When Sheldon learns that fifteen-year-old Dennis Kim has already begun correcting his work, his confidence takes a brutal hit. He spirals into one of his rare career crises, comparing himself not just to Mozart and Salieri, but to some future genius he assumed would arrive centuries later. His friends try to calm him, but Sheldon treats the situation like intellectual defeat. Leonard, meanwhile, is forced into the role of peacemaker, reminding him that there’s still life beyond being the smartest person in the room.