Exploratorium

Science is cool. Really cool, and I'm not just saying that because of my background. Unfortunately, so much of the breath-taking amazement of science is lost in often dull explanation. Science museums, for the most part, just get it wrong.

The Exploratorium gets it right. They understand, at a deep level, that science will blow your mind. And they show you.  Optical illusions?  Check.  Generators that make your hair stand on end?  Check.  Hot/Cold coils that totally mess with your sense of touch?  Check.  The list just goes on and on.

As if this wasn't enough, the Exploratorium has the Tactile Dome, a geodesic dome with a winding 3-dimensional path, that's entirely in the dark.  You have to navigate using just your sense of touch (and I suppose prioperception), with strange textures and things to feel along the way.  It's just as wonderful and childlike as it sounds.

If you love science, you should go.  If you've always been turned off by science, you must go.  It'll show you things you've been missing.

Web Site:

• Exploratorium -- http://www.exploratorium.edu/
• Tactile Dome -- http://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/tactile_dome/

When: 10am to 5pm, except Mondays.
Where: The Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco
How Much: $15 (or $20 with Tactile Dome)