The Proton Displacement

"The Proton Displacement" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the  The Big Bang Theory. The episode first aired on November 7, 2013.

Summary
Sheldon and Leonard meet Professor Proton again, who chooses Leonard to collaborate on his paper instead of Sheldon, upsetting the latter; Sheldon then brings in as his new idol, but is soon ditched by him.

Extended Plot
Sheldon is running around the. Amy remarks that she has never seen him so happy. Leonard explains that it is Restock Your Cabinet Day at the store. Sheldon sees Professor Proton in the line. Sheldon finds its interesting that he is just standing in line like he wasn't moderately famous thirty years ago. Sheldon wants to go over and say hello. Leonard feels that they shouldn't bother him. Sheldon is not going to bother him, he is going to talk to him. Leonard quips that he thinks that there is a difference. Sheldon reintroduces himself since he doesn't think that he'll remember him due to his advanced age. Professor Proton does remember him. Sheldon then introduces his, Amy. The Professor is surprised at learning that Sheldon has a girlfriend. Amy then shakes his hand and then notes that they have the same shoes. She can't believe that she dresses like a. Professor Proton then understands how he has a girlfriend. Leonard reintroduces himself. He does remember HIS girlfriend, Penny. Sheldon wonders what he was getting filled. Leonard starts to object, when Sheldon say not to tell him. Professor Proton wasn't going to tell him. Sheldon asks if it has to do with difficulty in initiating a stream. Given his age, he says that that is more than a lucky guess. Leonard suggests that he go over and the people in the  aisle. Sheldon replies that he wants to hang out with his friend who he thinks looks happy, but is not.

At the Caltech cafeteria, Howard is talking about the s' night that Bernadette is having at their place. Raj reluctantly admits that he's is going even though they are making which was his idea. Raj objects that he is very comfortable with his. Howard asks him how that that is even possible. Leonard then gets an from Professor Proton. He is working on a paper about nano-vacuum tubes and he wants Leonard to read it. Sheldon figures that the Professor should be asking him. He does have two emails from the Professor asking for Leonard's email address. Howard wonders who would cry over a paper by some old guy who hasn't done any in. Sheldon Cooper DOESN'T cry. Howard agreed and said that he rusts.

Later in apartment 4A, Amy is preparing as Sheldon wonders why he ever idolized him since he's just another. Amy wonders if it is worth getting upset over. Sheldon says that you shouldn't met your es and don't peek behind that of fame and celebrity because you see them as they really are, degenerate  folk. Amy reminds him that he is just a retired kid's show host. Sheldon replies that that is worse since he uses the sweet of science to trick children into loving him. Then he calls him a pervert. Amy then asks Sheldon why he thinks that Arthur didn't want him to read his paper. Sheldon figures that the prescription he picked up at the pharmacy was for coo-coo pills. Amy suggests that he found Sheldon too much. Sheldon demonstrates that he has already mastered the three basic. The coy, friendly and the vocalization of , "Ahhhh." Amy tries to suggest that Leonard and Arthur may have found him..., but she can't say it. Sheldon knows she wants to say "annoying", and repetitively demands that Amy call him "annoying" - very annoyingly. Amy leaves without a word. Sheldon then remarks that she can't stand it when he is right.

At Howard and Bernadette's apartment, the jewelry making session is in full swing. Amy is going to feel like a wearing something that doesn't list the  she is  to. Penny has all over her hands. Amy wonders of she doesn't know how to use glue because she dropped out of. Penny agreed, but that was only because she was a second grader at the time. Howard comes in and Raj tells him to go ahead and start with the girl. Howard told him to not worry about it since Bernadette told him that it wasn't nice. Howard tells him that he doesn't want to joke about the things he wants to to have fu-un with referring to the song. Bernadette is making a. Amy is making a. Penny is making a mess. Howard suggests that they use his to make even cooler stuff. Raj tells him that they are doing fine. The girls want to try it out so Howard goes off to get his equipment while Penny finds a glued to her arm.

Sheldon goes over to Professor Proton's house and knocks on his front. "Knock. Knock. Knock. Arthur. Knock. Knock. Knock. Arthur. Knock. Knock. Knock. Arthur." Sheldon remarks that he has a due to being a. He can't stand her and wants to rip off his  and sew them to his eyes so he doesn't have to look at her anymore. Bernadette shows up with Howard and his soldering equipment. He plans to put the "" in "jewelry" night. Bernadette tells him that sure it sounds fine when he says it. Raj didn't know that he was coming. Howard had had a blast last week so he showed up thinking that they might like to have a show up. Penny laughs and then retreats saying that that is not funny. Howard brought, and a  to melt the silver. Penny thinks that that looks like fun. Bernadette suggests that she master glue before she steps up to. Amy asks Raj if he wants to make a bracelet for his mother to go along with the necklace. He declines. Howard would do that if his mother had a.

