# The Big Bang Theory, Season 9, Episode 18 (March 10, 2016) -- "The Application Deterioration" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2016, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586 "2016-03-10T22:06:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/41 "2016-03-13T05:15:07Z")
> [@Lare](#): > > I missed where Howard became a federal employee. At the beginning of the series wasn’t he part of the university staff but working on something (the 0g toilet) for NASA? > Even though he went into space, I thought he was no longer on the NASA payroll? Seems like he’s always working on something for NASA or the military. He doesn’t have a doctorate and he doesn’t teach (so far as we know), so I’d guess he’s in Pasadena under some kind of agreement with the government. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2016, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/42 "2016-03-13T05:30:28Z")
Doesn’t Howard work at JPL? If so, that might explain why he’s a federal employee and not a university one. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/43 "2016-03-13T08:00:55Z")
JPL started out as a part of CalTech, so there’s possibly still some sort of arrangement (in the TBBT universe) that he works at CalTech under some sort of contractor/subcontractor thing for NASA via JPL. He has lots of friends over at JPL. Remember when he broke that Mars Rover and borrowed that robot arm that he had to go to the hospital to get, um, detached from? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/44 "2016-03-13T16:40:41Z")
Something else that is interesting is the show seems to be dipping its toe in a little serialization. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/45 "2016-03-13T17:09:10Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > JPL started out as a part of CalTech, so there’s possibly still some sort of arrangement (in the TBBT universe) that he works at CalTech under some sort of contractor/subcontractor thing for NASA via JPL. He has lots of friends over at JPL. Remember when he broke that Mars Rover and borrowed that robot arm that he had to go to the hospital to get, um, detached from? Others on the board will know better (I think some people here might actually work there) but I think JPL is still managed by Caltech for NASA so there is absolutely a connection between them. Similarly, Lawrence Berkeley is managed by UC Berkeley and Sandia is managed by a division of Lockheed Martin. It’s a common arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/46 "2016-03-13T17:52:37Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Something else that is interesting is the show seems to be dipping its toe in a little serialization. You mean story arcs? They’ve had those for a long time. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/47 "2016-03-13T18:22:57Z")
Howard definitely works for JPL. From the wiki: \*Howard is an aerospace engineer and faculty member in Caltech’s Department of Applied Physics. He has worked in the astronautical engineering lab for three years as of the first season. He began working at JPL’s Deep Space Operations Center prior to the series, and he has his own mechanical engineering lab. \* ---
**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:** [March 13, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/48 "2016-03-13T18:27:06Z")
Actually, that Wiki quote appears to be saying that he worked for JPL before the show started but _currently_ works for the Department of Applied Physics at Caltech. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/49 "2016-03-13T18:33:40Z")
It says “work_ing_,” which to me means he still does. Not unusual at Caltech. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/50 "2016-03-13T18:37:13Z")
Perhaps he works at both but the use of the present tense in the first sentence indicates that he currently works at the university. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/51 "2016-03-13T18:39:51Z")
Whoever is paying him isn’t paying him much. Otherwise he wouldn’t be so freaked about providing for his upcoming sprog. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/52 "2016-03-13T19:26:10Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Actually, that Wiki quote appears to be saying that he worked for JPL before the show started but _currently_ works for the Department of Applied Physics at Caltech. > [@silenus](#): > > It says “work_ing_,” which to me means he still does. Not unusual at Caltech. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Perhaps he works at both but the use of the present tense in the first sentence indicates that he currently works at the university. Well, his lab/workshop seems to be physically on the CalTech campus. He seems to have his lunches in a staff cafeteria on the CalTech campus. He may get his paychecks from either CalTech or JPL. Or from JPL via CalTech. His position and the lab space/equipment at CalTech may be paid for by a grant or something from JPL. And I do believe JPL’s relationship with NASA is the same as the one Marshall Space Flight Center, Lewis Research Center, and others have. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/53 "2016-03-13T22:21:18Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Whoever is paying him isn’t paying him much. Otherwise he wouldn’t be so freaked about providing for his upcoming sprog. I suspect his own childhood is coloring his assessment of how much money he needs for the kid. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/54 "2016-03-13T22:53:52Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Whoever is paying him isn’t paying him much. Otherwise he wouldn’t be so freaked about providing for his upcoming sprog. Was wondering about that myself. I know nothing about it - are engineers who work for NASA really living on the breadline? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/55 "2016-03-13T23:13:42Z")
Then he won’t be sacrificing much to be a SAHD while Bernie continues making “a buttload of money”. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/56 "2016-03-14T02:48:23Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Remember when he broke that Mars Rover and borrowed that robot arm that he had to go to the hospital to get, um, detached from? I prefer not to think about it. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/57 "2016-03-17T14:29:17Z")
They just cast [Leonard’s father](http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/03/17/big-bang-theory-casts-judd-hirsch-as-leonard-dad-but-when-will-meet-penny-mom/?intcmp=hpff). Inspired choice, IMO. Expect him to show up before the end of the season. New episodes return March 31. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/58 "2016-03-17T15:46:22Z")
So how many parents does that leave that we haven’t seen for the main 5 characters? By my count it would be: Penny’s mother Howard’s dad (probably not likely though) And, yes, I realize we technically never saw Howard’s mother but we sure knew she was around. If the list were expanded to include Amy and Bernadette, the only addition would be Amy’s father. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/59 "2016-03-17T15:48:24Z")
We’ve seen Amy’s mother on Skype, but has there ever been a mention of her father? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586/60 "2016-03-17T15:54:07Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > They just cast [Leonard’s father](http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/03/17/big-bang-theory-casts-judd-hirsch-as-leonard-dad-but-when-will-meet-penny-mom/?intcmp=hpff). Inspired choice, IMO. Expect him to show up before the end of the season. > > New episodes return March 31. Judd Hirsch is 17 years older than Christine Baranski. Are they trying to provide justification for Leonard marrying a much younger [hot](http://images2.fanpop.com/image/polls/342000/342452_1260998130114_full.jpg) wife? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-season-9-episode-18-march-10-2016-the-application-deterioration/748586.md?page=4)