Fans of The Big Bang Theory, now that the show has finally finished, how many times have you binge-watched the entire series? Once, twice, or five times? If it's more than that then maybe you may have spotted these hidden details about the boys' offices and workspaces.
Some of these details will be glaringly obvious when pointed out and some may give fans further questions that were left unanswered. From Sheldon's Einstein bobblehead to the spare office workspace in 4A, keep reading to discover the 10 hidden details about the boys' offices you may not have noticed.
Why Does No One Use The Workspace In 4A?
One of the biggest questions about Leonard and Sheldon's apartment is whose workspace is the office in the corner by the window. As fans know, Sheldon and Leonard do their work in two spaces: Leonard does his work at the desk near the door and Sheldon does his at the desk near the kitchen.
However, has anyone else noticed that there is a computer on the desk near the window that goes untouched? This office space is ten times bigger than where the scientists do their actual work. Even when Sheldon moves out, Leonard and Penny don't even use it.
Why Does Raj Have A Bell?
Another mystery that would confuse the viewers is the bell that resides on Raj's desk. After Raj moved into the office with Sheldon, fans would be able to see a little brass bell sitting on his desk. ("The Hot Troll Deviation"). The bell remains an important fixture in Raj's office as it can also be seen in "The 43 Peculiarity" and "The Closure Alternative."
But what was its purpose? Was it part of his murder mystery parties? Did he use it for experiments? Was it a gift or family heirloom? Considering it is in a lot of episodes, it seems that it must hold some significance to Raj. Only the writers will know...
Sheldon's Flag Sticker
One thing that has confused the fans is the upside-down American flag sticker on Sheldon's laptop. Before it was stolen in the apartment burglary, the physicist had a red laptop that had a USA flag and space shuttle on it. Leonard's laptop had a similar design on it, except his flag was the right way up.
Considering that Sheldon is a big expert on flags (as evidenced by his YouTube channel), he should have known that the American flag should not be displayed with the union down unless his life or property were in extreme danger or dire distress. Could this have been him warning others not to touch his property or a simple mistake?
Raj's Desk
In "The Hot Troll Deviation," Raj and Sheldon are seen come to blows when the latter refused to let the former have his own desk. After much prodding from the gang, Sheldon relents and agrees. However, Raj ends up annoying him further when he buys a huge desk that takes up the entire office.
When Sheldon referred to the desk as "Brobdingnagian," several people were confused by the term. Film and book lovers would be more familiar as it is a reference to the fictional place Brobdingnag from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Here, the inhabitants are giants and all their objects are described as giant as well.
The Sign On Howard's Door
When it comes to Howard's lab (otherwise known as the Mechanical Engineering Lab), there's not a lot that would grab the audience's attention. Other than his and Bernadette's wedding photo, there is nothing really personal about it. However, eagle-eyed viewers spotted a blunder about one of the signs on the door.
In the episode "The Cooper/Kripke Inversion," Raj comes looking for Howard after they spent $1000 on dolls based on themselves. As Raj walks into the room, direct your attention to the signs on the door. Instead of it having "Restricted Area", the sign actually reads as "Resticted Area".
Sheldon's Albert Einstein Bobblehead
One object that fans may not have noticed is Sheldon's Albert Einstein bobblehead. As fans know, the influential physicist is a personal idol of the gang's. However, he seems to have had the biggest impact on Sheldon, who has often referred to himself as "Dr. Einstein von Brainstorm".
Sheldon also has an Einstein bobblehead on his desk, which made its first appearance in "The Higgs Boson Observation". Most of the time it is facing his direction which means that he must use it as a source of inspiration when he is working.
The Musical Notes On The Whiteboard
In "The Rothman Disintegration," Sheldon and Kripke find themselves battling it out for Professor Rothman's office after the theoretical physicist retired. Although Sheldon ended up winning the challenge, he soon finds fault with the office, especially the wind chimes and the mockingbird outside.
Later in the episode, Leonard, Howard, and Raj visit Sheldon only to see him trying to cover the ventilation system. He complains to them that a mockingbird is purposely singing out of tune because its song doesn't match the wind chimes. If you're wondering how he knew this, look at the whiteboard — you'll be able to see that he has written the musical notes of the bird and the chimes.
Sheldon's Journal Picture
When Sheldon moves to his new office in "The Rothman Disintegration," fans would be able to see a framed black and white picture of the future Nobel Prize winner. This is no ordinary picture as further research has found that Sheldon has framed it because he's on the front cover of The Journal Of Physical Chemistry A.
Obviously, the poster cannot be real as the journal has a policy of never having a living person on the cover, so how did it come about? You'll be surprised to know that the picture was a gift to one of the consults on the show. Tommaso Baldacchini had said that his former PhD advisor, who was also an editor for the Journal, pitched it to him and had the faux cover made. It has hung on Sheldon's wall ever since.
"Babylon 5 Pwns Spock"
Keeping with "The Hot Troll Deviation" episode, fans will remember that Raj and Sheldon ended up engaged in a marshmallow/Nerf gunfight. Fans would have probably also noticed the message on the whiteboard that said "Babylon 5 PWNS Spock."
PWNS is slang for a heavy defeat and is most commonly used in the gaming community. As established in "The Hawking Extinction," Raj reveals Sheldon hated the show so much that he tried to get it canceled. Since Spock is one of Sheldon's heroes, Raj has written this to annoy him further.
Sheldon's Name On The "Stevenson Award" Is Wrong
Eagle-eyed viewers spotted another blunder in Sheldon's office that the producers should have immediately noticed. In Sheldon's office, fans will be able to spot his Stevenson Award hanging on the wall, signed "Sheldon Lee Cooper PhD." Here is where the problem lies.
In "The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization," Leonard had mentioned that Sheldon had earned his PhD at 16. However, in "The Jerusalem Duality," Sheldon said he had earned the Stevenson Award when he was 14 and a half. This means that Sheldon's name has been filled incorrectly on the certificate as he didn't have his doctorate by then.