"Newton's Apple" Theme

"Newton's Apple" was an educational PBS show that ran from 1983 to 1998.

This was the theme to the show for some period of time between 1990, when 3M took over the sponsorship from DuPont, and 1994, when the educational CD-ROM "What's the Secret" came out with this video on it.

This video predates the widespread use of MPEG, and was originally compressed using MS-CRAM (Microsoft Video 1), which explains why the quality is... questionable. :)

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Newton's
• Apple
• PBS
• Theme
• TV
• KTCA

[redape6870]

blatent ripoff of Kraftwerk's "Pocket Calculator".

[rask330]

I see some similarities there, but I don't know that I'd really call it a ripoff. Pocket Calculator is a pretty awesome song, though. :D

[p0llenp0ny]

Umm.. It is Kraftwerk. A song of theirs called Ruckzuck. This is not the original version however.

[rask330]

I think you're at least half right... youtube'd Ruckzuck and came up with something that I believe was one of Newton's Apple's theme songs... I think after David Heil took over from Ira Flatow.

[LambdaCalculus379]

The very first version of the theme song was "Ruckzuck" from the German electronic band Kraftwerk. I remember hearing the Kraftwerk version a couple of times, before it was changed to the cover used in later episodes.

Has anyone ever found the opening with Kraftwerk's version of "Ruckzuck" used instead?

[kschwarz88]

This and Bill Nye

[synthastia]

Good lord! I love Newton's Apple and I love Kraftwek! Who would have known the theme of that show was from them!

[MaxxFordham]

@rask330

Yeah, you're right! Well we know for sure that it's that first part of Ruckzuck combined with... something! :) Yep, a piano. I believe it.

[rask330]

@MaxxFordham That's interesting. It sounds a bit like Ruckzuck combined with the background piano from this version of the theme.

[MaxxFordham]

@LambdaCalculus379

Oh, also, I just now spotted a Ruckzuck version of Newton's Apple opener here. You can find it by searching for Bob McCoy. That music sounds a little embellished, though. They took that first bit of Ruckzuck and added instruments to it. Now... I can't remember if there was ever a version that ONLY used that part of Ruckzuck, or if it's always been embellished.

I wish I could just post the link here for you!

[MaxxFordham]

@LambdaCalculus379

Oh, but you know what, that first third or so of Ruckzuck wasn't the very first version. There was a version before that, as I'm being reminded of by some of the other videos here. And now, come to think of it, I think I can remember... a little bit... the earliest version, too (but not as well as I remember that first third of Ruckzuck).

[MaxxFordham]

@LambdaCalculus379

Yeah, THAT'S the theme song version that *I* remember best from this show!

[MaxxFordham]

@kschwarz88

What about... this and Bill Nye?

[MaxxFordham]

@LambdaCalculus379

Yes, I have in fact! But the system won't let me post the link to it. (I know... stupid.) You'll just have to... you know... do a search for it yourself. But no biggy, you should be able to find it reasably easily.

[MaxxFordham]

Oh, sorry... NOW I go and read the rest of your description!

Okay, so you uploaded a crappy video file that you explained. Well, fineree, then. :) But then... well, why not now just recompress the original file or reupload the original file, or if the original, uncompressed file is lost, just recapture from the source that this was capture from?

[MaxxFordham]

What caused your picture to be all dithered (like low color depth on a computer)?

Hey, that's different from the Newton's Apple theme I remember. Hmm....