everything you never needed or wanted to know about Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper, PhD.
Sheldon is weirdly complex for a sitcom character, so this is going to be an info dump on stuff I need to know to play an aspie physicist with a 187 IQ, two PhDs and a Masters. Currently missing a lot of S3 info.
links
Sheldon Cooper's at Wikipedia. ( + TBBT episode list ) ( + TBBT wikiquote page ) ( + TBBT @ IMDB )
Sheldon Cooper at the Big Bang Theory wiki. I cribbed a lot from this page to begin with. Sparsely sourced and badly organized but otherwise a good collection of Sheldon miscellany.
The Master List of Big Bang Breakdowns. The sheldon_penny community looks at each episode, including a complete summary, a review, quotes, new trivia learned about the characters, an expansion on the meaning of the title and a list of any other references in the show, frequently including an explanation. There's a 'shipper slant and a lot of opinion and fanwank but it's still a wonderful resource.
The Big Blog Theory. Goes over the science mentioned in the show, and pretty much my go-to for learning more about something.
daily life
- Sheldon lives with Leonard Hofstadter in Apartment 4A of a rundown apartment building in LA, California. Penny lives across the hall.
- He works as a theoretical physicist at CalTech and has done so for the past three and a half years.
- Sheldon uses only 46.9% of his after-tax income and he has no particular emotional attachment to or anxiety about money.
- He considers Leonard, Penny and Raj his three closest friends, with Howard a treasured acquaintance. (3.13) He says he'd find having more than four friends stressful. (Though he has 212 friends on Myspace.)
- Member of the Museum of Natural History and, until recently, the Planetarium.
- Sheldon has an eidetic memory. He applies the scientific method in every aspect of his life.
- Sheldon has excellent hearing.
- He's a Taurus, putting his birthday in late April/early May.
Monday: Oatmeal for breakfast.
Tuesday: Eats at the Cheesecake Factory. (BBQ Cheeseburger & lemonade.)
Wednesday: New comic book day at the Comic Book Store. Halo night.
Thursday: Pizza night. (Third of every month is 'anything goes' Thursday.)
Friday:
Saturday: Up at 6:15AM to eat cereal and watch Doctor Who. 8:15PM is laundry time. Klingon Boggle night.
Sunday:
pre-series life
Sheldon's family"
- His mother, Mary, who is a sweet, god-fearing woman and the only person who can, without fail, get Sheldon to do what she wants. Leonard describes her as Sheldon's "kryptonite". He religious beliefs frequently clash with Sheldon's scientific ones, but she has her Chruch group "pray for his soul" and insists "Jesus loves [Sheldon] anyway."
- His late father, George, who was an alcoholic and a redneck and is never seen onscreen, having died only shortly before the start of the series.
- A fraternal twin sister named Missy who is beautiful and socially adept but not particularly intelligent.
- At least two other unnamed siblings.
- His grandmother whom he affectionately calls "Memaw" (she calls him Moonpie) who he communicates with via snail mail.
- Born in a K-Mart and raised in an aluminum trailer in Galveston, East Texas, Sheldon's southern accent gets thicker whenever he's feeling child-like (over-excitement, being scolded, when ill.)
- Sheldon finished primary and high school in 7 years. He went to college at 11. He entered graduate studies at 14 and was the youngest person to receive the Stevenson Award. He was a visiting professor in Germany at 15. He received his first PhD at 16, working on twistor theory. He then took four years to write his second dissertation.
- During his childhood, he built a CAT scanner, a so-called "Death Ray", and an armed robot made using his sister's Easy Bake Oven, which he modified.
- When he was a child, Sheldon conducted experiments involving the height of stairs and deduced that if a step on a staircase is 2mm off or more, a person is likely to trip (this resulted in his father breaking his clavicle).
- When Sheldon was twelve years old, he wanted a titanium centrifuge to separate radioactive isotopes.
- According to his mother, he also built a nuclear reactor at thirteen years old in order to provide free electricity for his town; however this failed after a government agent informed him that it was illegal to store yellowcake uranium in a shed.
- At fourteen, he dabbled in lasers (resulting in his being sent to boarding school after the government took his laser away and hushed the college professor who witnessed the experiment).
