For a while there, The Big Bang Theory seemed to lose just a little bit of its extraordinary humor. As much as I love the TV series, I thought that Season 3 was not as funny as the first two. Then came Season 4. I think many of you will agree that it is the funniest of all the four seasons.
In any case, we all know who the four geeks are. We all know about their girlfriends, or “girl/friend” in Sheldon’s case. But, how many of us know about the guys behind the scientific quips in the show? While I am sure that a good number of you would readily raise your hands if that question were asked of you, let’s take the time to acknowledge the guy behind the “real” physics.
So who is David Saltzberg, and why is he needed by the show? The writers are, after all, knowledgable in their own right. Bill Prady, the executive producer, used to be a software engineer.
David Saltzberg is a physics professor at UCLA by day. When he needs to take a break, he goes to the set of TBBT. Okay, maybe not all the time – his role as a consultant is still a job, but it is one heck of a job! He also provides the writers with scientifically sound information – ideas and props that would not be out of place in a real lab, for example.
For example, those boards that Sheldon and the rest of the guys obsess about? They contain real equations, and one of them actually featured top quark equations that Saltzberg worked on. He also asks for help from his colleagues when he isn’t able to come up with answers immediately.
The next time you don’t quite get the science behind an exchange between the guys of TBBT, I suggest visiting The Big Blog Theory, where Saltzberg discusses his work with the show.
Photo via Big Bang Forum