The Discovery Dissipation

"The Discovery Dissipation" is the tenth episode of the seventh season of the  The Big Bang Theory. This episode aired on December 5, 2013.

Summary
Sheldon gets advice from Wil Wheaton, while Raj doles out relationship advice to Howardette and Shamy.

Extended Plot
Sheldon is being interviewed by Ira Flatow on Science Friday in the NPR studio to discuss his discovery of a stable super heavy element. Sheldon starts off that Caltech made him come though he is a big fan of his show. Ira mentions that the element was found by mistake and that the scientific community is calling it the wonder blunder. Sheldon demands to know who and then guesses that it was Wolowitz. Ira continues that Sheldon's calculations were way off and he compares it to misreading a treasure map and still finding the treasure. Sheldon changes the subject and mentions that he knows how to yodel. Ira then states that he could be on the path to winning a Nobel Prize in Chemistry even though his field is physics. This distinction makes Sheldon feel like he is a circus freak. Sheldon then walks out calling Flatow a bully and that he is the reason why Americans are switching to television.

While the two resident couples of Apartment 4A have dinner, Sheldon is on the phone with an angry President Siebert. Sheldon tells him that he was expecting a professional science interview and not an attack by a morning zoo shock jock. Then he tells the president that if the university needs money so much, they should put out a swear jar. Sheldon gets yelled at and Sheldon tells him that that statement would be worth a dollar. Amy explains that ever interview he gives raises the visibility of the university which equates to dollars or funding. Sheldon objects that he isn't just a trained monkey dancing for coins. Leonard agrees since people love trained monkeys. Penny wants to know why he isn't happy since he is tall, thin and famous and then realizes that she is jealous of Sheldon. Amy knows that Sheldon is just going to have to get use to the notoriety. Sheldon explains that none of them know what it is like to be celebrated for something you wish you never did. Penny then quips that he has never been with her during Mardi Gras.

Bernadette is running the vacuum and asks if he's going to help clean up. Howard is way ahead of her working on the mess the Joker made in the video game he was playing. Raj is his friend Bernadette tells him and Howard promises to help out the rest of the week. Bernadette didn't know it was a week and Howard didn't tell her. She loves Raj, but a week is a long time for a house guest. His building is being fumigated and he couldn't find a hotel that takes dogs. "He's bringing Cinnamon?" Howard reacts with the nerve of some guys. Bernadette just shakes her head at her husband.

Sheldon is in his bedroom playing with his train called the Embarrassment Express which stops at Fraudville Wonder Blunderberg and Kansas City because it is a hub. Amy knocks on has door and asks if she can come in. Sheldon asks if she has cookies. After she says know, he replies that that is good because he doesn't deserve cookies. She enters with Wil Wheaton who explains that Amy told him that he was having a rough time and thought that they could talk. Sheldon agrees, though now he has three people in his bedroom and it is starting to feel like a discothèque. Wil says that he knows about getting attention for something he wishes he never did. Sheldon tells him that his ending tweets aren't that bad. Wil tells Amy that he remembers why it's been awhile since he visited. Wil starts to talk about when he played Wesley Crusher. Sheldon tells him that he was wonderful in the role, a boy genius with an eidetic memory. Now who couldn't relate to that character. Wil explained that a lot of people hated the character and therefore hated and would be mean to him. Sheldon replied that the same thing just happened to him and that WIl should tweet about how Ira Flatow is a jerk. Amy concluded that Wil learned to embrace his problem and moved on to bigger and better things. Wil is now an author, public speaker and has a webpage about board games. He got out of Wesley Crusher's shadow and has a pretty great life. Sheldon says that he can she what he is saying and that it does help. He offers to let them play trains with him, but they can only watch. When Wil asks if he can use his train whistle, Sheldon tells him to leave.

Raj is at their apartment Brushing Cinnamon's teeth on the couch and Howard wonders why since she also licks her rear. Bernadette arrives home tired and  apologizes for being late. Howard tells her that they held dinner and wants to know what she is fixing. Raj objects and tells Bernie that he'll get her a glass of wine and fix dinner since it looks like she has had a long day. Howard counters that she always looks like that. Bernadette throws him a sharp look. Howard then adds that it's because she married an idiot. Raj asks about her day and she started out getting stuck in traffic. Howard wants to know why she didn't put that traffic app on her phone. Raj objects not to tell her how to fix something when she just comes home. When Howard came in with a stomach ache from eating too many jelly beans, Raj tried to make him feel better by rubbing his stomach. Bernie looks at them strangely. Raj tells Howard that there is a time to just listen. Also Howard should have stop eating too many jelly beans when he was ten.

Sheldon is back on the phone with the university president telling him that he is ready to do more interviews and for him to be enthusiastic about his discovery. The president thanks him, while Sheldon tells him that he should thank his friend Wil Wheaton. Sheldon has nine friends, but the president doesn't want to be his tenth. Sheldon decides to make it ten and include Wolowtiz. Sheldon greets his friend Wolowitz. Sheldon is in a good mood and Leonard expects his news to make him feel even better. Leonard has been rerunning test in his lab and has found that the element that Sheldon discovered doesn't exist. Someone on the Chinese team had added simulated data signals to their files and they faked the results. All the attention that Sheldon hates can now go away. Sheldon can't believe the interviews are now over. Leonard thanks him. Sheldon then shouts at him for robbing him of his greatest achievement. Sheldon is now down to nine friends, though make it eight since he is also sick of Howard. Leonard thought that this news would make him happy. Sheldon counters that he should have told him a joke to make him happy. Or show him a cute video of a koala and an otter becoming unlikely friends. Leonard finds that there is no pleasing Sheldon and that otters and koalas don't live near each other. Sheldon replies that that is what makes their friendship unlikely. Penny enters wondering what all the yelling is about. Sheldon explains what Leonard did and that all the attention was leaving him. Penny also thinks that he should be thrilled. Now Sheldon is down to seven friends. Penny wonders if that includes hobbits and superheroes. When he thought it didn't exist he didn't want it, and now since it doesn't exist its the one thing in the world he wants. Leonard didn't take it away, it was science that took it away. Sheldon doesn't want science used against him since its his best friend. Now he's back up to eight friends. Leonard wants Penny to tell him that he is crazy, however Penny knows what his talking about. Now Sheldon has nine friends. Penny had the same experience with guys she has broken up with. Sheldon doesn't understand, but still agrees so that he and Penny can gang up on Leonard. Leonard replies that if he doesn't publish, someone else will find it out and tells the world about the nonexistent element. Sheldon tells him to publish since it is his ethical responsibility as a scientist. Leonard tells him that he will publish. Sheldon turns to Penny asking if she believes this guy.

