Big Bang Fact

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up, things have been a bit busy recently! I'll try to get back on track next week.

The Big Bang Theory is one of the biggest television shows on in the USA right now and it's pretty popular here in the UK too. So, I thought I'd have a look at the way Big Bang Theory presents science and how that matches up to what it's really like. This is all pretty much based on the episodes I've seen  (a lot, but only the random selection E4 keep airing) so there may be times when things are presented differently, but this is how I think the show represents academia overall and how that differs from real research from a UK perspective.

Big Bang Theory: You don't have to interact with undergraduate or graduate students if you don't want to.

Research Reality: Erm... no. Sorry to burst the bubble, but it is pretty much impossible to isolate yourself from students of any kind. If Sheldon were a real university scientist at the same stage in his career he would most certainly be supervising a couple of post-graduate researchers. I know that this season with Sheldon's associate professorship he has to take a class, but if you want to get a permanent position, teaching experience is essential and you actually begin teaching as a PhD student.

Big Bang Theory: Research funding magically appears!

Big Bang Fact: Research funding is hard to get! You need to apply for grants and awards which, in the UK at least, is a pretty exhausting thing. If you're doing some 'sexy' science you might be able to get some kind of deal going for a campaign in the alumni magazine/newsletter but most of the time you have to fight to keep money coming in.

Big Bang Theory: You have lots of time for pet projects.

Big Bang Fact: If you can get all the work that your funding is mandated for done and find yourself with some time on your hands and a pot of money with no designated project attached you might get to have a pet project. However, its much more likely you'll get the undergraduate project students to work on it as its the only way you can get time and money to do it.

Big Bang Theory: Our whole universe was in a hot dense state then nearly 14 million years ago expansion started! Wait.. Earth began to cool....
Big Bang Fact: Yep. Pretty much!