The Big Bang Theory

The Shiny Trinket Maneuver - S5-E12

Continuity mistake: Howard, Leonard and Raj play Jenga in a strange sort of way. Most notable is the playing order, 1. Howard, 2. Raj, 3. Raj, 4. Leonard, 5. Howard. When it's Leonard's turn he doesn't move any bricks, only pokes the tower and it's then Howard's turn. When its Raj's first turn he puts a brick on the top of the tower. When it's his turn again, the brick is gone and he puts a new one in its place.

The Countdown Reflection - S5-E24

Continuity mistake: After Howard and Bernadette are pronounced husband and wife, when they kiss the camera angle switches to an overhead shot, but as it zooms out (to a digital image) things change - such as the configuration of the rooftop, or things move - such as the cable dishes, or things even vanish - such as air-conditioning units.

Super Grover

The Launch Acceleration - S5-E23

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Sheldon is scooping spaghetti onto his plate, he pauses with the spoon in the serving dish. Shot cuts to Amy and the spoon is still in the serving dish. When shot cuts back to Sheldon the spoon is being held over his plate. Shot cuts back to Amy and the spoon is back in the dish.

The Big Bang Theory mistake picture

The Rothman Disintegration - S5-E17

Continuity mistake: After Amy returns to the apartment for the Grease DVD and discovers Penny doesn't like the painting, she then exits the apartment with the painting and the DVD with her. When Amy says to Penny she doesn't need her pity, the DVD is placed above the hanging string of the painting. In the next shot, as she walks into the hallway, the DVD is suddenly almost half below the string.

Casual Person

The Russian Rocket Reaction - S5-E5

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Howard and Bernadette are about to have sex and Bernadette leaves to "brush her teeth", Howard stretches and lays on the bed uncovered. After Howard's mother yells "over my dead body my son goes to space" and Bernadette appears again and says "I'm ready", then it flashes back to Howard and he is instantly covered up.

The Pork Chop Indeterminacy - S1-E15

Character mistake: In his conversation with Missy Sheldon makes it clear that his superior intelligence is a result of a random, mutated gene. Since Missy isn't similarly intelligent she obviously isn't carrying this mutated gene (which would be a billion to one shot anyway) so her offspring wouldn't inherit it. Sheldon would know this - his offspring would carry the mutated gene for superior intelligence, Missy's would not. Anyone knowing enough about genetics to use the term 'randomly mutated gene' understands enough to know that the mutated gene would only be expressed in a direct line from the carrier - Sheldon. Also bear in mind he has a model of the DNA molecule in his living room - it is obviously an interest.

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Genes can be dormant. Which allows them to skip generations. Therefor Missy's children could actually get the "mutated" gene. This is especially true since Sheldon and Missy are twins. Also, since the episode is about who out of Leonard, Howard or Raj, Sheldon would allow to "mate" with his sister, there is the added "insurance" of getting any smart genes from any of the 3 Lothario's mentioned above.

If you are going to try to argue with a geneticist about genetics, please use the correct terms. Sheldon is not referring to a recessive gene - there is no such thing as a dormant gene - he is speaking of a randomly mutated gene. Those are the words he used. If he had inherited a homozygous recessive karotype - one recessive gene from each of his parents - then somewhere in his family tree there would similarly gifted people, in which case he would use the correct term - a recessive gene. If Missy is a heterozygotic dominant karotype possessing the recessive gene for super-genius and the dominant for ordinary intelligence then mating her with Howard, Raj or Leonard would be a waste of time as their dominant genius gene would prevent the recessive super-genius gene from being expressed in the phenotype of the resulting child. The child would be highly intelligent but not on Sheldon's standards. It doesn't matter if Sheldon does not know any of this as he refers several times to a randomly mutated gene, not a recessive one. Missy does not carry the super-genius gene. The posting is correct.

Sheldon is prone to magical thinking when necessary to preserve his obsessive need to control his environment. He may have simply ignored the flaw in his reasoning, as even the most intelligent humans do when venturing outside their ares of expertise. He may be interested in the science of genetics, but his Ph.D. in physics doesn't qualify him as an expert in that field.

More mistakes in The Big Bang Theory

The Extract Obliteration - S6-E6

Stephen Hawking: Do you like brain teasers?
Sheldon Cooper: Oh, I love brain teasers.
Stephen Hawking: What do Sheldon Cooper and a black hole have in common? They both suck. Neener, neener.

More quotes from The Big Bang Theory
More trivia for The Big Bang Theory

Show generally

Question: How come Raj has no problem speaking to his mother, but, when around other women, such as Penny, he immediately stops talking? Also, why does he have to whisper in someone's ear if he wants to ask Penny something?

Answer: Because Raj's selective mutism seems to be caused by women that Raj sees (on some sort of conscious or subconscious level) as a potential sexual partner. An attribute that wouldn't apply to either his sister or mother.

More questions & answers from The Big Bang Theory

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.