1) Why the emphasis on Sheldon and physics? He is not the only genius in town. What if you replace Sheldon with Howard and physics with Engineering ? Is there anything new in engineering ? Is engineering at a dead end ? Has Howard come up with anything new in his field, besides making a space shelf and a space toilet ? When the giant beaver overlords demand humankind to construct the damns that eventually flood Copenhagen and the entire Noble committee, will Howard be their head engineer ? Or will his faulty construction collapse the damns and send the Beavers flying out into space like Debbie's meatloaf ? As for Raj all he can do is discover another planet and another and another. Because what the heck else is there for him to do ? Is there something else in space besides stuff that has already been seen before. Probably but he is too consumed with his broken heart and needs more Cinnamon time. And poor little Leonard, why can't he win a noble too ? Nobles for everyone I say.

2) Isn't making mistakes a big part of science ? What about poor Prof Rothman and his calorie journal ?

3) Sheldon is good at spitting out drinks at the Cheesecake Factory bar.

4) If only Sheldon were not so preoccupied with avoiding coitus with Amy and filling his head with superhero nonsense. Sheldon needs more train time.

5) And we all need more Lemon time. and Legume time as well.

@znexyish said:

(All that stuff up thar )

Response to #1: Why the emphasis on Sheldon and physics, you say? Actually, you ask? Because, he is the one who is supposed to be smarter than all the others. A super-genius, set apart from the rest because of his incredible intellect. I posit that this is who the writers portrayed him to be originally. Hey, do you like the word posit? When I write it, I feel particularly intellectual, as if I'm wearing a monocle and perhaps a tuxedo and standing in front of a white board lecturing to a physics class. Anyhoo, I am wondering why Sheldon can no longer solve equations and is repeatedly being portrayed as someone who is now stymied by hard math. I also like the word stymied. And the mental picture of flying beavers.

Response to #2: Sure, for those inferior to Sheldon. But not Sheldon. He's supposed to know how to do everything. And Professor Rothman gave me the willies. If a naked Professor is going to be hiding behind a door when I turn around, I'd rather it be Snape. Oops, I didn't want anyone to know that.

Response to #3: Znex(yish), that did not even come close to answering my question. It's like I asked, would Sheldon like to eat an apple or an orange and you said, Sheldon would like to take a bath. But then again, I guess he would after spitting all that drink down his front.

Response to #4: Remember that thread you posted on the old board about the word "coitus"? That was so fun. You should have won the Nobel prize for that. When I talk about the "old board", sometimes I feel like one of those elderly people who talk about "back in the old country". Now get off my lawn.

Response to #5: Well, you have yet to write me a poem about legumes despite my most creative plea, but your kind words above have earned you an internet-style hug. Write me a poem and the next one will be worth more Mississippis.

@Lemons said:

A few ponderings. Feel free to answer any or all.

1.Is the reason that Sheldon has so much trouble these days solving physics problems because the writers are trying to show us chinks in his genius armor or because they are unsolvable and physics really is a bunch of dead ends these days?

There does seem to be a need for some new kind of "breakthrough" but in reality - as far as the TV show is concerned - they probably can't (and shouldn't) have them invent something that isn't really true. In a way they might have gone too far already with the quantum gyroscope etc. But if they wanted to just have fun, in the last season Sheldon could discover warp drive and the last season or maybe just the last few episodes are about the adventures of Captain Sheldon Cooper of the United Federation of Sheldon starship Sheldon-prise. And maybe in the last episode, Sheldon finds the Vulcans, gives them the name Vulcans, and teaches them how to be logical and unemotional.

2.Does it bother you when the writers show Sheldon making mistakes (like "finding" a new element and then realizing it was a mathematical error) or not being able to solve equations repeatedly in the past 2 seasons? Wasn't he supposed to be our Nobel-bound genius?

The biggest problem I had with the math error stuff is that it should be impossible if Sheldon actually has a "photographic" memory. He would not have "misread" the table in that book. Although even with that said, it's difficult to see how being off by a factor of 10,000 (I think it was) could lead someone to "discover" a new element that isn't really there. In terms of the overall series arc and such, it's just another example of their lack of consistency and continuity in terms of characters and other things. But on the other hand, if Sheldon actually remembered everything like he's supposed to, he would be even more annoying than he already is.

3.Is Sheldon just good at reproducing what others have already discovered and spitting it out due to good memory skills, but unable to come up with anything new on his own?

We're told that Sheldon has made some new advances but never (that I recall) what they actually were. And the other complication is like in my answer #1. They probably can't - or at least shouldn't - actually SHOW Sheldon discovering something really "new" that isn't real. And if it IS real, someone else discovered it, not Sheldon.

4.Would it thrill you at this point if he does win a Nobel prize before the series finale? Would that make the show seem too unrealistic?

There are a variety of ways to handle this. Someone else could win instead, or maybe at the same time he does or later and in any of those situations Sheldon would have to decide that the Nobel isn't really all that great after all if Leonard can win it too, etc. Similar to his attitude about Princeton.

@Knixon said: (All that stuff )

I agree with pretty much everything you said. It would be hard for them to have Sheldon (or any character) come up with a discovery that isn't really real- which limits what they can write, and possibly accounts for some shift in focus from the university to home life in more recent years.

If I'm honest, it does bother me a bit when they show him unable to solve problems and making mistakes (at least doing so repeatedly). I think it's because initially Sheldon was just so unique. He was extra, extra smart and now he doesn't really seem to be any more intellectually advanced than the other guys. There are other ways he used to be unique that have been dulled, as well. Keep in mind, I am both a huge Sheldon fan and quite Sheldonian myself.

