Launch Lie

One of several advantages with prerecording The Amateur Scientist Podcast every week is that I have ample time to edit out all those disturbing Freudian slips. But there are also some disadvantages, like when a topic discussed during Sunday's recording session is updated before the show posts on Wednesday. But just such a thing has happened now that the U.S. says Iran did not successfully launch a two-stage rocket capable of placing a satellite in orbit. This is really no surprise, as Iran's military and space programs seem to be based on nothing more than bold assertions and Photoshop skills, but it'll make for a conspicuous omission come Wednesday morning. Oh well. In the meantime, you can look forward to some humorously vociferous denials from Iran's state-run media, who are as sure as the Holocaust never happened that their rocket worked like a charm. More details here.