The Big Bang Theory is mostly about a group of friends who are growing older, getting married and having babies. However, this group of pals are hyper smart and mostly involved somehow in the science field, which means the jokes, the conversations and the plotlines sometimes revolve around science-related theories, interests and activities. This weekend, The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco popped up on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, who asked her if any of the science-related knowledge the show uses has worn off. Cuoco had a pretty blunt comment related to the cast’s overall scientific knowledge. Here’s what she had to say in response to Colbert asking her if she knows anything about science:
No… I would like to pretend I could, and the guys on the show like to say they’ve learned things… they haven’t learned anything. It is all bs. I mean we have real people there who have actual real brains who write all of that stuff. We, not so much. We just say what’s on the page and do the best we can to get through.
While Kaley Cuoco doesn’t specify which of her male co-stars tend to brag about their science-related knowledge, I do enjoy that she’s totally open and willing to call them out on their bs. Some of the best jokes on The Big Bang Theory don’t relate to Sheldon’s smugness or any sort of sexual joke. Sometimes, Sheldon and Leonard banter and use physics in arguments. When that happens, there are often verbal jokes for the general audience, and more jokes played out on the whiteboard for the real science nerds who are watching. The show has stated in the past that it tries to keep the science as accurate as possible.
Although some have complained that the “research” Sheldon and Leonard are doing often feature physics problems and equations that are haphazard and seemingly unrelated, UCLA professor and astroparticle physicist David Saltzberg, who works for the show, even has a blog explaining what has worked and what hasn’t, science-wise, on the series.
Penny and the rest of the gang might be able to name drop “Schrodinger’s Cat” in casual conversation, but Kaley Cuoco assures us that it is the script talking and not all of the amazing physics the cast has learned over the years.
Still, you’d think they would have learned something after all that time. You can watch the cast relay scientific concepts on Thursdays at 8 p.m. only on CBS. And don’t worry, if you also aren’t getting the science, The Big Bang Theory also has plenty of jokes for the layman, as well. If you'd like to see more from Stephen Colbert's interview with Kaley Cuoco, head here.
In addition, you can find out what TV shows CBS has coming up this summer, with our TV premiere schedule.
