Not Just Hawking: Real-Life Scientists Who Had a Cameo in Big Bang Theory
One can argue about how much science actually means to The Big Bang Theory, but it is definitely a huge part of the show — as well as the actual scientists.
The Big Bang Theory is full of famous guest stars.
However, while everyone is quick to appreciate the celebrity cameos, the appearance of real scientists sometimes goes unnoticed because most people only know their names, not their faces.
Famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson appeared in two episodes of the show — The Apology Insufficiency and The Conjugal Configuration.
A scientist specializing in the study of the cosmos, he seeks answers to humanity's most pressing questions.
In addition to exploring the cosmos itself, Neil deGrasse Tyson is also a planetary scientist, who conducts research on the phenomena that occur on celestial bodies and describes the causes of their formation and death.
It is worth noting that deGrasse Tyson is also known to the public as a popularizer of science — after all, he often appears at famous popular science events such as TED.
Another scientific cameo on TBBT was done by George Smoot, who is an astrophysicist and winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics.
His work confirmed the theory of the birth of the universe during the Big Bang. Smoot was fascinated by The Big Bang Theory's focus on his favorite field of study and immediately became its devoted viewer.
Before the start of season 2, he wrote to the show's creators asking if he could somehow participate in the filming by appearing in one of the episodes.
According to him, it was a great opportunity to once again profess his love for the Big Bang theory.
The creators were thrilled at the chance to cast a real Nobel Laureate in the series and quickly figured out how to include him organically in the show. He appeared in the 17th episode of the 2nd season, Terminator Decoupling.
And perhaps the most remarkable scientist in the series was, of course, Stephen Hawking. The genius theorist of everything that exists appeared twice in the sitcom.
It is likely that the scientist would have been able to please the fans with his presence more than twice, but unfortunately Hawking passed away in 2018.
Both moments with his participation fascinate viewers with their wit and originality. One of the moments that fans love the most is when Sheldon meets his idol, who is even praised for his work.
But Sheldon finds out that he made a mistake in the calculations and faints. To which Stephen sums up: "Great, another fainter."