- "Refused clearance for a very prestigious government research fellowship at a secret military supercollider located beneath a fake agricultural station 12.5 miles southeast of Travers City, Michigan." (2.01)
likes, dislikes and personality
food & drink
- Enjoys takeaway Chinese, Thai, Indian, Pizza, Big Boy, Souplantation, and the BBQ Cheeseburger at Penny's cheesecake factory.
- Thinks chocolate pudding cups are the best flavour.
- Doesn't eat anything cooked with cilantro/coriander.
- Will not eat generic ketchup.
- Sorts his cereal by fiber content, including bran, oatmeal, and honey puffs.
- Prefers diet coke (virgin cuba libre), herbal tea with honey, or a root beer float.
- "I’m sorry, coffee’s out of the question. When I moved to California I promised my mother that I wouldn’t start doing drugs."
- Generally a teetotaller, but alcohol has him playing piano and singing.
- Sheldon doesn't like to go to the cinema if he can't eat popcorn or drink icies during the movie.
obsessive compulsive disorder
- Does not like change, to the point of being unreasonable.
- Has a strict weekly schedule (new friends are provided with a copy) and a routine way of living his life that he is incredibly unwilling to break.
- Very picky about the contents and presentation of his food. He also needs to feel whoever prepares it is "safe" and will not eat food he has seen someone else touch. (See: Food.)
- Showers twice a day and washes his hands as frequently as possible.
- Keeps his toothbrush in a Plexiglass case under a UV lamp.
- "Hot air blowers are incubators and spewers of bacteria and pestilence. Frankly, it’d be more hygienic if they just had a plague-infested gibbons sneeze my hands dry." (2.04)
- Labels all household objects, and has a barcode/spreadsheet system in place with his possessions for ease of packing and unpacking.
- Believes things have their place and is compulsively neat; he even goes so far as to tidy other people's mess if it's making him anxious.
- Folds and presses all his laundry, even the socks.
- Does not like anybody to change the TV settings or adjust the thermostat in his apartment.
- Door-knocking: knocks in three sets of three (i.e. [knock knock knock] Penny, [knock knock knock] Penny, [knock knock knock] Penny.) even if the door opens before he's finished.
- "You have to check your messages, Leonard! The leaving of the message is one half of the social contract, which is completed by the checking of the messages! If that contract breaks down, then all social contracts break down, and we have anarchy!" (2.22)
- "By opening the box, we void the warranty. The warranty is a sacred covenant with the manufacturer, who trust us to not violate the integrity of the product. This orange plastic seal is all that stands between us and anarchy." (2.17)
- "You know I could never live in a city in which the streets are laid out in a wheel and spoke pattern!" (3.14)
- Has a personal rule about not urinating on public transport.
- "I don't like touching other people's coins." (3.14)
fears and allergies
- Allergic to bees.
- Allergic to cats.
- Asthmatic.
- Spoilerphobic.
- Germophobe.
- Afraid of birds.
- Afraid of bears, including teddy bears.
- Afraid of heights (they cause him to pass out).
- Was once chased up the elm tree at the front of his house by his neighbour's chicken.
- HATES the sound of people whistling.
- Has a rule against people emailing him "internet humour".
- Squicked by people changing band-aids.
other pleasant personality quirks
- Sheldon finds it difficult to recognize facial expressions and emotions in others.
- He also possesses little empathy and sometimes has trouble recognizing his own emotions.
- He is often confused by basic social interactions, and looks at them scientifically, including: reading about them on Wikipedia or WikiHow; justifying them with a chemical/neuroscientific motivation; applying probability and statistics; or drawing up flowcharts, spreadsheets and hypotheses. He keeps a daily log of his social interactions.
- He refers to and recognizes distinct social paradigms, including those others might not consciously be aware of.
- Sheldon frequently does not understand when something is intended in sarcasm (though he will check if he's unsure.) He's also not particularly good with rhetorical questions.
- Sheldon doesn't know how to lie or how to keep a secret.
- He lacks humility. Sheldon doesn't seem to understand modesty, and frequently touts his own achievements and revels in his own intelligence. And he isn't very aware of the "Too Much Information" line, unafraid to ask for or share very personal information.
- Sheldon is a sore loser (and an obnoxious winner.)
