<P> Initially, not much is known about Penny's family, but it is mentioned in the series that her father, Wyatt (portrayed by Keith Carradine,) raised her like a boy, her mother smoked marijuana while she was pregnant with her, her sister shot her husband while they were intoxicated, and her brother is a meth dealer . Her mother, Susan (Katey Segal), and brother, Randall (Jack McBrayer), are finally seen in season ten . In a recent episode, Penny bumped into her former boyfriend Zach and showed her ability to talk about topics related to Science and pronounce scientific terms perfectly . Also Penny has been fond of Yoga, which she treats as her way of relaxation and part of preparation for important events . </P> <P> Howard Joel Wolowitz, M. Eng . (Simon Helberg) is an aerospace engineer at Caltech's Department of Applied Physics, who often hangs out at Leonard and Sheldon's apartment . Unlike Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj, Howard has no doctorate, and often gets disparaged as a result, especially by Sheldon . He defends this by pointing out that he has a master's degree in Engineering from MIT and that the equipment he designs is launched into space, unlike the theoretical work of his friends . In the fifth - season finale, Howard goes to the International Space Station on Expedition 31 . </P> <P> Howard lives in Altadena with his domineering, belittling, and unseen mother, who treats him like a child . While he sometimes expresses irritation at this treatment, for the most part, he appears to prefer it . Howard dotes on his mother and participates in many of her daily routines . A recurring gimmick in the series is Howard and his mother communicating with each other from different rooms by yelling, a habit which Bernadette also adopts in later episodes . His father left them when he was 11, and Howard gets visibly distressed when the subject comes up . Howard fancies himself a ladies' man and attempts pick - up lines whenever a woman is present, which often sound inappropriate and disgusting, although he has dropped this habit since he started going out with Bernadette . He is Jewish, but is not serious about his faith, and does not keep kosher . However, he does observe the Sabbath and the Jewish holidays . </P> <P> In the pilot episode, he speaks English, French, Mandarin, Russian, Arabic, and Persian, along with fictional (constructed or colangs) languages like Klingon and Sindarin . Howard suffers from asthma, transient idiopathic arrhythmia, allergies to peanuts, almonds, and walnuts, and is prone to canker sores and pink eye . Howard dated Bernadette briefly in season three . After some difficulties, they resumed their relationship in season four, which culminated in their engagement . In the fifth - season finale, Howard and Bernadette are married on the roof of the apartment building shortly before he has to leave for Kazakhstan, where he is to be sent to the International Space Station . In season six, he finally leaves his mother's house and moves into Bernadette's apartment . In the episode "The Comic Book Store Regeneration", Howard's mother passes away in her sleep while in Florida, prompting him to move back into his home with Bernadette . Stuart, the owner of the guys' favorite comic book store, joins them, much to their annoyance . </P>

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