Episodes Mathematical And Scientific Inaccuracies Of The Big Bang Theory

[A_Money]

Although, I admit to being a Big Bang Theory fan, I have found an inaccuracy in the show despite having an advisor Sheldon stated that Howard as an engineer does not use differential equations this was quite inaccurate as Aerospace Engineers do in fact use differential equations. Have you guys found any other inaccuracies in the series as a whole?

[Chiany]

Plenty, but not regarding math or science.

[Doctor Aragonto]

Sheldon saying Howard doesn't use difficult equations was probably based on two things. 1. Mocking him, 2. Not actually knowing/wanting to know what he does within his work.

[Moonbase]

Although, I admit to being a Big Bang Theory fan, I have found an inaccuracy in the show despite having an advisor Sheldon stated that Howard as an engineer does not use differential equations this was quite inaccurate as Aerospace Engineers do in fact use differential equations. Have you guys found any other inaccuracies in the series as a whole?

 

LOADS! but most of the new fans don't mind so much. We used to have threads about inconsistencies and inaccuracies but not for a year or so.

[Redrose]

5.08 - The Isolation Permutation

Amy comparing Bernadette being the analytical scientific left hemisphere of the brain and Penny the creative spontaneous right hemisphere.The reality is much more complicated so that statement is technically not true. This line was just a big popularization.

[Moonbase]

5.08 - The Isolation Permutation

Amy comparing Bernadette being the analytical scientific left hemisphere of the brain and Penny the creative spontaneous right hemisphere.The reality is much more complicated so that statement is technically not true. This line was just a big popularization.

 

 

It appeals to what most of us know about the brain, which is particularly nothing. It's a shame the introduction of two more scientists never lead to more science shows. What better way to grow to love a new character than by making them funny.

[Redrose]

The fact is that the show is watched by millions of people who have no idea or very poor knowledge in science.  That's why the jokes are more "accessible". And that's ok as long as they keep it right. That's the least they can do.

 

And I agree, I would love to see more science and particulary biology. The girls had been introduced as scientist. Let's use it and not just categorize them as "girlfriends of" and restrict their activities in "girl's night with girly stuff". Fortunatly the show is trying to rectify it this season. Hope it will continue.

[Nogravitasatall]

I saw an early US promo where the tagline was something like "whether you believe the the earth is 4 billion or 6 thousand years old, watch The Big Bang Theory".

Baby steps in science are probably fine. LOL

[Iron Sea Power]

 

And I agree, I would love to see more science and particulary biology. .

 

Given their cavalier attitude to Health & Safety in the laboratories by Amy in particular, I would like to see a lot less...

 

:-)

[Catlina]

Well Mayim said in one interview the writers/writers' "science assistants" or whatever they call them, have most of them pretty right. That she have corrected some little things (regarding neuroscience?). So I assume if those persons who write the science parts to the show are scientists themselves, they should be able to do their job. I remember they have that kind of assistants. But no, not that it would come to my mind, I haven't yet noticed a scientific error in the show. Other inaccuracies yes.  I think aerospace engineers do use differential equations, it was only a way for Sheldon to mock Howard and maybe not really wanting to know what he actually does as an engineer.

[Dayton Lavon Kitchens]

Doesn't one of the producers have a background in physics?

[Tensor]

Doesn't one of the producers have a background in physics?

 

Bill Prady has a background in computer programming.  They have a science consultant,  Dr David Saltzberg who teaches at UCLA and does work at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland (or France, depending on the experiment and it's locating on the ring).  And, of course, Mayin does the back checking, when needed, on the biology and neuroscience.   

[Z-007]

this isn't really an inaccuracy as much as much as it is a false assumption from Sheldon. This wasn't intended to be factual, just an opinion. Just like how he said that the stuff written on Leonard's whiteboard can be seen scribbled on any men's room of MIT was an opinion or assumption.

It depends on the situation in which it is said to differentiate it as an opinion, assumption or fact.

[djsurrey]

Check out http://thebigblogtheory.wordpress.com/2013/11/ and you will see a science error pointed out that had a purpose (and that has been pointed out by the Science Consultant DS).

[kameleon]

The fact is that the show is watched by millions of people who have no idea or very poor knowledge in science.  That's why the jokes are more "accessible". And that's ok as long as they keep it right. That's the least they can do.

 

And I agree, I would love to see more science and particulary biology. The girls had been introduced as scientist. Let's use it and not just categorize them as "girlfriends of" and restrict their activities in "girl's night with girly stuff". Fortunatly the show is trying to rectify it this season. Hope it will continue.

 

 

I too would like to see more science from Amy and Bernadette but as long as girls night also includes Penny they are going to be fairly restricted. I wonder when/if they will come back to the Amy working at Caltech storyline. Bernadette also never really gets shown at work, where as Amy has regularly being shown cutting up brains/ working with monkeys. 

[Dayton Lavon Kitchens]

 I wonder if people expecting scientific accuracy consistently from TBBT expect legal accuracy from Law & Order?     Get a clue,  Law & Order is about as accurate as the old Perry Mason movies.    For example,  something dramatic almost NEVER occurs in a criminal trial.   

 

when we're talking about scientific accuracy,  how about Howard getting to go on an space mission lasting several weeks with at most a few months of training?

 

Not when IIRC,  a person who pays the Russians 20 million dollars for a few days of joy riding in a Soyuz has to go through more training that that.

[A_Money]

All in all The Big Bang Theory has been fairly accurate with Sheldon tending to assume alot of the things such as Howards work.

[Tensor]

I expect the show to be scientifically accurate, within the limitations of the medium. They are not going to spend the two to three years showing Howard getting the needed training for a trip to the ISS within the show. This is a comedy show, not a documentary. They touched on the training, Zero-G, Survival etc. That's as close as they were going to get. Hell, Howard has a heart condition and obviously some psychological problems, such as claustrophobia. Both of which would have been caught and prevented Howard from even getting to the training portion.

That said, the producers of the show have said many time they want the show as accurate as possible, and pride themselves on the amount of scientific accuracy they have in the show. I don't think I've ever seen Law and Order producers say anything or make any claims about how accurate their show is.

[AceMackenzie9]

 

 

their are tons of inconsistencies on the show - one I remember is Sheldon spelling Fusion wrong on his White Board "it was spelled Fushion"

[djsurrey]

their are tons of inconsistencies on the show - one I remember is Sheldon spelling Fusion wrong on his White Board "it was spelled Fushion"

That is not an error I would expect on TBBT since most of the stuff on the white board is put on by a physics consultant.

 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2013/09/23/224404260/the-man-who-gets-the-science-right-on-the-big-bang-theory

[AceMackenzie9]

• The Big Bang Theory , 18 annoying mistakes you didnt notice
•  
• http://whatculture.com/tv/big-bang-theory-18-annoying-mistakes-didnt-notice.php/4

please refer To # 9

[SheldonCooperFan]

 

• The Big Bang Theory , 18 annoying mistakes you didnt notice
•  
• http://whatculture.com/tv/big-bang-theory-18-annoying-mistakes-didnt-notice.php/4

please refer To # 9

 

This is something a friend of mine brought up but it made me realize it too that every time they get Chinese food they send Leonard to the shop to get a soy-sauce and various other ingredients but assuming they eat out every night of every week those ingredients should last a few months but Leonard is sent to repurchase them nearly every time they order Chinese. Now while this is probably showing Sheldon's obsessive tendency's it does not make sense given how long these materials would actually last. Even a small bottle should last a couple of weeks at least before it runs out and a medium size should last a few months a bigger one might last up to a year or so but there is no way he goes through an entire bottle of low sodium bottle of soy sauce in less than a week. I myself put soy sauce on everything not just Chinese food and a small bottle usually lasts me 4-6 weeks and that is using it often. I also buy low sodium. If they have an assigned day for each type of food that means they are eating Chinese once a week. Meaning Sheldon must use all those ingredients in one sitting which is ridiculous. Also the constant Leonard does and doesn't have a girlfriend. They say in some episodes that Leonard could never get a girl and how unlikely that is but in various episodes show how good he is with women. So why would they say hes bad with women and in another say hes great with women? Than say "Oh he has had no girlfriend" and than show flashbacks of him always having chicks over? 

Edited May 2, 2014 by SheldonCooperFan

[djsurrey]

 

• The Big Bang Theory , 18 annoying mistakes you didnt notice
•  
• http://whatculture.com/tv/big-bang-theory-18-annoying-mistakes-didnt-notice.php/4

please refer To # 9

 

 

Sheldon,Simon Gallagher and the general public seem to make the mistake of over generalizing. A person who is brilliant in their area of expertise is not necessarily going to be more knowledgeable that the average Joe outside his specialty. The writers have Sheldon making a lot of errors intentionally. He is not just a genius; he is also over confident, obsessive compulsive and often childish. His self-aggrandizement it part of the humor.

 

Perhaps I don't know anyone who is really like Sheldon but I think we have all met a few people with some subset of Shelden's flaws (if not so exaggerated). I mean who has not been in a situation where they would not rather do something on their computer rather than go to the girlfriend's grandmother's birthday. Even if we would never say some of  the things Sheldon says I imagine many of us think some of them sometimes.

 

I have no explanation for the "D-D Fushion" on the whiteboard. I am guessing that white-board is from S4e2. There is an interesting comment from the physics consultant at http://thebigblogtheory.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/s04e02-the-cruciferous-vegetable-amplification/  (just scroll down to the heading "tonights whiteboards)

 

 

Here’s a little Inside-Hollywood information.  The boards Sheldon used tonight were not set dressing; they were a prop.   Most weeks, I send the material for the whiteboards to the set-dressing department.   They take care of furniture, various decorations on the set–and for our show–the white boards.  But tonight was special.  Sheldon touched a board.   Anything an actor touches automatically becomes the purview of a different department–the properties department.  So these particular boards were props.

Edited May 2, 2014 by djsurrey

[rachelshamyfan]

Maybe Sheldon just likes getting a new bottle every time

[AceMackenzie9]

 " But over the course of the show’s six and a bit seasons, Sheldon has been incredibly wrong on several glaring occasions: he claims (with Amy) that Danishes wouldn’t exist if Kopenhagen were flooded, despite the pastry being invented in Vienna; that ears don’t cross hemispheres (they do) and claims the sound produced by hitting a wine glass to get everyone’s attention is a B Flat, when it is in fact a B.

It sounds petty, but when you’re dealing with Sheldon’s quirks, it pays to adopt his own traits . The fact that he could simply call Blizzard customer care to get his hacked WoW items back from Todd Zarnecki, "

 

Also with an eidetic memory ,Sheldon should have memorized the menu at the Cheesecake Factory,yet Sheldon always seems to study the menu each time he visits.

 

Read more at http://whatculture.com/tv/big-bang-theory-18-annoying-mistakes-didnt-notice.php/4#ZP6jvLFGjvO4UXWJ.99

Edited May 4, 2014 by AceMackenzie9