Chat/Porcupine (December 10, 1983)
• Robots/X-Terrestrials/Headaches Chat/Parrots (December 17, 1983)
• Wagon Wheel/Prosthetics/Armadillo (December 24, 1983)
• Police Radar / Voice Synthesis / Skin/Wrinkles Chat / Snake & Lizard (December 31, 1983)
• Karate; Lightning; Tears Chat; Oppossum (January 7, 1984)

Season 2 (1984-1985)

• Mummies; Bicycles; Helium Chat; Owl (October 13, 1984)
• Hot-Air Balloons; Hearing; Side Stitch Chat; Beluga Whales (October 20, 1984)
• Fire; Artificial Heart; Penguins (October 27, 1984)
• Lie Detector; Golf Balls; Hiccup Chat; Cold Remedies (November 3, 1984)
• Imploding Buildings; Snoring; Stomach Growl Chat; Walrus (November 10, 1984)
• Computer Graphics; Smell; Tarantula Chat; Inventors' Fair (November 17, 1984)
• Pain; Optical Illusions; Wine Glass Sing Chat; Iguana (November 24, 1984)
• Electricity; Vision; Tennis Elbow Chat; Bubbles (December 1, 1984)
• Thermography; Voice; Yawn Chat; Pronghorn (December 8, 1984)
• Car Crash; Allergies; Blush Chat; Reindeer (December 15, 1984)
• Sports Clinics; Radioactivity; Acne Chat; Baby Tigers (December 22, 1984)
• Space Shuttle (December 29, 1984)
• Balance; Cooking; Scientists Disagree; Eagle (January 5, 1985)

Season 3 (1985-1986)

• Earnie; Rainbow; Popcorn Chat; Pygmy Hippo (October 12, 1984)
• Dinosaurs; Bullet Proof Vest; Heartburn Chat; Killer Whales (October 22, 1984)
• Space Shuttle; Rube Goldberg; Crazy Inventions (October 29, 1984)
• Chimp Communication; Bends; Sweating Chat; Cold Remedies (November 2, 1985)
• Boomerangs; Cooking Chemistry; Bears (November 9, 1985)
• Comets; Perpetual Motion; Warts Chat; Sharks (November 16, 1985)
• FBI; Stomach; Llama (November 23, 1985)
• Cancer; Tennis Racquets; Sneezing Chat; Badger (November 30, 1985)
• Punting A Football; Color; Jet Lag Chat; Sea Lions (December 7, 1985)
• Muscles & Bones; Einstein; Falling Stars Chat; Raptor Center (December 14, 1985)
• Earthquakes; Lungs; Bats (December 21, 1985)
• Headaches; Eggs/Equinox; Hot Pepper Chat; Inventors' Fair; Lion (December 28, 1985)
• Singing In The Shower; Calories; Sun Tanning Chat; Patagonian Cavy (January 4, 1986)

VHS Releases

#	VHS Episode Title	Release Date
1	Newton's Apple - Episode 1	September 26, 1990
2	Newton's Apple - Episode 2	August 7, 1991
3	Artificial Heart	August 7, 1991
4	Boomering Stars Chat	August 7, 1991
5	Mummies Sport Clinic	August 7, 1991
6	Episode 6	August 7, 1991
7	Dinosaurs Bulletproof	August 7, 1991
7	Science Homeschool	August 7, 1991

External links

• Twin Cities Public Television: Newton's Apple
• Newton's Apple at IMDb