The California Aademy of Sciences reopened today in their brand new facility in Golden Gate Park. Thinking “hey! It’d be cool to go see the new digs!” we prepared to stroll over.

Turns out all of San Francisco had the same thought.

The radio host said free entry tickets “sold out” in an hour. Lines are hundreds of people long, looking like they might stretch a couple of miles. Without tickets, you don’t get in.

Fortunately, there are dozens of booths for food and entertainment, including the predictably bad live cover bands. There’s even a Ben & Jerry’s.

Whether people are here for the spectacle or the science I don’t know. I insist it’s the latter. Y suggests it’s the former. Either way, if it gets people thinking about science, that can only be a good thing.