Facts 7 to 12

7 Mayim Bialik Has A PHD In Neuroscience

Mayim Bialik has a PHD in neuroscience. For a show that centers around a group of friends who are extremely well qualified in their fields, and who for the majority of them hold a PHD of some description, this wouldn’t seem too weird at all. But one really should consider that the people who portray the characters on screen are actual actors. They don’t need to understand the context of what they are saying. The skill of acting requires that they convince the viewer that their character knows what is going on. For most actors around the world this would be the case. But not Mayim Bialik. She is one clever cookie, and has earned an actual PHD in neuroscience.

Mega fans of the show would have picked up what her real life degree is. Neuroscience, which is almost the same degree that Amy Farrah Fowler, the person who she portrays on The Big Bang Theory has. Amy, as many know, holds a PHD in neuro-biology. How cool is that?

Mayim Bialik earned her degree at UCLA in 2007. But a PHD in neuro-biology isn’t her only accomplishment. While studying she also earned a B.S. degree in Neuroscience, Hebrew studies, and Jewish studies.

While she certainly has the brains to make a brilliant career in science, it could be argued that her true calling in life is acting. She made a standout performance in the 1988 film Beaches, where she played the young character of Bette Midler’s.

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8 Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki Dated In Real Life

Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki are two of the main characters of the show. The on again, off again relationship between them can at times take a back seat to the awkward musings and behavior of Sheldon Cooper, but it’s a situation that is in part the cornerstone of the show. Two geeky guys, one hot girl, it’s a recipe that Fox suggested that Trey Parker and Matt Stone go for with South Park. While the onscreen relationship between the two is a strong part of the show, the way that they managed to pull it off made it appear as though there may have been a little more to it than just acting.

It appeared as if the characters of Keley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki, Penny and Leonard, had a real connection. The reason that there appeared to be more there than it seemed was because there was. For two years during the early seasons of the show, Keley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki dated.

Now, two years isn’t that short a period of time, and working with each other would have bought them closer together. But alas, it wasn’t to be. After two years of which you could imagine they got to a point where they knew a lot about each other, they called it off. While they aren’t dating any more, they remain close friends.

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9 Sheldon Cooper Does Not Have Aspergers Syndrome

Does Sheldon Cooper have aspergers, a form or autism? For fans and non-fans alike, his personality and social behavior certainly point to that clinical diagnosis. But despite all of the signs pointing to yes, Sheldon Cooper has aspergers, the shows creators and producers have claimed that he doesn’t. But why?

Before we look at the reason that Sheldon Cooper doesn’t have aspergers, we need to look at what makes people think he does have the condition. People who have the condition will exhibit a lot of symptoms that Sheldon also shows. They include being socially awkward, a lack of empathy, and lacking the ability to connect with people around them. For example, they will talk about a subject they are passionate about without noticing that the people they are talking to have an interest.

They also have a kind of religious ritual about their daily lives. A small change can present itself as a challenge, and make them feel uncomfortable. Watching Sheldon’s mannerisms on the Big Bang Theory shows many of these exact traits. Another problem is that they will not be able to distinguish different types of language tone and nuances. They totally miss the mark when people are being sarcastic, something that Sheldon certainly struggles with.

So, even though these are only a few of the problems that a person afflicted with asperger syndrome possess, the behavior of Sheldon Cooper suggests that he does have aspergers. But even though he shows all of the signs, he doesn’t, according to the producers and creators.

Why doesn’t Sheldon Cooper have aspergers syndrome?

Let’s face reality. We live in a society where to make fun of people with a diagnosed disorder is frowned upon. One of the greatest laughs on the show is Sheldon’s complete lack of understanding of basic human behavior and interaction, despite him apparently being one of the most intelligent humans alive. It can be assumed that the producers wanted to avoid controversy by making fun of a serious condition that affects millions of people world-wide.

But here’s the twist. Despite the producers of the show saying Sheldon Cooper doesn’t have aspergers, Jim Parsons, the actor who portrays him on television, does the acting as if his character does have autism. Regardless of whether or not he has the condition, the role is performed extremely well, and it has shone light on people who have the condition.

