John Sturgis

Dr. John Sturgis is a guest professor of physics at East Texas Tech in 1989, known for his work on radiocarbon dating. Dr. Sturgis is initially a pen pal of Sheldon Cooper, before the child prodigy audits his course. Dr. Sturgis is instantly smitten with Sheldon's Meemaw and they begin dating, much to Sheldon's approval. He is eccentric, wears a tweed jacket with elbow patches, and rides a Schwinn Speedster since he doesn't drive. He knows how to make Szechuan cuisine using his travel wok, due to his biking through China. Meemaw describes him as "smart as hell, gentle, and funny (not always on purpose)" and George Cooper says he sounds like Sheldon. Similar to Sheldon, he has a poster of Richard Feynman and attempts to emulate the famed physicist's lifestyle.

In "Vanilla Ice Cream, Gentlemen Callers, and a Dinette Set", he shows what he believes to be 'machismo' when vying for the love of Meemaw against another suitor, which he wins, leading Sheldon to create young Sheldon's first relationship contract.

Trivia

 * Dr. John Sturgis' research in radiocarbon dating indicates he is an experimental physicist, developing nuclear instruments and methods, though he may apply numerical methods to radiocarbon isotope studies as well. In contrast, Dr. Sturgis teaches Sheldon his first college course in theoretical physics, possibly implying this is his field of specialization. Further, he mentions that he has a sticky note on his refrigerator to remind him to, after which Sheldon inquires when he chose to focus his research on (presumably, as Sheldon's question is interrupted). (Note that it is possible that he is equally skilled in both theoretical and experimental physics akin to Italian nuclear physicist .)
 * His second quantum chromodynamics lecture actually includes elementary aspects of vector analysis and scale factors for curvilinear coordinates can be viewed on the board.
 * Wallace Shawn portrayed Vizzini in , known for exclaiming "inconceivable". This is Raj's favorite film.
 * John Sturgis' actor, Wallace Shawn, previously co-starred with Annie Potts (Meemaw) in the first two Toy Story films.