|
Can
You Spell Com-pu-ter?
When he was in the second grade, Richard Newman built a
binary computer that won first place in the New York
Public School Science Fair. (That’s right. He built a
computer by himself in the second grade, at the point
where most kids are struggling to spell multisyllabic
words, like com-pu-ter.) That was in 1963.
Growing up in the Flushing, Queens section of New York,
the son of a furniture salesman and a psychologist, he
earned science awards and honors throughout his school
years, and in every year since, as well as recognition
for his generous donations and nearly herculean civic
projects.
Rick
with his Famous Robots
Preserving
Iconic Robots
Rick Newman is a steward, preserving that part of our
culture that is the bridge between childhood fascination
with “sci-fi” and sophisticated scientific
exploration. For him, amassing the largest private
collection of robots in the world, over a thousand and
growing, is not a matter of obsessive compulsion. It’s
a means of sharing his passion for science, and
inspiring children and students. And these aren’t just
any robots, they’re the most iconic robots from film
and television, including: Robby the Robot (Forbidden
Planet); B9 (Lost in Space); R2-D2 and C-3PO
(Star Wars); Gort (The Day the Earth Stood
Still); and a full-size Cylon (Battlestar
Galactica). Rick loans all of them, free of charge,
to organizations, museums, and schools, and displays
them in his own High-Tech Productions Science &
Technology Centers. He just wants others to experience
the same thrilling adrenaline charge that he gets.
A few
more of Rick's Robots
Wunderkind
Even before graduating from high school, Rick knew the
path that was right for him, and was ready to start out
on it. In his senior year, he became the manager of a
Lafayette Radio Electronics store in New York City.
Being immersed in a world of electronic components and
tools was a perfect fit. Prior to this, he had won all
school science fairs in all grades, and in his sophomore
year he also won both the New York City and New York
Statewide Science Fairs. That same year, he was a junior
co-host on a television science show called Earth
Lab. He received the Presidential Achievement Award
for Science; a Scientific Achievement Plaque from NASA;
a science grant from the American Institute of the City
of New York; became a den chief for a Cub Scout pack,
and then an Assistant Scoutmaster; and in the midst of
it all, he managed to graduate from ski school in
Switzerland (To see more of Rick’s accomplishments,
visit his website at www.hightechscience.org/rick_newman.htm).
Rick at
the New York World's Fair
Best
of the Borscht Belt
Rick circumvented college, and, after graduating high
school in 1973, opened the Spring Glen Penny Arcade,
which evolved into his own vending and amusements
company. This lead him to the Pines Resort Hotel in the
Catskills, where for the next 16 years he was the stage
manager for some of the greatest acts of the time, over
5,000 shows, including Milton Berle, Red Buttons, Jerry
Lewis, Alan King, Frankie Avalon, and the Fifth
Dimension. Rick loved the old, sprawling resort
retreats—Grossinger’s, Brickman’s, the Concord—
and the summer people who stayed there, families
escaping the pace of the city to vacation in the fresh
air of the Borscht Belt. He’s nostalgic about
the loss of that era, so accurately depicted in the 1987
film, Dirty Dancing. And he’s saddened by the
news that beloved friend and tummler Lou Goldstein,
a.k.a. “Mr. Simon Sez,” passed away earlier this
year. His favorite star that he worked with was Florence
Henderson, with whom he developed a close friendship.
“I grew up watching her on The Brady Bunch.
She’s really a sweetheart.”
|
 |
| Rick
w/ Florence Henderson |
Rick
w/ Alan King |
Three
important components of Rick’s success came from those
years in the Catskills. While he was becoming a crack
audio/video engineer and acquiring a flair for show biz,
he was also developing his natural inclination to
educate and inspire, as a Special Education instructor.
He still loves to teach and educate, and shares his
considerable knowledge in many ways. He also met and
married his wife of 18 years, Jeanne, who supports his
creativity and often helps him on projects.
High-Tech
Productions
Drawn to the sunshine and lifestyle, Rick and Jeanne
moved to Florida in 1992, where he traded in a winter
wardrobe for his signature Hawaiian shirts and cargo
shorts. His company of over 30 years, High-Tech
Productions, includes a duplication and transfer service
which now proudly proclaims at its website is
“America’s Number One Video/ Data/ Disc company.”
High-Tech has an enviable client list of Fortune 500
companies, including CNN, Sony, IBM, McDonald’s, U.S.