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10 Sheldon And Leonard Are Named After A Producer, Actor And Director, Sheldon Leonard

It doesn’t take a genius to know that when it comes to naming, be it a child or a fictional character, our past experiences with people can, and likely does have an influence. It’s something that a lot of people really don’t think about until they either have to pick a name for a child, or a character they are creating. When it comes to children, the standard response, especially when speaking from my own perspective, was influenced by an experience with someone that I personally know. If they had a name that was on a shortlist, and were a little weird, then off the list the name went. I just couldn’t get them out of my mind, and I didn’t want it to influence my interactions with the new child. A similar pattern in naming can happen when it comes to fictional characters. Quite often, just as with children, the name can be one of homage, or even ridicule. Well, when it came to naming Sheldon and Leonard, it was as a mark of respect to a very talented and influential man.

Sheldon Leonard was an acclaimed and respected film producer, actor and director. As an actor he starred in some classics, such as It’s a Wonderful Life and Sinbad the Sailor. While he never hit super stardom like some actors, he remained busy, providing voice over work for cartoons and commercials. As a producer he was best known for his part in The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Andy Griffith Show, of which he is best remembered.

It was his talent that led Chuck Lorre to suggest naming the pair after him.

As for their last names, Leonard’s name was taken from Robert Hofstadter, a well known and respected physicist and Nobel Prize winner. Sheldon’s last name was taken from Leon Cooper, another winner of the Nobel Prize.

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11 Kaley Cuoco Broke A Leg During Season 4

Cast your minds back a few years to season four of The Big Bang Theory. For a few episodes there was a distinct lack of Penny. It was something that I did notice, but didn’t really put a lot of thought into. Oddly enough, after a few weeks of absence, when she returned to the show she was no longer the waitress Penny at the Cheesecake Factory, she was bartender Penny at the Cheesecake Factory. This transition did seem a little odd, but once again I didn’t really care all that much. I suppose I just thought that the writers were toying around with some new ideas. Well it turns out that there was a very good reason for her absence and bartending. Kaley Cuoco had a broken leg.

One day Kaley was out riding a horse when she encountered a freak accident. The horse spooked and threw her off. Initially she was fine, and even laughed. But what followed wasn’t so funny. The horse tried to jump over Kaley, and in the process it landed on her leg. She thought that she heard the cracking of leaves, but it turned out to be her leg. And it was not good. It was so bad in fact that she was warned that she could face amputation!

Then I looked, and I’m like, wow, my foot’s facing me… And I was like, that’s not normal.
Kaley Cuoco on breaking her leg

Following an emergency proceedure to try and save her leg, and repair it, she came out with two rods protruding from it. She spent two weeks in hospital, which was the reason for her absenteeism in the show. When she returned the writers and producers thought that it would be easier to make her a barmaid and only show her from waist up than try and write a broken leg into the story.

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12 Barry Kripke And Elmer Fudd Have The Same Speech Impediment – Rhotacism

One of the more aggressive antagonists of the show is Barry Kripke. He is an intelligent man, holding a doctorate himself, and behaves in a rather crude way, especially to Sheldon Cooper. He even considers himself to be a bit of a ladies man at times. While he can be rude and annoying, one of the most standout features, and one that is instantly recognizable, is his speech impediment which is known as rhotacism.

Rhotacism is a condition that mainly affects peoples ability to form words with the letter “R” correctly. While no indication to how intelligent a person is, it can be treated with speech therapy, and results are often amplified the sooner therapy is started. While there are no real long term affects on sufferers health, it can affect confidence and social interactions.

But while Barry Kripke of The Big Bang Theory has rhotacism, another Warner Bros. character has had the same condition. That character was Elmer Fudd.

The speech impediment delivered by Kripke shouldn’t be viewed as a cheap shot of sufferers of rhotacism.

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We hope that you enjoyed our list of amazing Big Bang Theory facts. Keep clicking on through to more cool bits of information that might leave you bewildered and amazed.