OT--'The Big Bang Theory' and RPN/HP--Any connections?

[Matt Agajanian]

Hello all. After watching 'The Big Bang Theory' a few times, less than ten , I would think that HP calculators or RPN would get a mention. So, have there been lines spoken in the series which give HP or RPN a mention?

[Fred Lusk]

Matt…

I have the first four seasons of BBT on DVD and have watched them several times each. I don't recall any reference to HP or RPN or RPL, though I am certainly willing to be corrected.

At the very least, Howard (the engineer) should be familiar with RPL, given his apparent age.

[Katie Wasserman]

Quote:

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At the very least, Howard (the engineer) should be familiar with RPL, given his apparent age.

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I think that he's supposed to be about 30 now. That would place him well after the heyday of HP calculators in his work or in school. While they often make reference to vintage technology (video games) and vintage collectables (Star Trek stuff) I don't think that HP calculators are something that too many of the general population can relate to.

On the other hand, they do a lot with product placement in that show and if HP were to be a sponsor they might be able to work something about their calculators in there!

Edited: 2 Sept 2013, 1:54 a.m.

[Massimo Gnerucci (Italy)]

Some of them are on the dark side :(

Massimo

[Jim Johnson]

LOL. Nice link, Massimo. I'd forgotten that Mayim Bialik did a pitch for the evil competitor.

[Namir]

I attended NCTM conference in Denver last April (which is where HP first showed the HP Prime). Myiam was the keynote speaker.

Namir

[Gerson W. Barbosa]

Quote:

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I'd forgotten that Mayim Bialik did a pitch for the evil competitor.

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Now I finally understand why she got so disappointed at the mention of Hewlett's and Packard's names :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjvT-RhVidU

[Joerg Woerner]

Hi there,

I talked last year to Mayim and can assure you that she is a very loyal user of the magic ENTER-key for more than 20 years.

Proof included.

Cheers,

Joerg

[Namir]

I remember you posted a video of meeting her at your TI calculator table.

[Joerg Woerner]

Yep, and she signed my TI-81 - should be worth a zillion in a few years.

Take care, Joerg

[Eddie W. Shore]

Nice! :)

[Adrien Bertrand]

Ah ! I remember I was there :)

Here's another (blurry... :( ) proof some seconds before or after :P

( source with some more photos : http://tiplanet.org/forum/gallery/image_page.php?album_id=60&image_id=544 )

[Fred Lusk]

True, but…

A couple times a year, I find myself wandering through the engineering department at my alma mater and I often see students using the latest graphing calcs, including some HP-50G's. While Howard missed the glory days of HP, RPN/RPL shouldn't be foreign to him.

Here's an interesting thought: how often would an imaginary mechanical engineer use imaginary numbers? :-)

[Matt Agajanian]

Hmmm? Intetesting thought

[Dale Reed]

It all depends on what form the 'use' operator takes. If it's an addition operator, then you'll get:

    how_often = i+i = 2i

so it only happens in his imagination.

If it's a multiplication operator, then you'll get:

    how_often = i*i = -1

so it happens less than not at all.

If it's a power function, then you'll get:

    how_often = i**i = 0.207879576...

so it really happens, about 20% of the time.

When I found out that

i**i

is a real number (a set of real numbers, actually!), I was impressed, but not as impressed as I was when I found out that

e**(i*pi)+1=0

Complex numbers may or may not be "fun" but they sure are "neat"!

Dale

Edited: 2 Sept 2013, 5:34 p.m.

[BruceH]

SCENE: Sheldon is walking backwards along a corridor,

       against the flow of people coming the other way.

       He is prominently holding an HP calculator in

       front of him in one hand, whilst entering numbers

       with the other. People are constantly bumping

       into him as they try to avoid him.

SHELDON: (as each person bumps into him)

         I'm sorry.

         I'm sorry.

         I'm sorry.

Leonard sees this from the start of the corridor and

pushes through the on-coming people to catch-up with

Sheldon.

LEONARD: (exasperatedly) Sheldon! What are you doing?

SHELDON: I'm using my calculator, of course.

LEONARD: (patiently) Yes, I *know* you're using your

         calculator. Why are you walking backwards

         along the corridor?

SHELDON: (condescendingly) Isn't it obvious, Leonard?

         It's an HP-41 which uses reverse Polish notation.

         Ergo I should be going in reverse when using it.

LEONARD: Isn't that just taking things a little too far?

         Why can't you use it but walk forwards?

SHELDON: But then it would be just Polish notation and

         the answers would be wrong.

[Matt Agajanian]

Was this from an actual episode?

[Matt Kernal]

It seems your gullibility quotient is working at peak performance today. ;-)


I do have to admit.. Bruce, you nailed it! :-)

[Gerson W. Barbosa]

Quote:

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So, have there been lines spoken in the series which give HP or RPN a mention?

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUHmbqWsXuo

[Adrien Bertrand]

Haha nice ;)