Now: July/August 2008
monday, july 07
Meet
G8 SUMMIT
Toyako, Hokkaido, Japan
For the second year in a row, climate change tops the agenda. Last year in Germany, the rich-country leaders agreed to "seriously consider" halving emissions by 2050. This year, we expect they'll pledge at least to "portentously ponder" it. Next year, they might at last act: This is George W. Bush's last G8 Summit -- sayonara! -- and both parties' White House hopefuls have talked a bigger green game. -- JC
tuesday, july 08
Hobnob
ALLEN & CO. INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
Sun Valley, Idaho
Locals regard the media bigwigs' yearly invasion with "laissez-faire," says Carol Waller, head of the Sun Valley visitors bureau. The town would be chockablock with tourists anyway, so the economic infusion isn't "radically different." But she says the biz-reporter hordes deliver media exposure worth more than $200,000 to the community. And the value of being linked with regular attendee Warren Buffett or first-timer Mark Zuckerberg rather than Demi Moore, who calls the area second-home? Incalculable. -- JC
thursday, july 10
Cast a Spell
PORTUS 2008: A HARRY POTTER SYMPOSIUM
Dallas
Law students, your reading list is about to get 4,195 pages longer. At this academic conference on Harry Potter, Karen Morris, a professor and judge from New York, will explain how the fantasy series can improve our understanding of real Muggle law. "J.K. Rowling has woven legal issues throughout her books," says Morris. "I believe that she loves the law." Morris's lecture will touch on issues including the enslavement of house elves, which, she argues, offers valuable lessons on real-world workers' rights. File that under the Department of Elf and Safety. -- Theunis Bates
friday, july 11
Watch
MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE
Starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Clive Owen, and the music of ABBA
Mamma mia, here we go again. My, my, how can we resist you? Knowing me, knowing you, there is nothing we can do. -- WITH ONLY MILD APOLOGIES TO ABBA
sunday, july 13
Invent
INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Chicago
Predicting aircraft turbulence. Detecting cardiac abnormalities. Crop planning. "The real world is dirty, and that's what IAAI deals with," says Mehmet Goker, chair of this four-day conference, which will spotlight 22 AI applications that are already helping to tidy things up. Ogle the apps before geeking out on robot soccer, AI scavenger hunts, and human-versus-computer poker tournaments. We're betting on the bots -- last year, humans barely eked out a victory, and technology only keeps getting better, right? -- Kate Rockwood
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