Nerd Alert: Cool Spots to Geek Out

Because nothing's hotter than a big?brain, bring a date to this SoMa spot for their monthly Ask a Scientist lecture series. You'll get to learn about all those topics you missed out on in BIO 101--Bigfoot, parasites, robots, animal love, all the important stuff--and if all goes well, you can go home and play lab partners.

The dorky kid in all of us loves a trip to this hands-on museum near the Marina. It's like a science fair run amok, where children aren't the only ones who get to pick up and play with the exhibits. You'll have an even better time if you don't have to pay: go the first Wednesday of the month to take advantage of the free admission days.

A list of the city's nerdiest spots wouldn't be complete without a stereotypical chess reference: lucky for us, SF boasts the country's oldest chess club. This Financial District nonprofit provides a sanctuary for Bobby Fischer fans, complete with chess library and lectures, where there's no threat of getting stuffed in your locker for knowing what "castling" means.

Bookworms and lit nerds anxiously await each month's Porchlight event at this Mission/Potrero space. The series features local writers and artists waxing poetic (or, more realistically, channeling their inner stand-up comic) with personal stories that fit humiliation-prone themes like "Rock Bottom," "Deal-breakers" and "Love is a Battlefield."

For those who think science museums are reserved for third grade field trips and retired seniors, this remarkable, revamped space in Golden Gate Park will amaze you. Nerds who work during the day and don't want to brave the weekend crowds can get in for just $10 on Thursday evenings, when the museum stays open late, brings in DJs and cocktails, and provides the sort of slightly awkward/super fun social mixer suitable for its patrons.

Nestled along the same strange stretch of Valencia that's also home to 826's pirate supply store and the fabulously weird Paxton Gate, this book store caters to a very specific niche market: gothic, nerdy bookworms and horror fans. The D&D set can stock up on sci-fi, fantasy and horror books here, but don't expect to get any cheesy "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" stuff from these serious collectors.

Seriously, a robot supply store? Well, not quite, but this little Berkeley hobby shop stocks remote-control cars, vintage Japanese toys, seriously hi-tech radios and pretty much anything else you could possibly need to build your own R2D2 or Johnny 5.

These days anyone with a couple of laptops and a drum machine can be a rock star (look at that Girl Talk dude), but serious electronic music junkies know that this Haight Street shop is the only place in town to find audio loop sequencers, MIDI keyboards and circuit bent toys. Don't know what any of this means? Sign up for one of the store's free clinics.

This fledgling Mission cafe offers the holy trifecta of geekdom: a killer collections of comics, karaoke nights, and connoisseur-grade caffeine (by Four Barrel). Plus, they stay open late on Fanboy Wednesdays so you can cuddle up with your new issue of "Dark Avengers" over an after-dinner Depth Charge.