- Sheldon doesn't drive. Though he has a learner's permit and has logged a number of hours on a simulator. When he is forced to get in an actual car he has an anal-retentive attention to detail and goes insanely slowly, but unless it's an emergency he'll walk.
- Wherever he goes, he has to choose the best sitting location based on such things as optimal television viewing, lighting, and cushion density. In movie theatres, he will test the acoustics using various sounds to find the surround-sound "sweet spot" before choosing a seat.
- Sheldon is a bit of a hypochondriac.
- Sheldon has a bizarre sense of humour - while he doesn't understand most jokes, very intellectual ones make him laugh, and he also enjoys Schadenfreude and his own particular brand of "pranks".
knowledge, hobbies and interestsSheldon: Penny, I'm a physicist. I have a working knowledge of the universe and everything it contains.
Penny: Who's Radiohead?
Sheldon: ... ... ... Penny, I have a working knowledge of the important things in the universe.
his research
- Switched from bosonic string theory to heterotic string theory. (M-theory: 1 2 3 4.)
- Reconciled the black hole information paradox using a string network condensate approach.
- "Examining perturbative amplitudes in n=4 supersymmetric theories, leading to a reexamination of the ultraviolet properties of multi-loop n=8 supergravity, using modern twistor theory."
physics
- Has a Masters in science, two PhDs, and is a published theoretical physicist.
- Wore a Doppler Effect costume for Halloween.
- Subscribes to the "Many Worlds" theory which posits the existence of an infinite number of Sheldons in an infinite number of universes. (3.03)
math / logic
- Cites LLN to explain coincidence.
- "This is a classic example of Münchhausen's Trilemma: either the reason is predicated on a series of sub-reasons, leading to an infinite regression; or it tracks back to arbitrary axiomatic statements; or it's ultimately circular: i.e., I'm moving out because I'm moving out." (2.01)
- Cites Occam's razor. (1.09)
computers
- Uses a Mac with a Linux partition.
- Dislikes Windows 7 because it's more "user friendly".
- Owns a kindle.
- Uses MySpace and Twitter.
- "Everything is better with Bluetooth." (2.18)
other science
- Sheldon's fun chemistry game: "I’ll say an element and then you say an element whose name starts with the last letter of the one I said." (2.05)
- His favourite Amino Acid is Lysine.
- Bioinformatics: "I'm going to fold like an energy-based de novo protein in conformational space." (2.01)
- Manages to insert DNA from luminous jellyfish into goldfish to create "fish nightlights".
- "In 1890, Emile Dolbear determined that there was a fixed relationship between the number of chirps per minute of the snowy tree cricket and the ambient temperature; a precise relationship that is not present with ordinary field crickets." (3.02)
- "For the record, that psychotic rant was a concise summation of the research of Bertram Forer, who, in 1948, proved conclusively through meticulously designed experiments that astrology is nothing but pseudoscientific hokum." (1.16)
history / anthropology
- "Honore Blanc's use of interchangeable parts in 1778 ... The assembly line, Penny." (2.18)
- "Did Davy Crockett quit at the Alamo? Did Jim Bowie?" (2.18)
- Varied knowledge of the middle ages and the renaissance. (2.12)
- "Were the Romans polite when they salted the ground of Carthage to make sure nothing would ever grow again?"
- Indian culture: Knows Bolly wood actresses / "In Hinduism cattle are thought to be like God." / "Isn't hosting guests an aspect of Manushya-Yajna, one of the five central religious duties or sacrifices of the Hindu house-holder?"
- "In Papa New Guinea, there's a tribe when a hunter flaunts his success to the rest of the village, they kill him and drive away evil spirits with a drum made of his skin." (2.04)
- "It's culturally universal. A bed, even a temporary bed, is always oriented with the headboard away from the door. It serves the ancient imperative of protecting oneself against marauders." (1.07)
- "In the pre-Christian era, as the winter solstice approached and the plants died, pagans brought evergreen boughs into their homes as an act of sympathetic magic, intended to guard the life essences of the plants until spring. This custom was later appropriated by Northern Europeans and eventually it becomes the so-called Christmas tree."
linguistics & languages
- Extremely large vocabulary, though he only truly exercises it when he's nervous or trying to prove his superiority.
- Hates incorrect grammar, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation and will correct people.
