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The Science of TV's the Big Bang Theory: Explanations Even Penny Would Understand
Reveals the hard facts behind the laughter on TV’s most popular sitcom
The highest-rated scripted show on TV, The Big Bang Theory often features Sheldon, Howard, Leonard, and Raj wisecracking about scientific principles as if Penny and the rest of us should know exactly what they’re talking about.
The Science of TV’s The Big Bang Theory lets all of us in on the punchline by breaking down the show’s scientific conversations. From an explanation of why Sheldon would think 73 is the best number, to an experiment involving the physical stature of Wolowitz women, to an argument refuting Sheldon’s assertion that engineers are the Oompa-Loompas of science, author Dave Zobel maintains a humorous and informative approach and gives readers enough knowledge to make them welcome on Sheldon’s couch.
The highest-rated scripted show on TV, The Big Bang Theory often features Sheldon, Howard, Leonard, and Raj wisecracking about scientific principles as if Penny and the rest of us should know exactly what they’re talking about.
The Science of TV’s The Big Bang Theory lets all of us in on the punchline by breaking down the show’s scientific conversations. From an explanation of why Sheldon would think 73 is the best number, to an experiment involving the physical stature of Wolowitz women, to an argument refuting Sheldon’s assertion that engineers are the Oompa-Loompas of science, author Dave Zobel maintains a humorous and informative approach and gives readers enough knowledge to make them welcome on Sheldon’s couch.
- GenresNonfictionScienceHumor
398 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 9, 2015
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I don't know. I'm afraid I expected a somewhat different kind of book when I requested it. I suppose I thought it would focus more on the show and give some more insights into it, but instead the show is used as a way to fix all the subjects addressed in this book together.
And as an introduction into these scientific subjects it's not bad. It's as they say 'explanations that even Penny would understand' and she might do now, but I'm pretty sure she would not have understood a lot of it at the beginning of the series. As a scientist myself I found there wasn't a lot of new things for me. Most of it I'd already seen in classes and besides physics isn't my main interest field in science.
The writing was okay, but the author tried to make a lot of jokes that didn't always quite land. It's probably just me, but it got a bit annoying after a while. And as this book clocks in at over 400 pages, it has to be something you must like, I guess...
So, if you're looking for a book about the show, keep looking, for besides some jokes and the search for where Sheldon's and Leonard 's apartment is there isn't much about it.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I don't know. I'm afraid I expected a somewhat different kind of book when I requested it. I suppose I thought it would focus more on the show and give some more insights into it, but instead the show is used as a way to fix all the subjects addressed in this book together.
And as an introduction into these scientific subjects it's not bad. It's as they say 'explanations that even Penny would understand' and she might do now, but I'm pretty sure she would not have understood a lot of it at the beginning of the series. As a scientist myself I found there wasn't a lot of new things for me. Most of it I'd already seen in classes and besides physics isn't my main interest field in science.
The writing was okay, but the author tried to make a lot of jokes that didn't always quite land. It's probably just me, but it got a bit annoying after a while. And as this book clocks in at over 400 pages, it has to be something you must like, I guess...
So, if you're looking for a book about the show, keep looking, for besides some jokes and the search for where Sheldon's and Leonard 's apartment is there isn't much about it.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
April 21, 2015
I’m no scientist, but I did get surprisingly passable grades in those courses in high school and college. . . except biology (PLANT biology—don’t ask). I also know I’m way smarter than Penny, which I mention because of the subtitle, but some of these concepts were still too much, not as easy to grasp as the writer no doubt envisioned.
The great Isaac Asimov used to have a column where he would explain scientific ideas in a way that the general public could understand. Stephen Hawking and Brian Greene (as seen on the show) had books like this too, but they don’t have the writing elegance of Asimov. Neither does this guy, but he comes the closest, especially with his sense of humor. Even then, whereas Asimov comes off as a funny professor teaching a class, Dave Zobel (not to be confused with the tattoo artist if you google the name) is more of a guy chatting at a party, a geek trying to impress a girl perhaps. The style is therefore much more conversational, which probably helps in keeping the reader’s attention. For instance, Isaac Asimov would never have said “As for Raj, he also has a pair [of noise-cancelling headphones]. Despite what some people say.” Literally a low blow.
