'The Big Bang Theory' theme song had a major mistake no one noticed for years, have you?

Sung by Barenaked Ladies, 'The Big Bang Theory' theme song is an absolute banger but there's a factual inaccuracy you didn't know about
PUBLISHED JAN 6, 2025
[L-R] Mayim Bialik, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Jim Parsons, Melissa Rauch, and Kunal Nayyar's in the 'The Big Bang Theory' official poster  (Cover Image Source: Facebook | The Big Bang Theory)
[L-R] Mayim Bialik, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Jim Parsons, Melissa Rauch, and Kunal Nayyar's in the 'The Big Bang Theory' official poster (Cover Image Source: Facebook | The Big Bang Theory)

With 12 seasons and 279 episodes, 'The Big Bang Theory' gave geeks a reason to celebrate, and earned it the cult classic. With relatable characters and witty humor, 'The Big Bang Theory' single-handedly made being a "nerd", the new cool, but that is not only limited to the storyline of the iconic show. The catchy theme song by Barenaked Ladies is another reason 'The Big Bang Theory' is a massive success. The iconic song summarises the history of the universe in a catchy and upbeat tune, becoming a hit among fans. However, even after its successful run, there is factual inaccuracy hidden in the lyrics of the theme song that will surely blow your mind.


 
 
 
 
 
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The lyrics of the iconic song are all about how the universe was created, it takes us back to the history of science but a particular line is, in fact, factually incorrect. The line in question is 'The Earth began to cool, the autotrophs began to drool. Neanderthals developed tools."' But hey, how can autotrophs drool? If you are as geeky as Sheldon Cooper and have devoted a good amount of time to your school, chances are high that you already know that autotrophs are organisms. Autotrophs create their food using light, water, carbon dioxide, or other chemicals, as per National Geographic. So it becomes quite clear that autotrophs cannot drool like humans. 



 

Another glaring blunder in the song refers to Neanderthals developing tools. Yes, it is a known fact that the creation and use of tools are key milestones in human evolution, but this is also a fact that they predate millions of years before the emergence of Neanderthals, as per Slashfilm. Neanderthals lived approximately 400,000 years ago during the Pleistocene epoch and were a species of Homo sapiens. While they were skilled tool users for sure, the creation of the tools began much earlier in human history. The oldest known tools were created by early human ancestors, who are specifically linked to species like Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus africanus. The said species lived during the Pliocene epoch, which is about 3.2 to 3.5 million years ago, and is often referred to as the early Stone Age.


 
 
 
 
 
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Unfortunately, the 'The Big Bang' theory theme song has one more mistake, which is too hard to ignore. The lyrics that say, "We built a wall! We built the pyramids!" suggest that the Great Wall of China was constructed before the pyramids, which is historically incorrect. The Great Pyramids of Giza date back to around 2600 BCE, while the earliest construction of the Great Wall of China started in the 7th century BCE. Significant portions of the iconic wall were reportedly built during the Ming Dynasty, 1500 years later. Such mistakes in the theme song of 'The Big Bang Theory,' not only highlight scientific inaccuracy but also historical inaccuracy, which is like a black dot on the legacy of a highly celebrated sitcom. But that being said, 'The Big Bang Theory' will always be a favorite despite its flaws. 

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