I know the popular (and incorrect) perception of Iran is of a bunch of jihadists praying daily for the utter destruction of 'Murika.

The cold, hard truth is, we don't have to worry about that.

We could start to worry about this, however:

As Burton Richter, an American Nobel laureate in physics, entered the main auditorium of Tehran's prestigious Sharif University, hundreds of students rose to give him a loud and lengthy ovation. But Richter, wearing a white suit and leaning on a cane, said he was the one who should be awed.

"The students here are very impressive," Richter said, lauding the high level of education at Sharif. "I expect to hear a lot more from you all in the future."

The students, young men and women with laptops and smart briefcases, giggled in their seats.

Once in a while, knowledge is power, after all...