3.... 2.... 1.... blast off!

Yuri's Night at NASA's Ames Research Center is a science-sound-music-art shindig that sounds fun and interesting. Hosed by Keynote Speaker (and hottie!) Anoushe Ansari, the first privately funded femme space explorer. There's demos, organic food and drink, robots, and interactive art, yo. This World Space Party is one of 90 events in 30 countries, and celebrates Yuri Gagarin, who was only 27 when he was the first human to orbit the Earth in 1961. Advance tickets are $30 or $200 if you want to be a fancy VIP. 18 and over. 6:30 p.m.

Rather stay in EssEff? Go hear what Stephen Elliot and Gravity Goldberg have to say at Modern Times Bookstore on 888 Valencia Street. We've wondered to ourselves if Elliot's provocative and at times sexual writing makes him the recipient of people's secrets and fantasies. Is that just us? One thing is for sure: he keeps the company of stunning young women. Starts at 7:30, free. Buy a book or two while you're there!