- Leonard and Sheldon's friendship is put to the test when Leonard wants to present a paper they co-authored at a physics convention, but Sheldon doesn't.
- Leonard finds a letter in the trash can, the letter an invitation for him and Sheldon to speak at an upcoming conference on the topic of their latest joint research findings. Sheldon threw the letter out since he didn't want to do it. This brings to the forefront several issues. Has Sheldon thrown out any other important letters to Leonard? Who has the right to their joint intellectual property, especially if Leonard wants to present? Whose idea was the research to begin with? In Penny's eyes, does Leonard own anything appropriate to wear to the conference? Can Leonard and Sheldon come to a compromise so that they will speak to each other and be friends again?—Huggo
- Leonard is dismayed when he finds a letter in the trash can asking he and Sheldon to present a paper at a lecture. Sheldon says he threw it out because he feels that giving a lecture before inferior minds is pandering and undignified. This sets off an argument that has the two not speaking with one another and Leonard deciding to give the lecture without him. Sheldon crashes the lecture and the two end up in a sissy fight that (thanks to Howard) becomes a featured video on YouTube.—Jerry Roberts
- Leonard cleans up after an Internet experiment (they make lights in their apartment controllable from Howard's laptop. He is even able to switch on the stereo and control its volume from Howard's laptop. To impress Penny, Howard enables public access and now people in China are able to control their lights), and in the trash can Leonard finds an invitation to him and Sheldon to present their joint research at an academic conference.
Howard wants to go since the after parties of these conferences are legendary. Sheldon disapproves of presenting research in person (he does not want to stand in front of a room full of strangers, none of whom are his intellectual peers and explain his work to them.. He simply wants the rest of the world to take his word for his observations and conclusions, without behind subjected to reviews), but Leonard defies him and goes alone (The research was Sheldon's idea, but Leonard designed the experiment to prove the hypothesis).
This causes a rift between the two which Penny tries to mend but accidentally makes worse (Penny tells Sheldon that Leonard said that he would still be able to design his experiment without Sheldon's "lucky hunch"). Leonard has to decide what to wear for the conference and takes Penny's help. Penny gets into Leonard's wardrobe and discards half his clothes right off the bat. She even forbids him from donating the clothes to anyone as he wont be helping anybody. Penny is also alarmed to find a corduroy suit in his wardrobe, as they don't make them anymore.. Leonard also owns a Battlestar Galactica flight suit, which he says he didn't wear to Penny's costume party, since it is a flight suit and not a costume. Finding nothing else for Leonard to wear, the duo finalize the corduroy suit.. Leonard also has a 2 sided tie which Penny abhors.
Leonard shows up to the conference with Penny, Howard and Raj. The conference has an audience of 25, which Leonard explains is "Woodstock" for a particle physics conference.. Leonard starts with a joke to get over his nervousness and closes strongly Sheldon appears at the conference (he was sitting hidden at the back and reveals himself at the end of Leonard's presentation) and tries to discredit Leonard's presentation (he says that Leonard skipped over the part about how Sheldon got the inspiration for the research while strolling in the park and observing behavior of randomly running kids.. Leonard says that this is simply an anecdote and not central to the hypothesis or the experiment) by attempting to "blow up" Leonard's head with his mind a la the movie Scanners, starting a physical altercation between the two.
Howard films the fight on his cellphone and puts it on YouTube (the video starts trending on social media), but angers Penny by also posting a photo on Facebook of her sleeping on his shoulder during the presentation, entitled "Me and my girlfriend". Penny also tries to "blow up" Howard's head with her mind
Title reference: The rift between Leonard and Sheldon.
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What is the French language plot outline for The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization (2008)?
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