- Takes sentences literally: frequently misunderstands or misuses misnomers, colloquialisms, idioms etc. ("I believe the appropriate metaphor here involves a river of excrement and a Native American water vessel without any means of propulsion." (2.08)) ("I'm polymerized tree sap and you're an inorganic adhesive, so whatever verbal projectile you launch in my direction is reflected off of me, returns to its original projectory and adheres to you." (1.13))
- Mastered Latin before fifth grade.
- Knows morse code.
- Is seen learning Mandarin Chinese and Finnish over the course of the series.
- Speaks Klingon fluently, enjoys Klingon boggle, reads Shakespeare in "the original Klingon".
- "He's engaging in reductio ad absurdum. It's the logical fallacy of extending someone's argument to a ridiculous proportions and criticizing the result. And I do not appreciate it." (1.07)
other areas of knowledge
- Can play the piano. (And has a fantastic baritone.)
- Learned how to swim on the internet.
- Plays paintball on weekends and has a decent handle on military strategy and calculating required angles.
- Due to growing up in redneck Texas, Sheldon knows a remarkable amount about all types of football (except European), though he has no actual interest in the sport.
- Likes trains, and knows a ridiculous amount about them, including their engineering, different makes and types, famous international routes and most continental American timetables.
- Understands business models, marketing techniques and speeding the manufacturing process. (2.18)
- Knows a lot about law, as it applies to him. (eg "When I signed for the package, I was deputized by the United Parcel Service and entrusted with its final delivery. I now need you to acknowledge receipt of the package so that I am fully indemnified and no longer liable.")
- "Back door has a five-pin tumblr system and a single-circuit alarm. Child's play." (3.14)
- Is able to weave using a loom. (1.04)
- "Do you know what the most common street name is? ... The answer’s tricky. ... It’s Second Street. You see, you would think it would be First Street, but in most towns First Street eventually gets renamed to something else." (2.05)
comics
- Collects comics. Keeps hundreds in his room, has a safety deposit box for the older/valuable ones, and buys limited edition comics in double so as to keep one mint.
- Seems to prefer DC to Marvel.
- His favourite superheroes are Batman, the Green Lantern and the Flash.
- Sheldon's favourite Catwoman is Julie Newmar and his least favorite is Halle Berry.
- "It is well established that Superman's flight is a feat of strength. It is an extension of his ability to leap tall buildings, an ability he derives from Earth's yellow sun!" (1.02)
- "Not unless they find a way to fuse my skeleton with adamantium like Wolverine." (2.14)
games
- Plays Age of Conan (as a Conqueror) and World of Warcraft (as a rogue Night Elf).
- Has a Second Life account.
- Plays Halo with the guys every Wednesday. ("I'm going to ask him to choose between sex and HALO 3. As far as I know sex has not been upgraded to include high-def graphics and enhanced weapons systems.")
- Is the bass guitar in Rock Band.
- Loves Super Mario Bros.
- Terrible at MarioKart (see: Sheldon Doesn't Drive).
- Excellent at three-dimensional chess.
- Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock. (He will always choose Spock.)
- Enjoys 20 Questions. (He will always choose Spock.)
- Before the robbery, Sheldon & Leonard owned: PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, a classic Nintendo, a Super Nintendo, a Nintendo 64, a Nintendo Wii, Halo 1-3, Call of Duty 1-3, Rock Band 1-2, Final Fantasy 1-9, Legend of Zelda, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics, and Ms. Pacman.
misc. nerd stuff
- His favourite shows are: Doctor Who, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and Scrubs.
- He also watches anime.
- Sheldon's favourite Star Trek movie is Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. (In addition: "Star Trek V has specific problems in writing and direction. Star Trek I has mistakes across the board: writing, art direction, costumes, editing.")
- Sheldon likes Star Wars but isn't impressed with recent Lucas works, though he still supports the franchise. ("I'm sorry, but I'm not going to watch the Clone Wars TV series until I've seen the Clone Wars movie. I prefer to let George Lucas disappoint me in the order he intended.")
- "You know how I can tell we're not in the Matrix? ... If we were, the food would be better." (2.12)
- "It occurs to me, if I ever did perfect a time machine I'd go into the past and give it to myself. Thus eliminating the need for me to invent it in the first place."
