New York is a tough town to open a show in, but the World Science Festival already looks like a smash. The first day's events were sold out on Thursday. Of the 46 events in the four-day festival, all but five are either sold out or virtually sold out (meaning there are a few single tickets left), says Adam Pockriss, a spokesman for the festival.

"Despite the fact that we are programmed against ourselves," he says, "with almost seven or eight of our events happening at the same time in some instances, we have sold more than 90 percent of our seats and may in fact sell out the entire event."

I wish I could have made it to Brian Greene's talk.