Like Asimov, who did columns on Shakespeare and Milton, this book includes not just science but also philosophy and psychology. I found the chapter on dimensions the easiest to follow, even before he got to Flatland, as I knew he ultimately would. There’s plenty of asides for interviews and slight tangents of the main topic, with recurring themes like “In what universe?” “eureka@caltech.edu,” “Ask an icon,” and “Out to lands beyond,” though it does seem silly to call up an “icon” like Tom Lehrer and only ask him how he feels about Sheldon singing his song “The Elements.” {Yes, I’m sure there was more to the interview, but that’s all we get.}
One of the points he repeatedly brings up concerns the building where Leonard and Sheldon live, not just its location but its architecture. Since I’ve been on Los Robles plenty of times I was certainly curious about this too. And because I live close by, it occurred to me I might take a shot at it, go over to Pasadena and look for the place where you can see City Hall and the mountains from that exact angle, though considering they live on the fourth floor, it would be tough so match from ground level. Then I got to the last chapter and found someone had already done that; I was secretly relieved.
Your mileage will of course vary on how much you learn from this, but I will say the writer makes it easy with his writing style, even if his explanations don’t quite light the bulb in my head. It’s particularly fun when he calls Sheldon on his mistakes, making me wish the fictional character could read this and I could watch his head explode. . .
The great Isaac Asimov used to have a column where he would explain scientific ideas in a way that the general public could understand. Stephen Hawking and Brian Greene (as seen on the show) had books like this too, but they don’t have the writing elegance of Asimov. Neither does this guy, but he comes the closest, especially with his sense of humor. Even then, whereas Asimov comes off as a funny professor teaching a class, Dave Zobel (not to be confused with the tattoo artist if you google the name) is more of a guy chatting at a party, a geek trying to impress a girl perhaps. The style is therefore much more conversational, which probably helps in keeping the reader’s attention. For instance, Isaac Asimov would never have said “As for Raj, he also has a pair [of noise-cancelling headphones]. Despite what some people say.” Literally a low blow.
Like Asimov, who did columns on Shakespeare and Milton, this book includes not just science but also philosophy and psychology. I found the chapter on dimensions the easiest to follow, even before he got to Flatland, as I knew he ultimately would. There’s plenty of asides for interviews and slight tangents of the main topic, with recurring themes like “In what universe?” “eureka@caltech.edu,” “Ask an icon,” and “Out to lands beyond,” though it does seem silly to call up an “icon” like Tom Lehrer and only ask him how he feels about Sheldon singing his song “The Elements.” {Yes, I’m sure there was more to the interview, but that’s all we get.}
One of the points he repeatedly brings up concerns the building where Leonard and Sheldon live, not just its location but its architecture. Since I’ve been on Los Robles plenty of times I was certainly curious about this too. And because I live close by, it occurred to me I might take a shot at it, go over to Pasadena and look for the place where you can see City Hall and the mountains from that exact angle, though considering they live on the fourth floor, it would be tough so match from ground level. Then I got to the last chapter and found someone had already done that; I was secretly relieved.
Your mileage will of course vary on how much you learn from this, but I will say the writer makes it easy with his writing style, even if his explanations don’t quite light the bulb in my head. It’s particularly fun when he calls Sheldon on his mistakes, making me wish the fictional character could read this and I could watch his head explode. . .
November 22, 2016
This is a fairly straightforward book. The author provides explanations for some of the scientific/mathematic concepts behind key episodes and jokes in the television show. The quality of the book is entirely dependent upon the reader. If they have significant scientific knowledge then not much will be gained from reading, except perhaps for the odd joke.
It covers a lot of concepts. Some of the chapters are dull (units of measure), and some are intriguing (artificial intelligence). At times it can be a bit dry, so the writer interjects jokes from/about the show, quips and a fan mystery about where the apartment is.
The book serves a strange audience. It relies on people who are a fan of The Big Bang Theory, yet ignorant of key scientific concepts. The writing is too advanced for children. It is an okay read, that drags at points and made me laugh a couple times. It wasn't really for me, and I'm not sure who it is for.
It covers a lot of concepts. Some of the chapters are dull (units of measure), and some are intriguing (artificial intelligence). At times it can be a bit dry, so the writer interjects jokes from/about the show, quips and a fan mystery about where the apartment is.