Leonard and Arthur continue to working and are about ready to test their equipment. Arthur is so excited that it makes him feels like seventy-five again. Leonard received a from Sheldon of him and Bill Nye having  together. Arthur asks why he puts up with Sheldon. Leonard replies that he is his friend. "Why?", Arthur asks. Leonard tells him that he asks really hard. Leonard explains that Sheldon is aggravating, however; he is not doing it on purpose. Leonard also says that Sheldon is, worthy and they have fun together. Arthur comments that he is describing a. Leonard does acknowledge that he did him once. Leonard explains that Sheldon is the smartest person he has ever met, that he is a little broken and he needs him and Leonard needs Sheldon. Arthur then asks why does Leonard need him and Leonard tells him that he won't let this subject go. Finally, Leonard gets a text from Sheldon that he needs a ride since Bill Nye left him at the smoothie store.

In Apartment 4B, Howard is helping the girls with their jewelry. He claims that he can take some, compress it into a small using a hydraulic press at work and the diamond would contain their very own  code. Then he says that Bernadette's came off his mother's back. Bernadette denies this. Raj complains that Howard makes fun of him coming to girls' night and now he is ruining it for everyone. Penny tells him to cool it since he is going to make them hair diamonds. Howard asks what is wrong. Raj tells him that he comes to girls' night so that he can open up about his. Howard replies that he can do that with him. Raj is more comfortable talking to the girls since they don't make fun of him and his activities. Howard apologizes since he didn't know that his joking around hurt. It was very brave of Raj to tell him. While the girls are watching this, Amy comments that Raj and Howard are going to have before she and Sheldon ever do.

Later in Apartment 4A, Arthur Jeffries visits Sheldon. Sheldon is surprised that he was there. So was Arthur who started to see a bright white light about the third floor. Sheldon offers to get Leonard, however Arthur same to see Sheldon. Sheldon remarks that if he wants to contact Bill Nye, he can't do it. his former idol is now Nil Nye, the guy. Arthur asks him to look at his paper and Sheldon tells him that it would be an honor. Then Sheldon adds that he hacked into Arthur's email account and read it. Arthur asks what he thinks. Sheldon starts with he thinks its pathetic using his birthday as a. The paper, Sheldon feels is inspired. Arthur thanks him. Sheldon invites him in for tea, however he has to run. Penny come in, greets him and he changes his mind.

Finally, to show, Raj makes a for Howard, which bears a transparent  of  that can be lit. And he then reveals he also made one for himself, and says they can have a "little sword fight".

Back at Sheldon's apartment, Sheldon is now describing his eighth favorite of the Professor Proton series was the. Arthur is not looking happy. Sheldon remembers that his joke from that show was "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a blastoff it is." Sheldon runs off to get some Alka-Seltzer so they can recreate the experiment. Leonard again apologizes that Sheldon really can't help it. Arthur then asks if Penny has any single. Penny does, however; they are. He then wonders if they are happily married. Penny looks noncommittal (com see, come saw) which makes Arthur happier.

Critics

 * Henry Wedberg for IGN- "This episode was that best by far. You got Professor Proton, Bill Nye, it's like a science fiesta! But Bill Nye was only there for like 5 seconds, so I got to take that point off. Beside Bill Nye's short screen time, I really enjoyed this week's episode and laughed consistently when Raj was being made fun of my Howard."
 * Jesse Schedeen for IGN- As with the Season 6 episode, "The Proton Resurgence," Newhart's presence alone was enough to make this a memorable installment... Seeing Newhart butt heads with Nye was pretty great, and I only wish we had seen a little more of that rivalry before Sheldon drove his latest celebrity man-crush into filing a restraining order...As with the Season 6 episode, "The Proton Resurgence," Newhart's presence alone was enough to make this a memorable installment... Seeing Newhart butt heads with Nye was pretty great, and I only wish we had seen a little more of that rivalry before Sheldon drove his latest celebrity man-crush into filing a restraining order.