Military, U.S. Postal Service, Pepsi, and NASA.
As
a technical stage advisor and coordinator, Rick oversaw
huge festivals and concerts, including Woodstock ’89.
He also designed and installed million dollar sound,
lighting, and video systems in all kinds of venues, plus
security and surveillance systems. When he added
videography, he soon became the official videographer
for such prominent clients as the 83rd
Infantry, U.S. Army.
Once
his company was comfortably profitable, Rick started
collecting. He collected robots. He collected
international space artifacts. He collected geodes and
minerals. He collected butterflies and insects. He
collected all-electric vehicles. He collected
remote-controlled helicopters and cars. In most of these
categories, he has amassed a collection that any museum
would envy. And he’s still collecting.
Calling
All Robots
So, what does the man with more robots than anyone else
in the world want? “More robots!” says Rick.
“I’ll take anything, in any condition. I can fix
everything in my shop. The more I have, the more I can
put out there for people to see.” And he means
it; his garage has been converted into an impressive
workshop, loaded with specialty tools to address any
technical or cosmetic problem. There is one special
robot that has eluded him, and he’s still looking for
it. “I wish I could find the robot from Bicentennial
Man, the movie with Robin Williams.” He’s
referring to the android named Andrew Martin in the 1999
movie based on Isaac Asimov’s short story. If anyone
has a lead on that robot or costume, please contact
Rick!
And,
while he welcomes in-kind donations for any of his
collections, Rick will not accept any financial
donations. “I just never wanted to cross that line. I
never want to accept money. If anyone wants to help,
they can donate to the collection,” he says.
Science
& Technology Centers
In 2000, Rick established High-Tech
Science.org. Its goal is “to plant the seed of
learning by opening the eyes and minds of children
worldwide …There is never an admission fee or cover
charge, nor does HighTechScience.org sell any products
or services.” And so, he began loaning everything in
his collections to museums, libraries, exhibits, and
schools. His next brainchild was High-Tech Productions
Science & Technology Centers, customized
installations for schools and learning centers. Each of
these installations is different, featuring an array of
Rick’s acquisitions from around the world. An
installation might include cases displaying butterflies,
beetles, and insects; geodes and minerals; international
space memorabilia; hands-on interactive exhibits; and of
course, robots. Rick designs and builds each Center
himself. It’s part of the fun.
Rick's
1st Science Center Grand Opening
Of
the 22 Science & Technology Centers he has built and
donated so far, one that gives Rick a special sense of
satisfaction was installed in 2003 at the Fort Peck
Reservation in Poplar, Montana, home to the Assiniboine
and Sioux Nations. A representative for the school
system contacted Rick to request a Science Center, to
help inspire and educate students. The much-anticipated
grand opening featured a traditional native dance by the
Red Buffalo Society Dancers— students ranging from
kindergarten through high school—and then was blessed
by a tribal Elder. The ceremony was a sincere expression
of gratitude.
Opening
of Rick's 20th Center at an Indian Reservation School
Message
from Space
That same year, the Flown Space Artifact Collection
received a prized addition. Russian cosmonaut Yuri
Malenchenko, Commander of the International Space
Station (ISS), sent a digital personal greeting to Rick
from the station as it orbited Earth. It was transmitted
from the ISS, bounced off of an orbiting communications
satellite, beamed down to a ground station in Moscow,
and then forwarded on to Rick. This collection is
so extensive that it’s displayed at several museums.
There is also a touring space exhibit, featuring such
rare items as Russian and American flight suits and
helmets, flown items autographed by cosmonauts and
astronauts, and a MIR Space Station window.
Rick
gets an Out of This World Greeting from a Russian
Cosmonaut
World’s
First All-Electric Car
For a full-grown science whiz kid, the biggest science
fair of all is the U.S. Department of Energy’s
National Energy Conference. For the 2004 conference,
Rick decided to show just how much could be done using
alternative energy sources, without a gasoline engine.
(He also “wanted to attract the attention of kids of
all ages and use the car as a learning tool.”) He
found a few rare CitiCars—tiny, wedge-fronted,
electric two-seaters that were built from 1974 to 1976
by Florida’s Sebring-Vanguard Company. He installed a
high-resolution color video system, computerized alarm
system, several high-powered strobes, electronically
controlled underbody neon and LED lighting, dual red
laser light units and a high-powered computer-controlled
green laser, remotely operated self-contained smoke and
fogging system, computerized multicolor LED graphic
electronic sign, interior color-changing neon system,
and a high-powered digital self-contained music and
wireless PA system with AM/FM/CD/ MP3 playback.
