The Hofstadter Theory Trivia Quiz

Answer: Leakey

Leonard's name comes from Nobel prize winner Robert Hofstadter and actor/producer Sheldon Leonard. "The Big Bang Theory's" creator, Chuck Lorre, named him. The middle name Leakey comes from Louis Leakey, a very famous archeologist, who worked with Leonard's father. During the episode where Leonard's middle name was revealed to be Leakey, Sheldon remarked that it could also have been related to Leonard's bed-wetting.

Answer: Cello

During the season 1 episode, "The Fuzzy Boots Corollary", Leslie Winkle asked Leonard to play in her string quartet because the quartet needed a replacement cellist. Sheldon mentioned that Leonard played the cello during "The Killer Robot Instability." After the guys' robot had been destroyed Sheldon asked Leonard to play his cello at the funeral. We never saw the funeral.

Answer: Experimental Physicist

Most, if not all, of Leonard's work is derivative, and his mother once asked him if any of his research was original. Lasers are common in Leonard's experiments, which include, but are not limited to, helium-neon lasers and free electron lasers. We saw Leonard using lasers to take out his anger during "The Psychic Vortex."

Answer: Inability to eat apples

These have been mentioned throughout the series. The guys make many jokes about his health problems. He can't eat corn and is lactose-intolerant, but never has it been said that he can't eat apples. He has sleep apnea, as he stated in one episode when he said "Maybe tonight will be the night my sleep apnea kills me". Myopia causes Leonard to wear glasses. Dairy is always something Leonard avoids, if he ate some he would pass gas that Sheldon once said could be a chemical weapon used by the military.

Answer: a hugging machine

While at Penny's place Leonard and Penny were discussing his mother over wine, then tequila. Leonard said he built a hugging machine when he was ten, because he got no physical intimacy from his mother. He also told Penny, "You know what the sad part was? My dad used to borrow it."

Answer: Beverly

Beverly has an identical mindset of Sheldon, and they get along well. Beverly is never impressed with her sons and daughter, and once remarked, referring to why she is not proud of them, "Why should I be, they're not my accomplishments?" Beverly is a neuroscientist and a psychiatrist, and is played by Christine Baranski. Leonard dislikes his mother very much. During his childhood, he got no physical affection from her.

Answer: Lead guitarist

This was revealed during an episode of "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis", when Howard, Raj, and Sheldon were playing "Wii bowling" during "Wii bowling night." Leonard had just walked in to the apartment's living room, and Sheldon asked where he was to "miss anything more important than Wii bowling night." Leonard began to answer when Sheldon interrupted with, "It's a rhetorical question, there is nothing more important than Wii bowling night." Leonard then said it was just a video game and Sheldon said, sarcastically, that it was "a motivational speech from the captain of the bowling team." Sheldon also mentioned that he was the lead guitarist in their rock band, then Leonard said, "We're not in a rock band, we play "Rock Band" on our Xbox!"

Answer: New Jersey

Leonard came to live with Sheldon because he saw a sign on the bulletin board at Caltech that said, "Roommate wanted, whistlers need not apply." The story of how he met Sheldon and came to live in the apartment was told during "The Staircase Implementation." His unhappy childhood was mainly caused by his mother, Beverly.

Answer: Being mute in front of women unless he is or thinks he is drunk

Leonard likes his friends, who share his nerdy interests, though he once remarked during "The Jiminy Conjecture," "I bet I could throw a rock in this room and find three better friends." He feels part of the social group, and likes them all, though he does want a lot more socially.

Although he doesn't want to be seen as a nerd Leonard owns many geeky things, including Star Wars health care products and a Superman comic book collection. Leonard understands social norms, though he can say awkward things in front of women at times, such as mentioning "curry is a natural laxative" to Penny during the "Pilot."

Answer: Joyce Kim

Joyce Kim was first seen during "The Staircase Implementation," the story of how Leonard moved in with Sheldon, how the elevator broke, and, briefly, what happened the first time he brought a girl over. Joyce Kim and Leonard were in bed kissing, and Sheldon came in due to Leonard violating their room agreement by not "giving 10 hours notice of impending coitus." This caused Joyce Kim to storm off. Joyce Kim was played by Ally Maki. Joyce Kim, before "The Staircase Implementation," was mentioned as Leonard's first girlfriend, and they were only together a month.

After their relationship ended she defected back to North Korea. Turns out she was a North Korean spy, and she wanted to get secrets from Leonard by seducing him, due to that, Leonard said during the episode that she really wasn't a girlfriend.