- Knows Asimov's three laws of robotics. (1.03)
misc. sheldon stuff
- Hates Wil Wheaton.
- Likes monkeys.
- BAZINGA!
- Briefs.
links
Sheldon Cooper's at Wikipedia. ( + TBBT episode list ) ( + TBBT wikiquote page ) ( + TBBT @ IMDB )
Sheldon Cooper at the Big Bang Theory wiki. I cribbed a lot from this page to begin with. Sparsely sourced and badly organized but otherwise a good collection of Sheldon miscellany.
The Master List of Big Bang Breakdowns. The sheldon_penny community looks at each episode, including a complete summary, a review, quotes, new trivia learned about the characters, an expansion on the meaning of the title and a list of any other references in the show, frequently including an explanation. There's a 'shipper slant and a lot of opinion and fanwank but it's still a wonderful resource.
The Big Blog Theory. Goes over the science mentioned in the show, and pretty much my go-to for learning more about something.
daily life
- Sheldon lives with Leonard Hofstadter in Apartment 4A of a rundown apartment building in LA, California. Penny lives across the hall.
- He works as a theoretical physicist at CalTech and has done so for the past three and a half years.
- Sheldon uses only 46.9% of his after-tax income and he has no particular emotional attachment to or anxiety about money.
- He considers Leonard, Penny and Raj his three closest friends, with Howard a treasured acquaintance. (3.13) He says he'd find having more than four friends stressful. (Though he has 212 friends on Myspace.)
- Member of the Museum of Natural History and, until recently, the Planetarium.
- Sheldon has an eidetic memory. He applies the scientific method in every aspect of his life.
- Sheldon has excellent hearing.
- He's a Taurus, putting his birthday in late April/early May.
Monday: Oatmeal for breakfast.
Tuesday: Eats at the Cheesecake Factory. (BBQ Cheeseburger & lemonade.)
Wednesday: New comic book day at the Comic Book Store. Halo night.
Thursday: Pizza night. (Third of every month is 'anything goes' Thursday.)
Friday:
Saturday: Up at 6:15AM to eat cereal and watch Doctor Who. 8:15PM is laundry time. Klingon Boggle night.
Sunday:
pre-series life
Sheldon's family"
- His mother, Mary, who is a sweet, god-fearing woman and the only person who can, without fail, get Sheldon to do what she wants. Leonard describes her as Sheldon's "kryptonite". He religious beliefs frequently clash with Sheldon's scientific ones, but she has her Chruch group "pray for his soul" and insists "Jesus loves [Sheldon] anyway."
- His late father, George, who was an alcoholic and a redneck and is never seen onscreen, having died only shortly before the start of the series.
- A fraternal twin sister named Missy who is beautiful and socially adept but not particularly intelligent.
- At least two other unnamed siblings.
- His grandmother whom he affectionately calls "Memaw" (she calls him Moonpie) who he communicates with via snail mail.
- Born in a K-Mart and raised in an aluminum trailer in Galveston, East Texas, Sheldon's southern accent gets thicker whenever he's feeling child-like (over-excitement, being scolded, when ill.)
- Sheldon finished primary and high school in 7 years. He went to college at 11. He entered graduate studies at 14 and was the youngest person to receive the Stevenson Award. He was a visiting professor in Germany at 15. He received his first PhD at 16, working on twistor theory. He then took four years to write his second dissertation.
- During his childhood, he built a CAT scanner, a so-called "Death Ray", and an armed robot made using his sister's Easy Bake Oven, which he modified.
- When he was a child, Sheldon conducted experiments involving the height of stairs and deduced that if a step on a staircase is 2mm off or more, a person is likely to trip (this resulted in his father breaking his clavicle).
- When Sheldon was twelve years old, he wanted a titanium centrifuge to separate radioactive isotopes.
- According to his mother, he also built a nuclear reactor at thirteen years old in order to provide free electricity for his town; however this failed after a government agent informed him that it was illegal to store yellowcake uranium in a shed.
- At fourteen, he dabbled in lasers (resulting in his being sent to boarding school after the government took his laser away and hushed the college professor who witnessed the experiment).
- "Refused clearance for a very prestigious government research fellowship at a secret military supercollider located beneath a fake agricultural station 12.5 miles southeast of Travers City, Michigan." (2.01)
likes, dislikes and personality
food & drink
- Enjoys takeaway Chinese, Thai, Indian, Pizza, Big Boy, Souplantation, and the BBQ Cheeseburger at Penny's cheesecake factory.
