20 Mistakes In 'The Big Bang Theory' That Slipped Past The Researchers

The Big Bang Theory is one of television's most popular shows right now, but even it isn't without flaws. There is a lot of science, math, and technical jargon throughout the show, so it's understandable if the writers jumble a few things every now and then. But as you start digging into the mistakes, some of these are pretty obvious ones that a little research could have easily taken care of. Here are 20 mistakes that slipped past researchers and editors and made it to the small screen.

1. Season 1, Episode 7 – "The Dumpling Paradox"

As the group figures out how to play Halo with just three people, Leonard jokes about cutting Raj in half. Raj responds with, "Oh sure, cut the foreigner in half. There's a billion more where he came from." But Penny is in the room with them, so he shouldn't be able to speak in front of her. The fact that alcohol helps him speak isn't revealed until the next episode, so it should have come as a surprise to everyone that he spoke.

2. Season 1, Episode 7 – "The Dumpling Paradox"

Penny states that she decapitated Sheldon's Halo character. Halo characters can't be decapitated.

3. Season 1, Episode 7 – "The Dumpling Paradox"

According to Sheldon's rigid schedule, Wednesday night is Halo night. Penny is forced to stay over on a Wednesday night, and the following morning Sheldon complains that he can't watch Doctor Who on BBC America because Penny is on the couch and that he's been watching Doctor Who on every Saturday for years. The day that follows Wednesday isn't Saturday, it should be Thursday.

4. Season 1, Episode 7 – "The Dumpling Paradox"

Howard states that the enemy is "charging his Plasma Rifle." The only gun in Halo that is charged is the Plasma Gun, not rifle.

5. Season 1, Episode 14 – "The Nerdvana Annihilation"

In the movie "The Time Machine," Rod Taylor couldn't set a desired date, he used the lever to move back and forth through time, and the date displayed to show his current whenabouts. When Leonard uses the time machine, he sets the date manually. Also, the gang pulls the lever opposite of what Rod Taylor did in the movie.

6. Season 1, Episode 14 – "The Nerdvana Annihilation"

After getting into the time machine, Leonard states he will set the date for March 10, 1876. Howard says, "Good choice. Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone and calls out for Doctor Watson." Thomas Watson, Bell's assistant, was an electrical designer and mechanic, but did not hold an advanced degree. It's well documented that the first words transmitted over the telephone identified him as "Mister Watson."

7. Season 1, Episode 14 – "The Nerdvana Annihilation"

When Leonard threatens to open his Star Trek: The Next Generation Geordi La Forge action figure, the action figure is wearing the uniform from the movie, not the television series.

8. Season 1, Episode 16 – "The Peanut Reaction"

Leonard is supposed to be playing Halo against someone in Copenhagen, but there is no Ethernet cable or wireless adapter connected to the Xbox 360, so he couldn't be playing online.

9. Season 2, Episode 2 – "The Codpiece Topology"

During Leonard's date with Leslie, Sheldon's laptop battery dies, so he runs an extension cord out of the apartment and down the stairs, pulling it tight. But Leonard shuts the door of the apartment easily, as if there's no cord stretching out the door.

10. Season 2, Episode 2 – "The Codpiece Topology"

Sheldon arrives at the apartment with his Nintendo 64 and tells Leonard that they can play Super Mario 64, and that if he finds the memory card, they can pick up where he left off. Super Mario 64 saves the game data on the cartridge, not on a memory card.

11. Season 2, Episode 2 – "The Codpiece Topology"

Sheldon states that the "Reinheitsgebot Law" would have limited the availability of mead in 1487. However, the most commonly known version of the law wasn't introduced until 1516, and the law only defined the price and the ingredients of beer and had nothing to do with other alcoholic beverages like mead.

12. Season 3, Episode 9 – "The Vengeance Formulation"

During a radio interview, helium is pumped into the room where Sheldon is sitting, making his voice squeaky. However, if there was enough helium to alter his voice, Sheldon would suffocate due to lack of oxygen because the helium would displace the oxygen in the room.

13. Season 3, Episode 9 – "The Vengeance Formulation"

Sheldon mixes hydrogen peroxide, saturated potassium iodide and liquid soap, creating a large foam blob of bubbles. Because it is barely heavier than air, it should more or less gently float down from the ceiling. However, when Sheldon exacts his revenge, what falls on the professors is a heavy custard-like mixture, not the solution from before

14. Season 3, Episode 16 – "The Excelsior Acquisition"

Howard asks Sheldon why he is keeping a stack of uncashed checks in his desk. Sheldon states that it's to purchase items that have yet to be invented and that he doesn't trust banks. Unfortunately for Sheldon, checks are voided after a set period of time and would eventually become worthless.

15. Season 4, Episode 2 – "The Cruciferous Vegetable Amplification"

The words "D-D Fushion" are written on Sheldon's white board. The correct spelling is "fusion."

16. Season 4, Episode 19 – "The Zarnecki Incursion"

When Sheldon's World of Warcraft items are stolen, he freaks out and contacts the police and creates an elaborate scheme to get them back. If he had contacted Blizzard support, they would have fixed the issue no problem. This, however, would have ruined the central plot of the episode.

17. Season 5, Episode 14 – "The Beta Test Initiation"

Penny racks the slide of the gun to ensure the chamber is empty, then slides the magazine into the butt of the gun, handing it to Leonard. They start to kiss, and Leonard shoots himself in the foot. However, there would be no bullet in the chamber for him to shoot himself with and the gun would provide extra resistance to prevent a hair trigger accident such as this.

18. Season 6, Episode 15 – "The Spoiler Alert Segmentation"

It is well documented that Howard's mother is morbidly obese, and in "The Engagement Reaction" episode, her hugely over sized arms are mentioned specifically. However, when she grabs Raj at the end of this episode, her arms are of average size, not appearing obese at all.

19. Season 7, Episode 14 – "The Convention Conundrum"

Sheldon spells Sir Ian McKellen's name incorrectly, putting "an" at the end.

20. Season 8, Episode 2 – "The Junior Professor Solution"

Howard states that Sheldon is correct when he answers the question, "How do you quantify the strength of materials?" with the answer "Young's modulus." Young's modulus actually quantifies a material's rigidity, not strength.