It was exhibited as “The World’s First All-Electric
Car.” Several of these amazing little customized
CitiCars are now on display, along with a rare
one-seater Corbin Sparrow (For more information, please
visit www.hightechscience.org/electric_car.htm
B-9,
Robby, and R2-D2 Join the Family
2006 was a game-changing year. Among other things, Rick
acquired three of the most famous robots in the world:
B9, Robby the Robot, and R2-D2. He made several large
donations: a Science & Technology Center for the
Bahamas school system; a fully equipped 24-foot
powerboat for the Wayne Barton Study Center for marine
studies; he donated and installed underwater video
systems for the tanks at the South Florida Science
Museum. He was elected to the Board of Directors of the
South Florida Science Museum, and promptly set up a
robotics exhibit. For the opening, he invited Bob May,
the actor inside the B9 robot costume on Lost in
Space, the popular ’60s TV series. “Growing up,
I wanted to be Will Robinson on Lost in Space,”
Rick says. He and May bonded immediately and remain
close friends. The next year, he invited June Lockhart,
co-star of Lost in Space, to appear with May at
the museum at his first RoboFest.
Lost in Space Actor Bob May & Rick with his Robots
Then, in the midst of
all the productivity and projects, he suddenly suffered
a stroke. Incredibly, Rick says the stroke felt like “it blew
through a blockage.” His mental acuity improved.
His actual thought process changed, for the better.
It’s hard to imagine that such a fine-tuned, efficient
mechanism as Richard Newman’s brain could be improved,
but maybe there’s proof in all that has followed.
RC
Helicopter Therapy
Shortly after his stroke, Rick took up
remote-controlled helicopters as an exercise to improve
his eye–hand coordination. And, of course, now he has
a collection of them. His website encourages young
pilots, “Because the operation of helicopters involves
numerous scientific principals, RC helicopters are a
terrific educational tool. They are fun to build, fly,
and learn from. Most cities have a local RC club where
you can get tips from experienced pilots, build on your
own skills, and make tons of new friends.” Recently,
he has added RC cars to his hobbies.
The
Submarine and the Solar-Powered Railroad
South Florida Science Museum has benefited
greatly from Rick’s philanthropy and imagination. He
donated an underwater video system for their aquarium
and a museum wide high-speed Wi-Fi system. He was elected to
the Upgrade Committees for both the planetarium and
science theater. His designs gave the museum “the
world’s most advanced all-digital full-dome
planetarium.” Then, noting that the museum’s Perry
Cubmarine had deteriorated in its outdoor display, he
undertook the project of restoring it to its original
condition. The 2008 christening ceremony, complete with
a presentation by the Naval Sea Cadets and their
commanders, was a great publicity event for the museum.
Rick Refurbishes the South Florida Science Museum's Mini Sub
Rick has no special fascination with trains, but since,
as he says, “Florida was really founded by the
railroad,” he felt the museum should tell the story,
and so proposed a perfect blend of history and
technology: a historically accurate, outdoor,
solar-powered model train system. When local university
scholars told him it couldn’t be done, he took up the
challenge, even more determined. The resulting exhibit
has not one, but two different G-scale train systems: a
1950s passenger train and a cattle/freight train. The
many period buildings, electric signs, crossing lights
and moving train signals were all handmade by Rick.
There's even a working carousel. It’s ingeniously
designed so that even during long periods of little or
no sun, there is still enough reserve power stored in
the batteries to operate the train system for several
weeks.
Rick's "Solar Express" at the South Florida Science Museum
WALL-E
Grants a Wish
A phone call in the summer of 2009 from the
Make-A-Wish Foundation changed Rick’s life forever,
and began his connection with the organization. A little
boy in New Jersey named George, a kid in need, wanted to
meet his favorite robot, WALL-E, and Rick had a fully
functional replica that could make George’s wish come
true. Not only did Jeanne and Rick open their home to
George and his brother and parents, they also arranged
for a giant Bouncy House to make sure there would be
plenty of laughter and smiles. The family spent the day
making memories they would never forget, and Rick’s
heart was touched. The caption under George and
WALL-E’s photo at his website reads, “This is why we
do what we do.”
“P.T.