And I don't think they could get away with anything like your warp drive idea without the peanut gallery crying "shark jumping". Though the Vulcan thought is a bit funny.

And you still don't have an avatar. How long are you going to keep my face twitching?

Well if they wanted to go full Chuck Lorre, after he actually creates the Vulcans, Sheldon could wake up and really Dan... errr, Amy... is dead, and he didn't really win the lottery.... err, Nobel Prize.

And then a piano falls on him. I still want that.

But since it's Sheldon, maybe it's that life-size Batman figure that he turned into concrete or something. Or an even bigger one that he got at comic-con maybe.

I can see how it might be difficult to keep Sheldon as "sharp" as he was early on, but that's just another consequence of 10 years passing. (And unlike The Simpsons where after 20+ years Lisa is still in 2nd grade or whatever, these are real actors that age on screen in real time.) A lot of it might also be the "unreal" part. They did pretty well with the quantum gyroscope "discovery" and "invention" etc, which has now conveniently disappeared thanks to "the military." But would it really be a good idea to do something like that again? It seems a lot easier to make jokes about the side effects of the products of Bernie's company, or how Amy's lab animals get addicted to whatever, etc. And Penny's shoe-finding app seems more realistic than other things the guys might come up with.

@Knixon said:

Well if they wanted to go full Chuck Lorre, after he actually creates the Vulcans, Sheldon could wake up and really Dan... errr, Amy... is dead, and he didn't really win the lottery.... err, Nobel Prize.

And then a piano falls on him. I still want that.

But since it's Sheldon, maybe it's that life-size Batman figure that he turned into concrete or something. Or an even bigger one that he got at comic-con maybe.

I can see how it might be difficult to keep Sheldon as "sharp" as he was early on, but that's just another consequence of 10 years passing. (And unlike The Simpsons where after 20+ years Lisa is still in 2nd grade or whatever, these are real actors that age on screen in real time.) A lot of it might also be the "unreal" part. They did pretty well with the quantum gyroscope "discovery" and "invention" etc, which has now conveniently disappeared thanks to "the military." But would it really be a good idea to do something like that again? It seems a lot easier to make jokes about the side effects of the products of Bernie's company, or how Amy's lab animals get addicted to whatever, etc. And Penny's shoe-finding app seems more realistic than other things the guys might come up with.

Why exactly do you want a piano to fall on him?

@Lemons said:

A few ponderings. Feel free to answer any or all.

1.Is the reason that Sheldon has so much trouble these days solving physics problems because the writers are trying to show us chinks in his genius armor or because they are unsolvable and physics really is a bunch of dead ends these days?

2.Does it bother you when the writers show Sheldon making mistakes (like "finding" a new element and then realizing it was a mathematical error) or not being able to solve equations repeatedly in the past 2 seasons? Wasn't he supposed to be our Nobel-bound genius?

3.Is Sheldon just good at reproducing what others have already discovered and spitting it out due to good memory skills, but unable to come up with anything new on his own?

4.Would it thrill you at this point if he does win a Nobel prize before the series finale? Would that make the show seem too unrealistic?

1. Yes

2. NO

3. YES

4. NO & YES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm0MNTnLda8

@bratface said:

1. Yes

2. NO

3. YES

4. NO & YES

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm0MNTnLda8

To bratface

@Lemons said:

@bratface said:

1. Yes

2. NO

3. YES

4. NO & YES

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm0MNTnLda8

To bratface

To lemons

@Lemons said:

A few ponderings. Feel free to answer any or all.

1.Is the reason that Sheldon has so much trouble these days solving physics problems because the writers are trying to show us chinks in his genius armor or because they are unsolvable and physics really is a bunch of dead ends these days?

2.Does it bother you when the writers show Sheldon making mistakes (like "finding" a new element and then realizing it was a mathematical error) or not being able to solve equations repeatedly in the past 2 seasons? Wasn't he supposed to be our Nobel-bound genius?

3.Is Sheldon just good at reproducing what others have already discovered and spitting it out due to good memory skills, but unable to come up with anything new on his own?

4.Would it thrill you at this point if he does win a Nobel prize before the series finale? Would that make the show seem too unrealistic?

1: I believe the writers want to show us that even a Genius like Sheldon is fallible.

2: It doesn't bother me because it's consistent with the character and serves the show well in the way of Irony; arguably his greatest scientific achievement was an accident.

3: It's extremely difficult to come up with anything new in Physics. Physicists mostly improve models for concepts that already exist.

4: I think it would be 100% fan service if he does. I hope they have one of the other main characters win one and NOT Sheldon.

It would be a great sign of character growth if he's able to suppress his jealousy and sincerely be happy for whoever wins it.

What was Sheldon's greatest scientific achievement by accident? All I can think of is the "new element" which turned out to be false, so not really an achievement.

@Knixon said:

What was Sheldon's greatest scientific achievement by accident? All I can think of is the "new element" which turned out to be false, so not really an achievement.

That's the one.

So his greatest achievement was a mistake, and not really an achievement since it wasn't true. How does that count? An accidental achievement would be an accident that actually succeeds in something, which his mistake did not. He had an accidental failure.

@Knixon said:

So his greatest achievement was a mistake, and not really an achievement since it wasn't true. How does that count? An accidental achievement would be an accident that actually succeeds in something, which his mistake did not. He had an accidental failure.

Personally I can't stand the character so generally I root for the times when he gets put in his place, which in my opinion doesn't happen as often as it should.

I like that too, but Sheldon is basically incapable of learning from it. Any times it seems like he has, it's just long enough for some other (funny?) thing to happen, and right after that he's back to Season One behavior again.