The Big Bang Theory always made sure everyone had their moment in the sun including Howard going into space, Raj discovering a planet, and Amy and Sheldon winning the Nobel Prize. With so many scientific achievements it could be up for debate who is the smartest. However, there are many times in which Amy demonstrated her intelligence and outsmarted everyone else in the group, including Sheldon.
Amy showed her ability to be both brilliant in the science lab and cunning in everyday life by fooling the rest of the gang, and knowing Sheldon better than anyone, despite knowing him for arguably the shortest time. It’s no wonder that Amy went on to win possibly the biggest science prize in existence.
Brain vs Bread
“I’ll make it simple for you. I study the brain, the organ responsible for Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Bernadette studies yeast, the organism responsible for Michelob Light.”
With the majority of the main cast having jobs in science, it can be hard to decide who is the smartest. However, in, “The Roommate Transmogrification,” Amy made her case that her field involved more ‘brains’ than Bernadette’s and said this.
There could certainly be lengthy debates about whether neuroscience or microbiology is the more expert field. With Neuroscience referring to the brain and therefore human behavior and intellect, Amy made her case that her field was more scientific and more important than Bernadette’s. It showed off her smarts but wasn’t the nicest line.
Nobel Prize
“We won.”
As a result of Amy’s great scientific career throughout the show, it was fitting that the show ended with Sheldon and Amy both winning the Nobel Prize given how much the gang talked about how much they all looked up to successful scientists. In the finale, “The Stockholm Syndrome,” Amy and Sheldon both got the recognition they deserved when Amy revealed that they won.
The fact that the prize was won and shared between Amy and Sheldon suggested that they are the two smartest of the main characters. By extension, the fact that Amy was involved meant that she was smarter than Howard, Raj, Leonard, and Bernadette, who never won a Nobel prize throughout their careers on the show.
Time Travel
“Because if you came from the future, that would mean you already went through with the wedding because you believe that time travel is on a closed loop.”
In season 11 episode 24, Amy revealed once again that she not only knew and understood Sheldon but also the concept of time travel and its relative theories. Sheldon revealed that not even his future self appearing to warn them not to get married would work. Amy replied with this line.
This proved that not only is Amy smart enough to understand Sheldon, a feat which the rest of the gang repeatedly voice their lack of, but she also understood the concept of time travel being on a closed loop and applied it in conversation on Sheldon’s level.
Neuroscience
“You can’t blame yourself. When your prefrontal cortex fails to make you happy, promiscuity rewards you with the needed flood of dopamine.”
When fans first met Amy, it didn’t take long for them to realize that she was extremely intelligent. In “The Skank Reflex Analysis,” Penny worried that she screwed things up by ‘sleeping with’ Raj and Amy comforted her by saying this.
Once again Amy was able to, not only demonstrate her neuroscientific knowledge but also apply it to real-life situations and attempted to help Penny when she needed it. This advice from Amy was helpful to Penny and proved that Amy wasn’t just a smart scientist, but a great friend.
Playing Sick
“I don’t need your medicine. I’m not really sick. I got better two days ago.”
In season 6 episode 10, Amy showed that not only is she a genius, but also an evil genius. When Bernadette brought Amy medicine, Amy revealed her plan.
It was explained that Amy loved having Sheldon take care of her so she pretended to be ill so he would continue to do so. Amy managed to fool even the likes of Bernadette, who is also a smart individual, Sheldon, and likely the others. Despite Sheldon taking care of her 24/7, Sheldon never noticed that she wasn’t ill. She also managed to satisfy some unmet needs from Sheldon, proving that she is as cunning as she is intelligent.
Amy Vs. Priya
“Believe me, it’s there, we all have it. Hit me with some more booze and I’ll show you.”
After Priya and Leonard started dating, Amy and Bernadette discussed their negative feelings towards her and sided with Penny after she was jealous. Even after being drunk, Amy managed to retain enough scientific knowledge to talk to Bernadette and Penny about them having a psychological urge to fling their waste at Priya as a result of a primate-like evolution.
As Amy and Penny are very close friends, Amy also came up with the idea for Bernadette to go to dinner to spy on Priya, when Penny and Bernadette were both suggesting that Bernadette didn’t go. This proved again that Amy was cunning and smart. When everyone else was going to avoid seeing Priya, Amy was smart enough to use the situation to their advantage.
She Knows Sheldon Better Than Anyone
“I know you’re not ready, and I don’t want you to say it just because social convention dictates.”
The gang spent years trying to figure out why Sheldon does the things he does, with Amy being one of the few, if not, the only character to fully understand him. In “The Prom Equivalency,” Amy told Sheldon she loved him but prefaces with this quote.
This quote showed how much Amy not only knew but could emotionally sympathize with Sheldon, which was something the rest of the gang struggled to do. Even the language Amy used such as “social convention” showed that she was on a higher intellectual level.
Dating Advice
“From a neurobiological standpoint, Leonard, you may be alone because your psychological state is causing an actual pheromone-based stink of desperation.”
Amy would likely be far down the list when ranking the main characters from most to least likely to provide sound dating advice. However, when Leonard was down about being single, Amy offered advice by saying this.
Amy again displayed her vast knowledge of Nerubiology and human behavior. Not only this, she applied this knowledge to social terms such as dating advice. Sheldon, who was potentially the other main contender for being the smartest of the group, showed that he possessed very little understanding of social life, making Amy his superior in this area.
The Colombian Lab Assistant
“On our expense report I listed it as Eduardo, my Colombian lab assistant.”
In “The Collaboration Contamination,” Amy and Howard worked in Amy’s lab when Howard pointed out her coffee maker. Amy replies with this line.
Not only was this a clever move by Amy, but also one that none of the other gang members had thought of as Howard made it seem like none of them had a coffee maker in their labs. Amy showed that she knew exactly how to hide having what could be considered a “luxury” item in her lab by using the expense report, though could have certainly gotten Amy fired if anyone found out.
Open-Minded
“I do not object to the concept of a deity, but I’m baffled by the notion of one that takes attendance.”
When Amy and Sheldon first meet in “The Lunar Excitation,” they found out they are incredibly similar. When Sheldon stated that he had to attend church once a year, Amy responded by saying this.
Part of what made Amy a great scientist and character was her open-mindedness. When solving problems it is important to be open to other suggestions and possibilities – another trait that could be argued Sheldon was lacking. Instead of refusing to believe that there is a god, Amy was willing to accept the possibility that one exists.
