Science and the Environment

Its Big, and it Bangs but is it Accurately Funny?

KSMU | By Dr. David Cornelison
Published March 23, 2017 at 9:45 AM CDT
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio
Missouri State University

The dominant portrayal of science and scientists today is that disseminated by the television show :The BIg Bang Theory”.  Is it accurate?  Are the situations funny or is the laughter primarily at and not with the characters.  On the show, I discuss what I see as the actual motivations behind the show and its generally negative look at the quirky, lovable and completely dysfunctional denizens of the “typical” physics department.

Science and the Environment
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Dr. David Cornelison
Dr. David Cornelison has been working as an educator and scientist in Arizona and Missouri universities for the last 32 years. From 2010-2018, he was the head of the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science at Missouri State University. His research interests lie at the intersection of experimental condensed-matter physics and astrophysics, while his educational efforts have focused on outreach to the K-12 school system. Most of all, he believes in curiosity-driven learning in the sciences and all other fields.
See stories by Dr. David Cornelison