Barnum Would Be Proud”
While he dislikes public speaking, Rick still has the
gift of showmanship, honed during those years in the
Catskills. Every night in October, his front yard and
garage are transformed into a continuously running
50-minute computerized “Halloween Sound, Light, and
Laser Show.” The Famous Fountain of Blood is the
centerpiece to a cast of ghouls, goblins, lasers, and
all things spooky. A virtual thunderstorm creates a
sinister atmosphere, while the show’s music and sound
effects are broadcast on a local radio station, so
visitors can watch the show from their cars. Cars and
news vans line the street, and crowds gather in front of
the house for a tour of the dungeon, guarded by
life-size animatronics: witches, undertakers, mad
scientists, and a host to guide the tour, such as Count
Mortimer the vampire. The tour includes some of the most
famous robots in the collection. Rick makes sure that it
stays kid-friendly, never too gory for the youngest
guests. As always, it’s free of charge, but there is a
prominently displayed collection box for his favorite
charity, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He was thrilled to
present a check for $2,000 last year, all from visitors
to the show.
Rick's
free "Thriller" re-enactment Show on Halloween
For the 2011 show, a Boca Raton dance studio performed
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Already gaining
momentum, this attracted record numbers of visitors.
Enough so that one disgruntled neighbor called the
police to complain. With the police cars came news vans,
reporters, and cameras. There were court proceedings,
threats, and lots of media coverage, including
newspapers and nationally syndicated TV news features on
CBS and Fox-TV. With all this coverage, Rick expects
even higher attendance than the 2,000 visitors who came
last year. He tells the story with relish, “P.T.
Barnum would be proud of me! I turned that complaint
into great publicity!” The aim was to entertain as
many people as possible, raise money for the "Make
A Wish" Foundation and he still plans to do just
that. Check his website for information about this
year’s show at www.hightechscience.org/halloween.htm.
Rick's
annual, month long computerized Halloween show
White
Christmas in Boca Raton
As he strikes the set, dismantling the
elaborate show, he’s already putting up the next—the
Holiday Sound Light & Laser Show, which runs from
the last week of November through the beginning of
January. According to the poster, this is “where every
bulb is perfectly choreographed to the music, and there
is a snowstorm every few minutes.” And that
choreography is no small feat, considering there are
over 25,000 computer-controlled lights and special
effects. Rick’s snow machines deliver swirling, fluffy
white amazement every fifteen minutes. For a child
who has never seen snow, to first experience it on a
balmy Florida night must be magical. Rick always manages
to persuade Santa Claus to make an appearance on
Christmas Eve. And starting this year, he is adding a
one-night Hanukkah Show: “Free gelt and Dreidels for
everyone!”
Rick's
annual, month long computerized Christmas/Holiday show
This
is in the tropics... Rick
makes the snow for the shows
High-Voltage
Fun
When he wants to relax and let his
imagination roam, Rick doesn’t open a good book, he
retreats to his shop and experiments with high-voltage
electric phenomena—Tesla coils and Jacob’s Ladders,
which light up the sky with frenetic zigzags of electric
currents during his Halloween shows. Anyone visiting the
“High Voltage Experiments” page of his website
can’t miss his emphatic warnings: “Traveling-arc
devices are dangerous. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!”
These six-foot-tall behemoths have no commercial value
and serve no purpose other than to delight their
creators and anyone lucky enough to catch them in
action. Students from MIT, who admiringly consider him
to be the “head geek” of their geek group, often
join him for these projects.
One of
Rick's playthings
The Learning Channel (TLC), ABC & an Canadian
production company are all planning to do segments
about Rick and his robot collection, to be filmed at his
home and at Sugar Sand Park’s Science Explorium.
He’s excited about the publicity it will bring to the
South Florida Science Museum and the City of Boca Raton.
Check your local listings, or his website for airdates.
Love
of Humanity
Philanthropy is a Greek word meaning “love of
humanity,” and Rick Newman is a true philanthropist,
making regular donations to charities, especially those
that provide comfort and care for children in need.
Considering his proliferating output, any interview with
Rick would have to end with one question: “Do you ever
sleep?” He laughs. “Sleep? Never! I don’t
have time—too much to do!” He’s too busy
coming up with new ways to share his sense of wonder and
inspire budding scientists.
Rick
giving the "Make A Wish" Foundation a check
for the holidays
Update
- On September 30th 2012 Richard suffered an aortic aneurysm.
He spent several weeks in the intensive care unit (ICU)
of Boca Raton Hospital and has been recovering at home
since. |
