Gossip? Amy: Bernadette is thinking about breaking up with Howard. Leonard: So, what's the gossip? Out of arrows. And for years, everyone in my family was convinced that he was the clarinet enthusiast. Raj: Is something going on with him and Bernadette? Raj: Fair enough. It's one of the reasons I love her. Sheldon: Howard has announced his intention to propose marriage to Bernadette. The group consensus is that his proposal will be met with an humiliating, soul-crushing rejection. Sheldon: I'm no stranger to memetic epidemiology. Good times. Raj: How did that even happen? I will! Howard proposed?
Plan: A: Bernadette; Q: Who accepts Howard's proposal? A: marriage; Q: What does Howard propose to Bernadette? A: his proposal; Q: What does Raj hope Bernadette will reject? A: memetic epidemiology; Q: What experiment do Amy and Sheldon conduct? A: false gossip; Q: What do Amy and Sheldon launch pairs of? A: only one; Q: How many of the gossips are tantalizing? Summary: Bernadette considers breaking up with Howard at the same time that he decides to propose marriage to her. Raj hopes that she will reject his proposal so that Bernadette will become available for dating him. The gossip swirling around these developments intrigue Amy and Sheldon enough to conduct an experiment in memetic epidemiology. They launch pairs of false gossip, only one of which is tantalizing, and measure how quickly they each spread. Bernadette accepts Howard's proposal, disappointing Raj.