The book serves a strange audience. It relies on people who are a fan of The Big Bang Theory, yet ignorant of key scientific concepts. The writing is too advanced for children. It is an okay read, that drags at points and made me laugh a couple times. It wasn't really for me, and I'm not sure who it is for.
February 3, 2016
052 - 2016
Buat yang kepo kalo lagi nonton TBBT.
Mereka lagi ngomongin apaan sih?
Buat yang kepo kalo lagi nonton TBBT.
Mereka lagi ngomongin apaan sih?
January 30, 2017
Entertaining, humorous, and a nice collection of science ideas presented in the show.
July 24, 2019
Well, I certainly don't believe that the explanations are so simple that even Penny could understand them... Sure, they try to simplify various scientific concepts and I actually like how various they are, but a lot of them still go into way too much detail - when it came to photons and electrons for example, I nearly threw up because it reminded me so much of school. It's nice that they try, but I would like a really simplified version with almost no technical terms and more hows than whys. The author also tries to implement humor but most of the time it doesn't really work for me... What - on the other hand - worked for me - even if I don't like the TV show and haven't watched a single episode - is the "running gag" about finding out where the Pasadena apartment building from the show is located, using views from the windows, the weird architecture or several scenes playing outside.
April 12, 2020
This was a book that took me quite awhile to get through. There were many of the chapters that were quite interesting, some that I decided I was too tired to really understand and a few that totally lost me. Physics was not my strong suit in school and school was 50 years ago so... Glad and read it and plodded through when I had to but do not think I will read it again.
September 2, 2018
Loved it. Very well done. Great marriage of science to one of my favorite all time tv shows. Thank you DAVE!!!
February 22, 2021
No way Penny would have understood the biggest part of the book - neither did I.
Some subjects weren’t that interesting. For instance the origin of the prefixes like kilo or deci. There are plenty of subjects in the book, so everyone will be able to find a couple they do enjoy reading about.
I love the sarcasm and the jokes about the series. The book has a few regular features that show up in most chapters. As much fun as they were, their placement in brackets throughout the text took away from the readability. At times the quotes that lead to a chapter seemed random and not key ‘issues’ in science.
I wish we could have read about what exactly our beloved characters do for a living. Like Penny tried to learn from Sheldon, it would be nice to know what Leonerd actually does in a lab. Same goes for the chosen carrier and research subjects of Amy, Bernadette, Raj, Sheldon, Bert, Kripkey, Leslie ans Leonard’s parents. Show us the science behind the whiteboard or making that thing for the military.
It is fun to watch the series afterwards and see the quoted scenes and remembering the science behind them.
Some subjects weren’t that interesting. For instance the origin of the prefixes like kilo or deci. There are plenty of subjects in the book, so everyone will be able to find a couple they do enjoy reading about.
I love the sarcasm and the jokes about the series. The book has a few regular features that show up in most chapters. As much fun as they were, their placement in brackets throughout the text took away from the readability. At times the quotes that lead to a chapter seemed random and not key ‘issues’ in science.
I wish we could have read about what exactly our beloved characters do for a living. Like Penny tried to learn from Sheldon, it would be nice to know what Leonerd actually does in a lab. Same goes for the chosen carrier and research subjects of Amy, Bernadette, Raj, Sheldon, Bert, Kripkey, Leslie ans Leonard’s parents. Show us the science behind the whiteboard or making that thing for the military.
It is fun to watch the series afterwards and see the quoted scenes and remembering the science behind them.
July 22, 2015
I consider myself to be an educated person; I have qualifications coming out of my pooper – I realise this last sentence doesn’t exactly lend a lot of faith to that claim but it is true. However, my one downfall has always been science. I just never understood it. I can honestly say that after reading The Science of TV’s the Big Bang Theory: Explanations Even Penny Would Understand by Dave Zobel I am still in that exact same position.
The Science of TV’s the Big Bang Theory: Explanations Even Penny Would Understand makes a big claim in its title. Penny who is considered to not be very smart but should be able to understand after reading this book is a fallacy. I spent the majority of the time reading it scratching my head in confusion. It got to the point whereby I was reading the words but not taking anything in because the theories were -nay, are – just too damn complex.
The parts of The Science of TV’s the Big Bang Theory: Explanations Even Penny Would Understand that focussed on the actual television show was entertaining and props to Dave Zobel, his writing is witty and fun to read but I feel like you would need a Phd in science to understand the science element.
