Article
Atlas
The Big Bang Theory: 8 Times It Got Facts Wrong About Something Nerdy
2023/08/28

Between Young Sheldon's season 6 starting on the 29th of September and Mayim Bialik in talks of becoming the newest permanent Jeopardy! host, it's safe to say that fans of The Big Bang Theory will have their hands full with new content, despite the show's official ending in 2019. The hit comedy's enormous following continues to grow as super fans pick at the little details of their beloved series.

While The Big Bang Theory is notorious for being one of TV's most popular and authentic science-based shows, the writers were still granted a little leeway to maximize the plot or comical agenda. From the scientific equations placed on the whiteboard of each episode to the ill-fitted Howard being allowed in space, these mess-ups slowly added up throughout the iconic show's running.

Sheldon's Cat Allergy

It's established early on in the series that Sheldon is fatally allergic to cats. Yet, in "The Zazzy Substitution," the scientist adopts a number of cats to cope with his unemployment and keeps them in his room.

If this were to truly follow continuity and the science behind allergens, Sheldon would have shown some sort of reaction. According to many medical websites, a cat allergen "can cause swelling and itching [...] usually leading to inflammation and a stuffy nose" (via healthline).

Coming into contact with a cat can also cause "an acute asthma attack" and can lead to "difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing." Given the quirk of Sheldon's sticking to the rules and his penchant that everyone lives a healthy lifestyle, this fact makes absolutely no sense.

Bilbo's Dagger

The geeky gang of the show constantly make references to Lord of the Rings, but there are a few instances where even they get some pop culture references wrong. As seen in the episode, "The Russian Rocket Reaction," iconic best friends Leonard and Sheldon go around the comic book store gawking at merchandise, specifically replicas.

When Sheldon is about to purchase Jon Snow's "Longclaw" sword, Leonard stops him, alerting that they had missed seeing Bilbo Baggins' dagger. He states that carrying the dagger from The Hobbit would just make them look foolish. Incidentally, the writers of the show made a mistake, as both LOTR book and movie fans would call Bilbo's dagger by its name, Sting. ​​​​

The Nobel Prize Process

Being fixated on winning a Nobel Prize for their Super Asymmetry theory in "The Confirmation Polarization," Amy and Sheldon meet with a couple Fermilab scientists, who are keen on removing Amy from the project and replacing her to receive a share in the prize.

Firstly, there's no realistic way that the newly published paper by the couple would have made it into the running for the prize that fast, since it would need to go through eight months of screening before nomination (via Nobel Peace Prize website). Secondly, the fact that the paper only had to be overlooked once is ridiculous since the process for evaluating the paper's correctness would take a considerable amount of time (a fact that most fans of The Big Bang Theory didn't know.)

The Green Lantern Oath

One of the most unforgivable mess-ups of all in The Big Bang Theory occurs in the "The Psychic Vortex," when Sheldon recites the Green Lantern Oath incorrectly. Since he is portrayed as a huge fan of the superhero, often repping his Green Lantern shirt, mistaking this is inexcusable.

In the episode, Raj gifts his own limited-edition Green Lantern lantern to Sheldon, since he agreed to accompany Raj to a social networking night at a university. While bragging about the collectible to Abby and Martha, Sheldon preaches "in brightest day, in darkest night, no evil shall escape my sight." However, the real oath begins with, "in brightest day, in blackest night," revealing that Sheldon isn't as big a fan as viewers thought.

The Theory Of Super Asymmetry

Yet another flub of The Big Bang Theory, the theory of Super Asymmetry is portrayed incorrectly. Still, for the sake of plot, using it in this way was inherently worth it.

The theory involves subatomic particles, attempting to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. The theory of Super Asymmetry has been deemed impossible thus far. In fact, according to the contributors of Live Science, it is actually Super Symmetry that is a plausible theory still being researched by thousands of scientists to this day.

Nevertheless, despite the inaccuracy, fans would still say that it made for quite an enjoyable storyline since it did help develop Sheldon and Amy's relationship some more.

The Questions In Some Of The Games Aren't Accurate

Although The Big Bang Theory has seen the gang entertained by mang quizzes and games, some fans might not know that a few of the answers given out are wrong. This was particularly seen when Amy and Sheldon were playing Counter Factuals, and he states that the Danish pastry was invented by the Danish people (as well as the city of Copenhagen flooding).

According to the website, Discover Study Abroad, the Danish pastry actually "originated in Austria, and are called Vienna bread (wienerbrød)." Given that Sheldon is hardly wrong, it's no wonder that many people didn't question his statements.

Howard Would Never Be Allowed In Space

While there are many titles that perfectly sum up Howard as a character, one of the most surprising (and hilarious) was his tenure as an astronaut. As most fans already know, Howard is the last person they would have thought would have been able to go to space due to the fact that he had several health issues, including idiopathic arrhythmia.

Its commonly known that a person must be in tip-top shape to travel long-term missions in space, meaning Howard's asthma, motion sickness allergy to nuts (which are eaten often while in orbit), along with the fact that he couldn't take NASA's intensive training schedule, would forbid him from space travel.

Barry Kripke's Helium Prank

One of the most profound, scientifically incorrect blunders in the history of The Big Bang Theory can be found in "The Vengeance Formulation" of season 3, in which Kripke pranks Sheldon as he is on air during a radio broadcasting.

Kripke shoots helium into Dr. Cooper's office, filling it with the gas and causing his voice to lift quite humorously. Unfortunately, if the end outcome to the concentration of gas was accurate, Sheldon would have died from lack of oxygen in minutes had he not left the room quickly (via healthline). Though it came off as just a silly party trick, no one would have been laughing if the situation was accurately portrayed.

Tom Hanks Under Fire: Directorial Debut Slammed by Critics - Is This the End of an Era? 🔥🎥
2024/04/21
Watch Out Hollywood: Meet Julia Robert's 3 Next Generation Stars! (Hazel, Phinnaeus & Henry)
2024/03/01
Why Did Hugh Grant Fear that Julia Roberts Might Hate Him After THIS?
2024/03/01
Jennifer Aniston Pulled Over To Greet Angelina Jolie In Their One And Only Meeting
2024/02/05
Julia Roberts Spent Whopping $8.3M to Keep Her Kids Safe From Paparazzi to Avoid Ben Affleck and Angelina Jolie's Fate After Hollywood Stardom
2024/02/05
The Big Bang Theory: Why Sheldon Is Actually The Show's Main Character
2023/10/12
Young Sheldon Makes Sheldon’s Nobel Win In Big Bang Theory Worse
2023/10/12
Young Sheldon Renewal Risks Creating More Big Bang Theory Plot Holes
2023/10/12
The Big Bang Theory: 10 Things Sheldon Did That Fans Just Can't Let Go
2023/10/12
Young Sheldon Reveals Another Difference From Big Bang Theory's Original
2023/10/11
Young Sheldon Created A Big Bang Theory Amy & Sheldon Marriage Plot Hole
2023/10/11
Young Sheldon Explains Why Sheldon Mocks Howard So Much In The Big Bang Theory
2023/10/11
Young Sheldon Season 7 Update Moves Show Closer To Determining Its Final Season
2023/10/11
Julia Roberts says age discrimination towards women in Hollywood is 'silly'
2023/10/11
Julia Roberts cuts a casual figure in denim while on a walk with her dog in Los Angeles
2023/10/11
The Real Reason Julia Roberts Has Recently Appeared In A Rom-Com Film
2023/10/11
"He would not be known as a s*x symbol": Richard Gere Was Ready To Drag Talk Show To Court For A Very Valid Reason
2023/10/11
‘Did They Just Show The Whole Movie?’: Fans Fuming After George Clooney, Julia Roberts Movie Ticket To Paradise Trailer Reveals Entire Story
2023/10/11
“I’m just wearing a c*ck sock”: Bryan Cranston’s Intimate Scene With Julia Roberts Backfired Horribly After Getting Too Excited About Filming
2023/10/11
Julia Roberts Won't Shoot A Film With This Iconic Actor
2023/10/11