- Thinks chocolate pudding cups are the best flavour.
- Doesn't eat anything cooked with cilantro/coriander.
- Will not eat generic ketchup.
- Sorts his cereal by fiber content, including bran, oatmeal, and honey puffs.
- Prefers diet coke (virgin cuba libre), herbal tea with honey, or a root beer float.
- "I’m sorry, coffee’s out of the question. When I moved to California I promised my mother that I wouldn’t start doing drugs."
- Generally a teetotaller, but alcohol has him playing piano and singing.
- Sheldon doesn't like to go to the cinema if he can't eat popcorn or drink icies during the movie.
obsessive compulsive disorder
- Does not like change, to the point of being unreasonable.
- Has a strict weekly schedule (new friends are provided with a copy) and a routine way of living his life that he is incredibly unwilling to break.
- Very picky about the contents and presentation of his food. He also needs to feel whoever prepares it is "safe" and will not eat food he has seen someone else touch. (See: Food.)
- Showers twice a day and washes his hands as frequently as possible.
- Keeps his toothbrush in a Plexiglass case under a UV lamp.
- "Hot air blowers are incubators and spewers of bacteria and pestilence. Frankly, it’d be more hygienic if they just had a plague-infested gibbons sneeze my hands dry." (2.04)
- Labels all household objects, and has a barcode/spreadsheet system in place with his possessions for ease of packing and unpacking.
- Believes things have their place and is compulsively neat; he even goes so far as to tidy other people's mess if it's making him anxious.
- Folds and presses all his laundry, even the socks.
- Does not like anybody to change the TV settings or adjust the thermostat in his apartment.
- Door-knocking: knocks in three sets of three (i.e. [knock knock knock] Penny, [knock knock knock] Penny, [knock knock knock] Penny.) even if the door opens before he's finished.
- "You have to check your messages, Leonard! The leaving of the message is one half of the social contract, which is completed by the checking of the messages! If that contract breaks down, then all social contracts break down, and we have anarchy!" (2.22)
- "By opening the box, we void the warranty. The warranty is a sacred covenant with the manufacturer, who trust us to not violate the integrity of the product. This orange plastic seal is all that stands between us and anarchy." (2.17)
- "You know I could never live in a city in which the streets are laid out in a wheel and spoke pattern!" (3.14)
- Has a personal rule about not urinating on public transport.
- "I don't like touching other people's coins." (3.14)
fears and allergies
- Allergic to bees.
- Allergic to cats.
- Asthmatic.
- Spoilerphobic.
- Germophobe.
- Afraid of birds.
- Afraid of bears, including teddy bears.
- Afraid of heights (they cause him to pass out).
- Was once chased up the elm tree at the front of his house by his neighbour's chicken.
- HATES the sound of people whistling.
- Has a rule against people emailing him "internet humour".
- Squicked by people changing band-aids.
other pleasant personality quirks
- Sheldon finds it difficult to recognize facial expressions and emotions in others.
- He also possesses little empathy and sometimes has trouble recognizing his own emotions.
- He is often confused by basic social interactions, and looks at them scientifically, including: reading about them on Wikipedia or WikiHow; justifying them with a chemical/neuroscientific motivation; applying probability and statistics; or drawing up flowcharts, spreadsheets and hypotheses. He keeps a daily log of his social interactions.
- He refers to and recognizes distinct social paradigms, including those others might not consciously be aware of.
- Sheldon frequently does not understand when something is intended in sarcasm (though he will check if he's unsure.) He's also not particularly good with rhetorical questions.
- Sheldon doesn't know how to lie or how to keep a secret.
- He lacks humility. Sheldon doesn't seem to understand modesty, and frequently touts his own achievements and revels in his own intelligence. And he isn't very aware of the "Too Much Information" line, unafraid to ask for or share very personal information.
- Sheldon is a sore loser (and an obnoxious winner.)
- Sheldon doesn't drive. Though he has a learner's permit and has logged a number of hours on a simulator. When he is forced to get in an actual car he has an anal-retentive attention to detail and goes insanely slowly, but unless it's an emergency he'll walk.
