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 Bill Nye as his new idol, but is soon ditched by him. On the other hand, Raj joins the girls' night of the three ladies and come up with the idea of making jewelries; Howard also joins and causes a little confict between him and Raj, which they soon repair.

Extended Plot
Sheldon is happily running around the drug store. Amy remarks that she has never seen him so happy. Leonard explains that it is Restock Tour Medicine Cabinet Day at the store. Sheldon sees Professor Proton in the pharmacy 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 because of his advanced age. Professor Proton does remember him. Sheldon then introduces his girlfriend Amy. The Professor is surprised at knowing that Sheldon has a girlfriend. Amy then shakes his hand and then notes that they have the same orthopedic shoes. She can't believe that she dresses like a celebrity. Professor Proton then understands how he has a girlfriend. has same ones as a celebrity. Leonard reintroduces himself. He does remember his girlfriend, Penny. Sheldon wonders what prescription 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 mock the people in the homeopathic medicine 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 girls night that Bernadette is having at their place. Raj reluctantly admits that he's is going even though they are making jewelry which was his idea. Raj objects that he is very comfortable with his masculinity. Howard asks him how that is even possible. Leonard then gets an email 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 geysers who hasn't done any science in decades. Sheldon Cooper DOESN'T cry. Howard agreed and said that he rusts.

Later in apartment 4A, Amy is preparing tea as Sheldon wonders why he ever idolized him since he s just another Hollywood phony. Amy wonders if it is worth getting upset over. Sheldon says that you shouldn't met your heroes and son't peek behind that curtain of fame and celebrity because you see them as they really are, degenerate carnival folk. Amy reminds him that he is just a retired kid's show host. Sheldon says that that is worse since he uses the sweet candy of science to trick children into loving him. Then he calls him a pervert. Amy then asks Sheldon why he didn't think 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 mastered the three basic social skills. The coy smile, friendly chuckle and the vocalization of sympathy, "Ahhhh." Amy tries to suggest that Leonard and Arthur may have found him...Annoying, but she can't say it. Sheldon says he knows she wants to say "annoying", and repetitively demands that Amy call him "annoying" - very annoyingly. Amy leaves without a word. Sheldon then says that she can't stand it when he is right.

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

Sheldon goes over to Professor Proton's house at 7:30, waking up him; he gives his apology for being annoying before, which Proton accepts. Sheldon then asks Proton to collaborate with him on the paper, in doing so, Sheldon insults Proton again, and the latter refuses. Sheldon then demands Proton to call him annoying, which Proton eventually does so, and shut the door at his face.

Later, Leonard and Professor Proton are in Leonard's lab and a jealous Sheldon brings in his new idol, Bill Nye, the Science Guy. It immediately turns out that Proton and Nye are in conflict (It is implied that they have had a lawsuit concerning the originality of  Bill Nye's science show). Sheldon leaves, and Proton drives Nye out quickly. Leonard and Proton continue with their experiments. Proton wonders how could Sheldon be Leonard's friend. Leonard admits it is a hard question. He says that Sheldon is aggravating, but he does not do it on purpose. Leonard also says Sheldon is loyal and trustworthy, to which Proton comments that this is describing a dog. When they are discussing these, Leonard gets two messages from Sheldon, the first is a photo that Sheldon and Bill Nye having smoothies together, and later a text that Nye ditched Sheldon at the smoothie shop so that he needs Leonard to pick him up.

Professor Proton finally goes to Apartment 4A (with difficulty) and asks Sheldon to read his paper, however, Sheldon already hacked his email to read it and calls it inspiring. Sheldon also reveals that he gets another restraining order from Bill Nye. Proton wants to leave, but when he sees Penny in Apartment 4A, he is glad to stay. He asks Penny if she has any single grandmothers; when Penny tells him that both are married, he further asks whether they are happy. In response, Penny slightly flip and flap her palms.

Bernadette invites the ladies to have a girl's night at her place, and Raj is in. They makes jewelry - which turns out to be Raj's idea. Penny just makes a mess because she cannot handle glue properly. Howard brings equipment from laboratory to facilitate the jewelry making. Raj is upset because Howard has kept making fun of him, and attracts the girls' attention with his equipment and fascinating ideas in making jewelry (for example, making diamonds out of the maker's hairs). He then reveals that he feels more comfortable with girls. Howard comforts him and shows his understanding, and they get well again. Seeing this, Amy comments that they'll have sex before Sheldon and her ever do.

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

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."

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 Cyndi Lauper and her song "Girls Just Want To Have Fun".

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!.