Clever-Username789

A lot of people on reddit seem to really hate The Big Bang Theory for some reason and you are getting quite a bit of flack for it in this AMA. I just want to say as a Physics graduate student I am not offended by any of the 'shots' at nerd/geek culture and I actually enjoy the show and appreciate the subtle jokes that are woven into the dialogue.

I haven't been paying close attention in the latest seasons but I noticed early on that there is often a connection between the physics that is on the whiteboards in the apartment and/or office(s) and the theme of the episode. Is this an intentional planned part of each episode? Or are the equations decided after the fact by David Saltzberg.

edit - Well... I should have watched the video in the original post before asking this question. Orion is testing radiation shielding. Don't mind me... Perhaps extend this question to once they're on Mars. They can't spend the entire time in their lander!

Radiation exposure is a serious concern for any deep space mission. What ideas are being investigated to address this issue to ensure our astronauts will be safe when they inevitably make the trip to Mars?

If you had to abandon theory and do small-scale experimental physics (i.e., not LHC-esque experiments), what would you pursue?