Trivia

 * Professor Proton and Bill Nye appear as guest star on this episode.
 * Leonard collaborates with Professor Proton on a paper about . He previously conducted research on in "The Gorilla Experiment".
 * Raj gives an explanation about why he likes to hang out with girls.
 * Leonard gives an explanation about why he puts up with Sheldon and takes Sheldon as a friend. Leonard comments that Sheldon could be aggravating, but he is not doing it on purpose; it's just how he is. Previously in The Hawking Excitation (S5E21), Bernadette made a similar comment: "Sheldon doesn't know when he's being mean, because the part of his brain that should know is getting a wedgie from the rest of his brain."
 * In this episode Leonard reveals that Sheldon has bitten him once. In fact, Sheldon previously admitted "I'm a biter" in The Friendship Contraction (S5E15).
 * To this episode Sheldon has got at least four restraining orders from celebrities: Leonard Nimoy (got before and mentioned in The Excelsior Acquisition, S3E16), Stan Lee (got in  The Excelsior Acquisition), Carl Sagan (mentioned in The Vacation Solution, S5E16), and in this episode he gets a new one from Bill Nye.
 * Howard claims, "You know, if you guys are interested, there's a technique where I can take a lock of your hair, refine it into carbon dust, and use the hydraulic press at work to turn it into a tiny little diamond with your DNA in it." The formation of diamond requires high temperature and extremely high pressure, in which DNA is improbable to be preserved.
 * Howard makes a reference to and her song "".
 * Amy likes Sheldon's coy smile, but not his chuckle or sympathy "ahh."
 * Professor Proton's comment about giving up smoking may refer to Bob Newhart's movie " he played a cigarette company executive who didn't want a town to give up smoking for 30 days to win $25 million.

Quotes

 * Professor Proton: (to Bill Nye the Science Guy): Back off, bow tie!"


 * Amy: (about Raj and Howard): I knew it! They're gonna have sex before Sheldon and I do!


 * Professor Proton: Can I ask you a question?
 * Leonard: Yeah, sure.
 * Professor Proton: Why do you put up with Sheldon?
 * Leonard: Oh, um, you know. Because we’re friends.
 * Professor Proton: Why?
 * Leonard:Wow. You ask really hard questions. Look, I know he can be aggravating, but you have to remember he’s not doing it on purpose. It’s just how he is. Oh, but he’s also loyal, and trustworthy and we have fun together.
 * Professor Proton: You know, you’re describing a dog.
 * Leonard: He did bite me once. But in his defense I came up behind him while he was eating.
 * Professor Proton: They hate that.
 * Leonard: You, know what. Sheldon is the smartest person I’ve ever met. He’s a little broke and he needs me. I guess I need him too.
 * Professor Proton: Why’s that?
 * Leonard: You will not let this go.


 * Professor Proton: So you have any single grandmothers?
 * Penny: Sorry, they’re both married.
 * Professor Proton:Happily? [Penny gives him a "come see, come saw" hand expression.]


 * Sheldon: [Sheldon sees Professor Proton in the drug store] Look at him. Just standing in line like he wasn’t moderately famous thirty years ago. Let’s go say hello.
 * Leonard: Maybe we shouldn’t bother him.
 * Sheldon: I’m not going to bother him. I’m going to talk to him.
 * Leonard: He thinks there’s a difference.


 * Sheldon: Using the sweet candy of science to trick children into loving him.


 * Amy: Have you ever thought about why Arthur didn’t want you to read his paper?
 * Sheldon: Yes I have. My only conclusion is the prescription he was picking up the other day was for cookoo pills.
 * Amy: Maybe he found you a bit much.
 * Sheldon: That’s kind of a stretch. But when it comes to social skills, I’ve mastered the big three. There’s the coy smile. There’s the friendly chuckle. Ha-ha-ha-haaaa. There’s the vocalization of sympathy. Ahhh. Well, that one’s tricky. I’m still working on it.
 * Amy: From what I saw the other day I can understand why he and…some people might find you…
 * Sheldon: What?
 * Amy: It doesn’t matter.
 * Sheldon: No. Go ahead. Say it. I know what it is. I’ve heard it my whole life. The word’s annoying. Go ahead. Say it. Say it. Say, “I’m annoying.”
 * Amy: Sheldon.
 * Sheldon: Oh, it won’t hurt my feelings. Go ahead, Amy. Say, “I’m annoying.” “I’m annoying.” “I’m annoying.” “I’m annoying.” Now where are you going? You know you want to say it. Say it. Say, “I’m annoying.” Go ahead. Say it. Say it. Say it, Amy. Say it. [Amy leaves the apartment slamming the door.] Well, she can’t stand it when I’m right.


 * Leonard: Because it’s just so happens I’m also spending the day with a beloved children television science personality. Isn’t that right new friend and colleague, Bill Nye, the Science Guy? Sorry I replaced you with a newer model.
 * Bill Nye: Wow, Arthur Jeffries. It’s an honor to meet you. My show never would have happened without yours.
 * Professor Proton: That’s what I told my lawyers.


 * Leonard: If you would have told me when I was a kid that someday I would have been doing science next to Professor Proton, I would not have believed you.
 * Professor Proton: If someone had told me that people would still be call me Professor Proton when I was 83 years old, I never would have quit smoking.


 * Howard: …And an astolyne torch to melt it down.
 * Penny: Oooo. That looks like fun.
 * Bernadette: Maybe you should master glue before you move onto fire.