The Big Bang Theory” on CBS promotes that “smart is the new sexy” This sitcom features two socially awkward scientists but brilliant who unstoppably receive real world lessons when an attractive female, Penny moves in next door to the guys. Leonard and Sheldon have the stereotype of “geek” with both having high IQs and their love of comic books, video games, science fiction and Thai food from takeout restaurants. And because of this sitcom the word “geek” as become synonymous with “cool”. “The Big Bang Theory” takes on another form of science, one that can be fun.
Much of the show “Big Bang Theory” focuses on science or physics really. The main four male characters are employed at Cal Tech and have occupations that are science related. The two roommates Sheldon and Leonard actually have
Leonard is an experimental optical physicist and works with lasers and tries to disprove that dark matter even exists and is unsuccessful at doing so. Leonard has a Ph.D.
Sheldon is a theoretical physicist and is spending his time trying to prove string theory over loop quantum gravity. Sheldon has two PhDs.
Raj is from India and is an astrophysicist who has discovered a planetary object beyond Kuiper Belt. After being named in a magazine and becoming sort of a celebrity. After his research on the composition of trans-Neptunian objects failed, he was scared of being deported and joined forces with Sheldon and working on the string theory. Raj has a Ph.D.
Howard is an aerospace engineer. He developed some devices for International Space station, but uses them for his own reasons and has results that are disasters. While trying to impress a girl, he gets the Mars rover stuck in a ditch. Howard invented a space toilet for the space station but after it was put into space he figured out that it had a flaw: the toilet would fail after it had been flushed so many times and the waste would come out. So he stayed up all night with Raj and Sheldon to try to fix it and when they were done it was still not working right. Howard has a Master’s from MIT.
Science also was also thrown into the boys relationships, the four boys dated women throughout the show who are experts and skilled in science-related fields. Howard and Leonard both had casual sex with an experimental physicist at Cal Tech, Leslie Winkle. Bernadette a microbiology major and is employed at Cheesecake Factory as a waitress is Howards girlfriend. And Amy, a neurobiologist, who Sheldon started a relationship with.
Science had also intrudes with the guys’ lives romantically when Leonard sided with Sheldon on his string theory and not with his girlfriend on her support of loop quantum gravity. Leonard’s work was interesting to Bernadette and that made both Howard and Penny jealous and that ended up with Howard approaching Leonard and Penny asking Sheldon to help teach her physics. Sheldon and his girlfriend broke up because she thought neurobiology was better, if not superior over theoretical physics.
The stage of “The Big Bang Theory” also has props that deal with science. Electromagnetic Spectrum Chart, a DNA model, Terminal block of Antique Fuses diagrams, science equations and math equations are written on whiteboards and are used as props on the set. Oh and who could forget the Periodic Elements Shower Curtain. And for the dialogue or script of the cast also has science innuendoes. In one scene they described a kiss as a “bio-social exploration with a neurochemical overlay.” The cast uses scientific dialogue to say things like “can be a major pain in the posterior.”