This book is not like Ronseal – it does not do what it says on the tin…although science lovers (and those who are really, really smart) will enjoy reading it.
The Science of TV’s the Big Bang Theory: Explanations Even Penny Would Understand by Dave Zobel is available now.
The Science of TV’s the Big Bang Theory: Explanations Even Penny Would Understand makes a big claim in its title. Penny who is considered to not be very smart but should be able to understand after reading this book is a fallacy. I spent the majority of the time reading it scratching my head in confusion. It got to the point whereby I was reading the words but not taking anything in because the theories were -nay, are – just too damn complex.
The parts of The Science of TV’s the Big Bang Theory: Explanations Even Penny Would Understand that focussed on the actual television show was entertaining and props to Dave Zobel, his writing is witty and fun to read but I feel like you would need a Phd in science to understand the science element.
This book is not like Ronseal – it does not do what it says on the tin…although science lovers (and those who are really, really smart) will enjoy reading it.
The Science of TV’s the Big Bang Theory: Explanations Even Penny Would Understand by Dave Zobel is available now.
October 31, 2015
I read this book because I'm a Big Bang Theory fan and I wanted to learn more about what Penny refers to as Sheldon's 'jibber jabber.' I was also hoping to learn more about the things seen on the whiteboards. A little more about the work the gang is focused on would have also been interesting.
This wasn't the book for this, however. It was more of a 'scientific principles mentioned in the show' tutorial. Even though it wasn't what I hoped for, it was interesting. The main text ran a little longer on each topic but it wasn't too much of a detractor. The best part of this book was the added sections in gray and black. I'm fascinated by CalTech alumni now and want to follow up with a book focusing on them.
Oh, and the foreword was written by the actual Howard Joel Wolowitz, much to my amusement.
This wasn't the book for this, however. It was more of a 'scientific principles mentioned in the show' tutorial. Even though it wasn't what I hoped for, it was interesting. The main text ran a little longer on each topic but it wasn't too much of a detractor. The best part of this book was the added sections in gray and black. I'm fascinated by CalTech alumni now and want to follow up with a book focusing on them.
Oh, and the foreword was written by the actual Howard Joel Wolowitz, much to my amusement.
June 11, 2016
While I personally enjoyed the book, it referenced the show less than I expected, mostly throwing in one liners here and there. The one connection with the show that stayed true throughout was a seemingly random, fairly uninteresting attempt at the end of most chapters to pin down the exact physical location of the spot the apartment on the show is supposed to be.
While I was familiar with most of the concepts explained in the book, more than a few involved physics that was way over my head. I would question the claim on the cover of "Explanations even Penny would understand."
I would only recommend this book to people who really enjoy reading about fairly complicated scientific principles.
While I was familiar with most of the concepts explained in the book, more than a few involved physics that was way over my head. I would question the claim on the cover of "Explanations even Penny would understand."
I would only recommend this book to people who really enjoy reading about fairly complicated scientific principles.
August 5, 2019
Despite the title...Penny would not understand these explanations. The dumbing down of the subjects actually make things harder to understand. Zobel's text can give insight but you have to read carefully cause sometimes he goes right over your head. Sorry...the truth hurts.
did-not-finish
June 26, 2015**I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley*** Unfortunately I did not finish reading this book. I think I was under the impression that it would be more heavily tied in with the show and it isn't. Also, the science is really complex, but the explanations aren't as simple as the title claims.
June 19, 2015
I have found myself very interested in the science parts of this book and very disinterested in the television series commentary. You really need to love the tv series to want to read this. Wishing it was really more about the science thus far.
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
June 4, 2015
Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review.
I'm a fan of The Big Bang Theory and this was interesting to read about the various scientific things they talk about on the show. Side note: this is very heavy on the science.
I'm a fan of The Big Bang Theory and this was interesting to read about the various scientific things they talk about on the show. Side note: this is very heavy on the science.
Read
January 6, 2016Good for humor parts-lines from show, but "too" much depth on the science side. Did a lot of skimming on those parts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2016
I love this book because it is educational and entertaining. I highly recommend it to everyone. This book is awesome. So is The Big Bang Tbeory.
Read
March 15, 2016Honestly, kinda boring.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews