Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper, B.S., M.S., M.A., Ph.D., Sc.D. , is
a Caltech theoretical physicist who formerly shared an apartment with his
colleague and best friend, Leonard Hofstadter. Originally from East Texas,
Sheldon started college at the age of 11, receiving his first Ph.D. at the age
of 16. Sheldon was involved in numerous experiments as a wunderkind, such as
his plan to provide free electricity for his hometown by building a nuclear
reactor - a plan stopped by government pen pushers claiming it's illegal to
store yellowcake uranium in a garden shed! Proudly geeky, he has no qualms
about speaking Klingon, wearing vintage t-shirts sporting superhero logos, or
spouting various historical and cultural anecdotes (e.g., his account of the
introduction of the fork into Thailand).
While he might claim to be the perfect
human specimen, Sheldon does have his faults. Sheldon is characterized by a
strict adherence to routine and hygiene; an overly intellectual personality; a
tenuous understanding of irony, sarcasm and humor; and a general lack of
humility or empathy, the former of which is demonstrated in the fact that he
has no problem voicing to his peers his admiration for his superior intellect.
These qualities, along with his penchant for pranks, are his character's main
source of humor. He is often considered to be the most iconic character of the
show.
Sheldon was born on February 26, 1980, in a Walmart in
Galveston, Texas to George Cooper Sr. and Mary Cooper, and was officiated at
the Lawrence Memorial Hospital, although he actually "fell out" of
Mary at a Walmart in 1980. He has a twin sister named Missy and an older
brother named George Jr., both described by their mother to be "dumb as
soup." Sheldon was raised according to his mother's Evangelical Christian
beliefs, e.g., learning how to pray and becoming the co-captain of the East
Texan Christian Youth Holy Roller Bowling League Championship team, seven-to-twelve
year-old division. Meanwhile, he was forced to watch football by his father.
