Which geek am I ? – Quantum Bits

Let’s start this new year with a fundamental question: what kind of a nerd am I ? As some may know, I’m a huge fan on “The Big Bang Theory” TV series. How could it be otherwise ? Geeks, physicists, addiction to comics and a cute neighbor. The perfect cocktail.

Yep, I’m the kind of guy who would freeze images on a big screen to have a precise look at the paper boards on the background… And, well, I’m kind of proud to be able to laugh at the (very) nerdy jokes they sometimes hide. Or correct formulas whenever they contain errors (which, I must say, is rather unfrequent).

Anyhoo, I recently came to talk about the series with my cousin Thierry. Of course, being the weirdo guy of the family, he asked me which of these nerds I would be. I answered “Sheldon” right away, which I’m not that proud of.

I wanted to make sure of this. Even though there’s a gazillion quizzes on the Internet about that very question, as any good geek would do, I built my own (and utterly biased) personal analysis grid, to check things out…

Howard Wolowitz, M. Eng.
Howard is an aerospace engineer at Caltech’s Department of Applied Physics.

Score: +2

Pros:

I hold a Master’s Degree (who doesn’t ?)
I’m a part-jewish pork-eater
I have over-protective parents
I’m allergic (but not to peanuts)
I’m more gifted with computers than women
I’m fluent in French (easy one, I’m French)

Cons:

I don’t live with my mother (good lord no)
I believe I’m not that sex-craved
I’m less obnoxious with women than Howard (I hope…)
I’m not that fond of briskets

Rasjeh Koothrappali, Ph.D.
Raj is Horward’s best friend and is a particle astrophysicist in the Physics Department at Caltech.

Score: +1

Pros:

I also hold a Ph.D.
I have a nervous bladder
My thesis was deeply connected to the early state of matter
My usual way to make contact with girls is to stare at them without saying anything. Yes, I know, it doesn’t work. I’m very aware of this

Cons:

I can actually talk to women without being drunk. Though it doesn’t usually make a lot of sense.
Even if Raj can’t talk to women, he often ends up in bed with them. Which I don’t : (

Leonard Hofstadter, Ph.D.
Leonard is a Caltech experimental physicist who shares an apartment with colleague and friend Sheldon Cooper. They live across the hallway from Penny.

Score: +3

Pros:

I hold a Ph.D. in experimental particle physics
I also possess a Star Wars light saber replica (and other collectibles)
I get carsick unless I seat in the front seat
Even though I’m a total nerd, like Leonard, I want to be more social
I also think that “Star Trek” movies sucked

Cons:

I’m not lactose-intolerant and can eat cheese without passing gas
He had sex with Penny, for god’s sake !

Sheldon Cooper, Ph.D.
Sheldon is a theoretical physicist, Leonard’s roommate, colleague and best friend. Despite his extremely high intelligence, Sheldon is usually inept in most social interactions and presents the qualities of Asperger Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Score: +4
(Quantum gravity counts as 2)

Pros:

Though I hold a Ph.D. in experimental particle physics, I come from a purely theoretical background
I can’t drive (even if I have a driver’s licence)
I tend to be socially inept, though I’m working on it
I’m totally obnoxious when I’m sick
I also think that “Babylon 5” sucks
I often wear geeky T-Shirts
One word: Spock

Cons:

He’s asexual, which I’m definitely not
That’s a big one: I don’t think superstring theories are the right way to tackle quantum gravitation. I’m a quantum-loop theory gravity person, like Sheldon’s nemesis Leslie Winkler.

… and the result is:

I guess, I’m Sheldon-like, but with a healthy dose of Leonard 😉

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