Howard Wolowitz a supremely confident horndog and an aerospace engineer at the California Institute of Technology, in the Department of Applied Physics. Howard fancies himself a ladies' man and hits on anything female including, frequently, Penny. He doesn't seem to understand that his aggressive advances come across as creepy and desperate. He uses groan-inducing pick-up lines, magic, and ventriloquism to try to get women, with predictably poor results. He comes across as all braggadocio, but the rejections sting him.He is the possessor of one of the world's finest bowl cuts and a collection of giant belt buckles and skinny pants. Of the group of guys, including Leonard Hofstadter, Sheldon Cooper and his best friend, Raj Koothrappali, Howard is the only one who does not have a Ph.D., a fact of which Sheldon is fond of reminding him. Because Raj cannot talk around women unless he is drunk, Howard often serves as his mouthpiece.Howard's dating life is mostly non-existent, except for a fling with Penny's cousin and a friends with benefits relationship with fellow scientist Leslie Winkle, until Penny introduces him to Bernadette Rostenkowsi, a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory who is earning her Ph.D. in microbiology. They bond over having overbearing mothers.Background: He was born in 1981. He is Jewish and allergic to most nuts.He lives at home with his loud, overbearing mother, who is never seen on camera and who primarily communicates through shouting. His father left when Howard was 11.His silk robe and pajamas are monogrammed with his initials and he sleeps on satin sheets (usually alone).He lost his virginity to his second cousin Jeanie after they shared a moment over pickled herring at his Aunt Barbara's house for Uncle Murray's funeral and from then on he has become aroused when he looks at pickled herring. He frequently repairs satellites and he designed a satellite which is currently orbiting Jupiter's largest moon. His dream is to travel in space.He speaks several languages including French, Mandarin, Russian, Arabic, Farsi and Klingon.He drives a Vespa.He has a crush on the Battlestar Galatica actress Katee Sackhoff and occasionally imagines talking to her.