- Wherever he goes, he has to choose the best sitting location based on such things as optimal television viewing, lighting, and cushion density. In movie theatres, he will test the acoustics using various sounds to find the surround-sound "sweet spot" before choosing a seat.
- Sheldon is a bit of a hypochondriac.
- Sheldon has a bizarre sense of humour - while he doesn't understand most jokes, very intellectual ones make him laugh, and he also enjoys Schadenfreude and his own particular brand of "pranks".
knowledge, hobbies and interestsSheldon: Penny, I'm a physicist. I have a working knowledge of the universe and everything it contains.
Penny: Who's Radiohead?
Sheldon: ... ... ... Penny, I have a working knowledge of the important things in the universe.
his research
- Switched from bosonic string theory to heterotic string theory. (M-theory: 1 2 3 4.)
- Reconciled the black hole information paradox using a string network condensate approach.
- "Examining perturbative amplitudes in n=4 supersymmetric theories, leading to a reexamination of the ultraviolet properties of multi-loop n=8 supergravity, using modern twistor theory."
physics
- Has a Masters in science, two PhDs, and is a published theoretical physicist.
- Wore a Doppler Effect costume for Halloween.
- Subscribes to the "Many Worlds" theory which posits the existence of an infinite number of Sheldons in an infinite number of universes. (3.03)
math / logic
- Cites LLN to explain coincidence.
- "This is a classic example of Münchhausen's Trilemma: either the reason is predicated on a series of sub-reasons, leading to an infinite regression; or it tracks back to arbitrary axiomatic statements; or it's ultimately circular: i.e., I'm moving out because I'm moving out." (2.01)
- Cites Occam's razor. (1.09)
computers
- Uses a Mac with a Linux partition.
- Dislikes Windows 7 because it's more "user friendly".
- Owns a kindle.
- Uses MySpace and Twitter.
- "Everything is better with Bluetooth." (2.18)
other science
- Sheldon's fun chemistry game: "I’ll say an element and then you say an element whose name starts with the last letter of the one I said." (2.05)
- His favourite Amino Acid is Lysine.
- Bioinformatics: "I'm going to fold like an energy-based de novo protein in conformational space." (2.01)
- Manages to insert DNA from luminous jellyfish into goldfish to create "fish nightlights".
- "In 1890, Emile Dolbear determined that there was a fixed relationship between the number of chirps per minute of the snowy tree cricket and the ambient temperature; a precise relationship that is not present with ordinary field crickets." (3.02)
- "For the record, that psychotic rant was a concise summation of the research of Bertram Forer, who, in 1948, proved conclusively through meticulously designed experiments that astrology is nothing but pseudoscientific hokum." (1.16)
history / anthropology
- "Honore Blanc's use of interchangeable parts in 1778 ... The assembly line, Penny." (2.18)
- "Did Davy Crockett quit at the Alamo? Did Jim Bowie?" (2.18)
- Varied knowledge of the middle ages and the renaissance. (2.12)
- "Were the Romans polite when they salted the ground of Carthage to make sure nothing would ever grow again?"
- Indian culture: Knows Bolly wood actresses / "In Hinduism cattle are thought to be like God." / "Isn't hosting guests an aspect of Manushya-Yajna, one of the five central religious duties or sacrifices of the Hindu house-holder?"
- "In Papa New Guinea, there's a tribe when a hunter flaunts his success to the rest of the village, they kill him and drive away evil spirits with a drum made of his skin." (2.04)
- "It's culturally universal. A bed, even a temporary bed, is always oriented with the headboard away from the door. It serves the ancient imperative of protecting oneself against marauders." (1.07)
- "In the pre-Christian era, as the winter solstice approached and the plants died, pagans brought evergreen boughs into their homes as an act of sympathetic magic, intended to guard the life essences of the plants until spring. This custom was later appropriated by Northern Europeans and eventually it becomes the so-called Christmas tree."
linguistics & languages
- Extremely large vocabulary, though he only truly exercises it when he's nervous or trying to prove his superiority.
- Hates incorrect grammar, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation and will correct people.
