# The Big Bang Theory, December 5, 2013 -- "The Discovery Dissipation" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671 "2013-12-06T14:29:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/1 "2013-12-06T14:29:03Z")
What did everyone think about last night’s episode? ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/2 "2013-12-06T14:44:28Z")
I thought I really liked it, then I wasn’t so sure. Because I am … the WETWACTER! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/3 "2013-12-06T14:51:46Z")
We liked it. Raj got some meaty stuff, as did Wil (who , btw, I have stopped following on Twitter because he never shuts the fuck up, especially about hockey and beer. The latter I could tolerate, but not the former.) I’m sure there’s slash fiction out there involving a Raj/Howard/Bernie 3-way. Raj is better than either of them for the other. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/4 "2013-12-06T16:28:06Z")
Howard is a terrible husband and Sheldon is a terrible person. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/5 "2013-12-06T16:44:12Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Howard is a terrible husband and Sheldon is a terrible person. That much was obvious from the _pilot_. Well, not the Howard part. It was that he **would be** a terrible husband that was obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/6 "2013-12-06T16:45:48Z")
I felt it was a little predictable. I knew as soon as Bernadette walk through that door Raj was going to schmooze her and outshine Howard. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/7 "2013-12-06T17:23:51Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I felt it was a little predictable. I knew as soon as Bernadette walk through that door Raj was going to schmooze her and outshine Howard. Yeah, I knew it too – but I still laughed a lot! ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/8 "2013-12-06T17:39:58Z")
I am surprised Sheldon didn’t want to claim that Leonard’s findings were incorrect… BTW, I was thinking that a great plot someday would be for Penny to audition for a TV show, where she had to play a brainy lab scientist, and suddenly start spewing random things she had learned by osmosis with the guys and get the role! She would then screw up the gig by letting her character become “Sheldon” and get fired. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/9 "2013-12-06T17:43:52Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I am surprised Sheldon didn’t want to claim that Leonard’s findings were incorrect… > > BTW, I was thinking that a great plot someday would be for Penny to audition for a TV show, where she had to play a brainy lab scientist, and suddenly start spewing random things she had learned by osmosis with the guys and get the role! She would then screw up the gig by letting her character become “Sheldon” and get fired. I would love to see her character get another acting gig. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/10 "2013-12-06T18:09:06Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > I thought I really liked it, then I wasn’t so sure. > > Because I am … the WETWACTER! Don’t you mean you’re a wee tractor? ---
**Author:** ![txtumbleweed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@txtumbleweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txtumbleweed)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/11 "2013-12-06T19:17:43Z")
Enjoyed it; however, I was left with the question, who are Sheldon’s 9 friends? The other regulars are 6. But not sure if all the regulars actually count as friends in Sheldon’s mind or as acquaintances. Wil Wheaton has friendship status, he’d be 7. Does Bernadette’s dad count as a friend since the Thanksgiving football bonding? That’s 8. Who are the (un?)lucky 9? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/12 "2013-12-06T19:21:26Z")
Don’t forget Science. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/13 "2013-12-06T19:21:35Z")
Leonard Raj Howard (provisional) Penny Amy Bernadette Wil Barry Stuart ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/14 "2013-12-06T19:24:40Z")
I don’t think I’d really call Kripke a friend. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/15 "2013-12-06T19:24:53Z")
But not Stephen Hawking. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/16 "2013-12-06T19:34:34Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > I don’t think I’d really call Kripke a friend. Who knows? Sheldon certainly courted him as a friend when he thought Barry controlled access to the mainframe Sheldon needed. They have since worked together quite a bit, and he was one of the people Sheldon invited over to replace his old friends (the others being Stuart, Zack and Levar Burton). ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/17 "2013-12-06T19:49:41Z")
The good news: **Mrs. FtG** has now officially admitted she is starting to like _TBBT_. Which means I can watch it with her right after it airs rather than waiting for some alone time to watch it without annoying her. The bad news: I can’t pause and rewind to check on odd things. That just ticks her off. So the shifting count of friends seemed to be inconsistent, but I couldn’t double check it. I also had to explain who Wil Wheaton is (or was). An ordinary episode. Howard’s a jerk. Etc. I thought Kripke was completely unaware of his speech impediment. E.g., the Siri thing. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/18 "2013-12-06T19:55:55Z")
As a fan of “NPR’s Science Friday”, I was interested to learn what Ira Flatow looks like. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/19 "2013-12-06T20:08:05Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I thought Kripke was completely unaware of his speech impediment. E.g., the Siri thing. Ahh, continuity. Thou are a heartless bitch. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671/20 "2013-12-06T20:11:22Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > As a fan of “NPR’s Science Friday”, I was interested to learn what Ira Flatow looks like. 😃 Same here. I imagined Ira Flatow looking different. Actually, I think he did a PBS science series years ago and that may be how I’m remembering him. And it was slightly interesting to hear Wil Wheaton discuss the hatred some people have for his Star Trek character. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-december-5-2013-the-discovery-dissipation/675671.md?page=2)