The Cooper-Nowitzki Theorem
Big Bang Theory episode
Chronology	Season 2, Episode 6
Airdate	November 3, 2008
Guest star(s)	Riki Lindhome as Ramona Nowitzki Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle Emily Happe as Kathy O'Brian
Teleplay	Tim Doyle & Richard Rosenstock
Story	Stephen Engel & Daley Haggar
Director	Mark Cendrowski
Episode guide
← "The Euclid Alternative"	→ "The Panty Piñata Polarization"
Season guide
← Season 2	→ Season 3

"The Cooper-Nowitzki Theorem" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory. This episode first aired on November 3, 2008.

Contents 1 Summary 2 Extended Plot 3 Critics 4 Quotes 5 Notes 6 Trivia 7 Gallery 8 Video

Summary Edit

Everyone is confused and fascinated when a physics graduate student develops a strong attraction for Sheldon and becomes his assistant/girlfriend.

Extended PlotEdit

A grad student, Ramona Nowitzki, comes up to Sheldon at the cafeteria and is extremely enthused with his theoretical work. She gets herself an invitation to his apartment bringing Sheldon's favorite take-out food. After Ramona leaves from the cafeteria, Leonard asks Sheldon if he knew what just happened. Sheldon replies yes, and that he is getting free take-out food. Later, at the apartment, the gang finds this turn of events fascinating watching from the couch until Ramona says that she thought she and

Sheldon were going to be alone. Leonard gets everybody to leave though they beg to stay and watch this strange turn of events. Though it appears to be a date, naive Sheldon just likes the idea of getting free food. Ramona begins to help Sheldon with his work and other odd tasks such as doing his toenails. She keeps pushing Sheldon to concentrate all his spare time on his scientific endeavors telling him that he needs to keep it up if he wants that Nobel Prize. Ramona is even spending the night at his apartment sleeping on the couch keeping him in line. The loss of his freedom and leisure time (Halo, comic books, paintball) upsets Sheldon, but he can’t stop her or her obsession. He goes to see Penny

because he realizes that he is in "some sort of relationship" with Ramona and Penny is so good at ending them. Ramona is convinced that Penny is in love with Sheldon and that she has to give him up. Penny agrees to "give him up" and Ramona wants them to be sisters though she still has her eye on Penny. Finally Sheldon gets rid of her once he has made his breakthrough and she asks if she could share credit on the paper calling it the Cooper-Nowitzki Theorem. He finally has the courage to tell her to get out. Penny sees her very upset heading down the stairs, then she calls out to her asking if they were still sisters. Later, another student, Kathy O'Brian, is also enthused by Sheldon's work and visits the cafeteria to meet Sheldon and the gang for the same thing Ramona asked before, only now Kathy orders pizza for him. After Kathy leaves, Leonard asks Sheldon the same thing before about him knowing what just happened. Sheldon replies the same answer last time, only now he says that he's getting a free pizza. After leaving the apartment when they first met Ramona, Penny asks the others what "his deal" is (girls, guys, sock puppets?) and they generate possible scenarios of Sheldon spontaneously reproducing by splitting in two after eating too much Thai food or forming a chrysalis like a butterfly. She thanks them for the nightmares, though Leonard is the one who has the nightmare of Sheldon eating Thai food and splitting in two. This episode plays off of Sheldon's apparent lack of a libido (Is Ramona flirting? Does Sheldon

like it? Is Ramona generally attracted to Sheldon and/or his mind?  Is he attracted to her or just like the doting? Later he does admit to growing very fond of Amy Farrah Fowler.).

CriticsEdit

"Another well written and focused episode. It’s not particularly funny and I fear it is a worrying sign of certain things to come. But for now I give all concerned credit for creating something genuinely different to most other contemporary comedies." - The TV Critic's Review

QuotesEdit

Penny: Holy crap on a cracker!

---

[Sheldon has just accepted a graduate student's request for dinner in his place]

Sheldon Cooper: What a nice girl.

Howard Wolowitz: Sheldon, do you have any idea what just happened?

Sheldon Cooper: Yes, apparently I'm getting a free dinner.

---

Penny: I know this is none of my business, but I just... I have to ask - what's Sheldon's deal?

Leonard Hofstadter: What do you mean, "deal"?

Penny: You know, like, what's his deal? Is it girls...? Guys...? Sock puppets...?

Leonard Hofstadter: Honestly, we've been operating under the assumption that he has no deal.

Penny: Come on, everyone has a deal.

Howard Wolowitz: Not Sheldon. Over the years, we've formulated many theories about how he might reproduce. I'm an advocate of mitosis.

Penny: I'm sorry?

Howard Wolowitz: I believe one day Sheldon will eat an enormous amount of Thai food and split into two Sheldons.

Leonard Hofstadter: On the other hand, I think Sheldon might be the larval form of his species. Someday he'll spin a cocoon and emerge two months later with moth wings and an exoskeleton.

Penny: Okay, well, thanks for the nightmares.

---

(After Ramona quotes Sheldon) Sheldon Cooper: (To Leonard) You heard her. How can I argue with myself?

---

Penny: Don't go in there.

Leonard Hofstadter: Why? What are they doing in there?

Penny: I can only explain it in a therapist's office with hand puppets.

---

Sheldon Cooper: How can I ever repay you?

Ramona Nowitzki: Would you consider naming it the Cooper-Nowitzki theorem?

Sheldon Cooper: Who's Nowitzki?

Ramona Nowitzki: I'm Nowitzki.

Sheldon Cooper: You want me to share credit?

Ramona Nowitzki: Uh-huh.

Sheldon Cooper: Get out!

NotesEdit

• Title Reference: The title refers the theorem name suggested by Ramona at the end of the episode.
• This episode was watched by 9.67 million people.
• Chuck Lorre's vanity card [1]

Trivia Edit

• Sheldon doesn't eat at unknown restaurants, for fear they would try to pass off a "trident" as a fork (three tines, versus four).
• Sheldon has a PlayStation Portable.
• Sheldon and Leonard apparently have several clauses in their Roommate Agreement)that they will help each other if one discovers (or causes) a world-ending event similar to those found in movies, including a Skynet clause, Invasion of the Body Snatchers Body Snatchers clause, and Godzilla clause.
• Sheldon has a hammer-toe.
• Leslie wears a Domo (どーも) t-shirt.

Gallery Edit

VideoEdit

Episodes | Season 2

The Bad Fish Paradigm • The Codpiece Topology • The Barbarian Sublimation • The Griffin Equivalency • The Euclid Alternative • The Cooper-Nowitzki Theorem • The Panty Piñata Polarization • The Lizard-Spock Expansion • The White Asparagus Triangulation • The Vartabedian Conundrum • The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis • The Killer Robot Instability • The Friendship Algorithm • The Financial Permeability • The Maternal Capacitance • The Cushion Saturation • The Terminator Decoupling • The Work Song Nanocluster • The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition • The Hofstadter Isotope • The Vegas Renormalization • The Classified Materials Turbulence • The Monopolar Expedition