At the Wolowitz's, Bernadette discovers that Raj did the dishes and knows that it wasn't Howard. Raj arrives with Cinnamon in her baby carriage back from and walk and he brought home coffee for everyone. Bernadette thanks him as Raj tells him that her presentation will go great. Howard tells her to knock it out of the park. Bernadette wants him to tell her what the presentation is about. Howard tells her that she better go as Raj shouts to her that Howard loves him. Then Howard complains to Raj that he is making him look bad. Raj is a better husband than Howard. Raj does the dishes. bring coffee and knows all about her life. Howard doesn't want coffee, until Raj identifies it as hot chocolate. Howard wants Raj to stop showing him up in front of Bernadette. Raj explains despite his listening skills, he is great husband and has come a long way despite being an only child raised by an over protective mother as Raj adjusts all of Howard's clothes. Even Howard realizes that Raj's actions are getting weird.

Leonard enters Sheldon's office and tells him that he has published his findings. Sheldon has already seen it and has posted a retraction of his previous work. The whole scientific community now knows that he is wrong. Leonard tells him not worry because this happens all the time. Not to Sheldon who hasn't published a retraction since he had to concede to his brother that he was the greatest ninja in East Texas when he was nine. Barry Kripke comes in to taunt him. He calls Sheldon his favorite superhero, The Retractor. Leonard tells Barry not to give Sheldon a hard time, so Barry says I'm sorry and "RETRACTS" it. He complements Leonard for disproving the Chinese and asks Sheldon if he should try another line of work like retail. Then he could take things back for a living. Leonard again tells him to stop it, but Sheldon can fight his own battles and calls him "Bawwy". Kripke says that is very hurtful since he can't control his speech impediment. Sheldon says that that was uncalled for and he takes it back. "Because you're the re-tractor", Kripke again taunts him with.

Raj continues to do things for Bernadette and Howard. Bernadette finds the dinner he made amazing saying that she is going to have to go gets some bigger clothes. Raj disagrees saying that she was awfully skinny to begin with Bernadette wants to know why Howard can't say sweet things like that. Bernadette tells Howard that he could be more thoughtful like Raj. Howard reacts that she could the same thing. Raj packed Howard a lunch and left a note in it. Bernadette tells him that she does enough other stuff around the apartment. Raj tells them to calm down and take a step back. Bernie wonders why they were fighting. Howard admitted that he felt like a lousy husband. Bernie felt like she was a lousy wife. Then they tell each other that they are the best. Howard identifies the problem as Raj. He keep trying them so well, that they down't think they are doing enough for each other. , Bernie says that they felt fine just "half-assing" their way through their marriage. Since he was causing them to fight,they throw Raj out for interfering in their marriage. Raj just tells them that he is glad they are on the same page now. Howard tells her that its nice she is backing him up for once. Bernie yells at him that she backs him up all the time. Then they realize what Raj did and yell at him for doing it again.

Raj is now staying in Apartment 4A. Sheldon shows up, not happy that Raj's dog has also taken up residence there. Raj then starts giving relationship advice to Sheldon and Amy that they should have more give and take, which causes Amy to tell him to leave.

Now, Leonard and Sheldon are both on NPR, where they want to discuss Leonard's work disproving Sheldon's discovery. Sheldon, who really wasn't invited, says that the story starts a long time ago and starts describing how he got started. Listening to their boyfriends argue on the radio, both Penny and Amy reach for alcohol.

Critics
To be entered.

Trivia

 * This is the second time that Sheldon gets an interview from Ira Flatow from NPR, who himself appears on the screen for the first time. Previously he interviewed Sheldon in The Vengeance Formulation (S3E09) through the telephone, and that time only his voice appeared in the show.
 * Also, in Barry Kripke appeared in the last episode where Sheldon was interviewed on NPR The Vengeance Formulation".
 * Again President Siebert calls Sheldon to express his anger for the uncalled-for behaviors of the latter, and again Sheldon cannot understand his anger. Previously the similar things happened in  The Benefactor Factor (S4E15) and The Parking Lot Escalation (S6E09).
 * Again Raj interferes the lives of the couples in their social circle and finally gets repulsed by the couple. Previously the similar motive served as the main plot of The Date Night Variable (S6E01).
 * Wil Wheaton makes the seventh appearance as himself in the show. He mentions "I have my own web series about board games" - this is true in reality: the web series is  and it is released on YouTube.
 * This is not the first time that Sheldon uses special vocal music art to disturb others. He practices yodelling in this episode, and previously he practiced Tuvan deep-throat singing in The Large Hadron Collision (S3E15) to disturb the normal life of Leonard and Penny.
 * Sheldon does an about face on his hatred of the public attention he was getting about his discovery after Leonard disproves it.


 * Penny quickly realizes that his advice is not wanted and cuts herself short.

Quotes
To be entered.