- Takes sentences literally: frequently misunderstands or misuses misnomers, colloquialisms, idioms etc. ("I believe the appropriate metaphor here involves a river of excrement and a Native American water vessel without any means of propulsion." (2.08)) ("I'm polymerized tree sap and you're an inorganic adhesive, so whatever verbal projectile you launch in my direction is reflected off of me, returns to its original projectory and adheres to you." (1.13))
- Mastered Latin before fifth grade.
- Knows morse code.
- Is seen learning Mandarin Chinese and Finnish over the course of the series.
- Speaks Klingon fluently, enjoys Klingon boggle, reads Shakespeare in "the original Klingon".
- "He's engaging in reductio ad absurdum. It's the logical fallacy of extending someone's argument to a ridiculous proportions and criticizing the result. And I do not appreciate it." (1.07)
other areas of knowledge
- Can play the piano. (And has a fantastic baritone.)
- Learned how to swim on the internet.
- Plays paintball on weekends and has a decent handle on military strategy and calculating required angles.
- Due to growing up in redneck Texas, Sheldon knows a remarkable amount about all types of football (except European), though he has no actual interest in the sport.
- Likes trains, and knows a ridiculous amount about them, including their engineering, different makes and types, famous international routes and most continental American timetables.
- Understands business models, marketing techniques and speeding the manufacturing process. (2.18)
- Knows a lot about law, as it applies to him. (eg "When I signed for the package, I was deputized by the United Parcel Service and entrusted with its final delivery. I now need you to acknowledge receipt of the package so that I am fully indemnified and no longer liable.")
- "Back door has a five-pin tumblr system and a single-circuit alarm. Child's play." (3.14)
- Is able to weave using a loom. (1.04)
- "Do you know what the most common street name is? ... The answer’s tricky. ... It’s Second Street. You see, you would think it would be First Street, but in most towns First Street eventually gets renamed to something else." (2.05)
comics
- Collects comics. Keeps hundreds in his room, has a safety deposit box for the older/valuable ones, and buys limited edition comics in double so as to keep one mint.
- Seems to prefer DC to Marvel.
- His favourite superheroes are Batman, the Green Lantern and the Flash.
- Sheldon's favourite Catwoman is Julie Newmar and his least favorite is Halle Berry.
- "It is well established that Superman's flight is a feat of strength. It is an extension of his ability to leap tall buildings, an ability he derives from Earth's yellow sun!" (1.02)
- "Not unless they find a way to fuse my skeleton with adamantium like Wolverine." (2.14)
games
- Plays Age of Conan (as a Conqueror) and World of Warcraft (as a rogue Night Elf).
- Has a Second Life account.
- Plays Halo with the guys every Wednesday. ("I'm going to ask him to choose between sex and HALO 3. As far as I know sex has not been upgraded to include high-def graphics and enhanced weapons systems.")
- Is the bass guitar in Rock Band.
- Loves Super Mario Bros.
- Terrible at MarioKart (see: Sheldon Doesn't Drive).
- Excellent at three-dimensional chess.
- Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock. (He will always choose Spock.)
- Enjoys 20 Questions. (He will always choose Spock.)
- Before the robbery, Sheldon & Leonard owned: PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, a classic Nintendo, a Super Nintendo, a Nintendo 64, a Nintendo Wii, Halo 1-3, Call of Duty 1-3, Rock Band 1-2, Final Fantasy 1-9, Legend of Zelda, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics, and Ms. Pacman.
misc. nerd stuff
- His favourite shows are: Doctor Who, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and Scrubs.
- He also watches anime.
- Sheldon's favourite Star Trek movie is Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. (In addition: "Star Trek V has specific problems in writing and direction. Star Trek I has mistakes across the board: writing, art direction, costumes, editing.")
- Sheldon likes Star Wars but isn't impressed with recent Lucas works, though he still supports the franchise. ("I'm sorry, but I'm not going to watch the Clone Wars TV series until I've seen the Clone Wars movie. I prefer to let George Lucas disappoint me in the order he intended.")
- "You know how I can tell we're not in the Matrix? ... If we were, the food would be better." (2.12)
- "It occurs to me, if I ever did perfect a time machine I'd go into the past and give it to myself. Thus eliminating the need for me to invent it in the first place."
- Knows Asimov's three laws of robotics. (1.03)
misc. sheldon stuff
- Hates Wil Wheaton.
- Likes monkeys.
- BAZINGA!
- Briefs.