Mon, July 06
Grow
International Conference on Plants & Environmental Pollution
Kayseri, Turkey
Let's not beat around the bush. Fifteen thousandof the world's medicinal plants are nearing extinction, thanks to pollution caused by population growth and rapid industrialization. Each die-off also produces a ripple effect; for every plant that disappears, scientists estimate that up to 30 more species of flora and fauna are threatened. Fortunately, this ancient city in central Turkey may be a good place to initiate change -- it's the hometown of St. Basil the Great, the patron saint of reformers. -- ABHA BHATTARAI
Wed, July 08
Invent
International Development Design Summit
Kumasi, Ghana
Most global-poverty workshops share a tedious format -- lots of yakking, little action. But at this monthlong MIT-organized event, delegates won't just lament third-world woe; they'll create real devices to improve life for the bottom billion. At last year's summit, inventors from 20 nations built 10 cheap, low-tech prototypes, includ-ing a hand-cranked machine for grinding corncobs into fuel and a chemical-soaked nipple shield that prevents HIV transmission between a breast-feeding mother and child. Our dream invention? A device that produces corruption-free leaders. -- THEUNIS BATES
Fri, July 10
Knock Out
Ultimate Fighting Championships Fan Expo
Las Vegas
The UFC has evolved considerably since the late 1990s, when Senator John McCain likened its battles to "human cockfighting." Today, the professional mixed-martial-arts league discourages "eye gouging of any kind," "stomping a grounded opponent," and "clawing, pinching, or twisting the flesh." It's also more popular than ever: Spike TV's "Fight Nights" lure at least 900,000 advertiser-coveted 18- to 34-year-old males and more than 1.5 million total viewers. And this expo, where fans will be able to meet fighters, is expected to draw thousands. Ready to rumble? -- DM
Sun, July 12
Cover Your Mouth
Infectious Disease Cruise Conference
7 days/6 nights, from Seattle
One tip to avoid the spread of infectious diseases: Don't gather in confined spaces. Like, you know, a ship at sea. (We haven't forgotten all those news stories about the stomach-churning, disinfectant-resisting norovirus.) This conference-on-a-cruise about contagion and bugs is aimed at the continuing education of physicians and nurses. The unintentional takeaway? Do as your docs say, not as they do. -- KATE ROCKWOOD
Mon, July 13
Compute
WorldComp '09
Las Vegas
Warning: computer overload. The 2009 World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Applied Com-puting is actually 22 different conferences, drawing 2,500 attendees, all held simultaneously at one location and sprawling across topics from bioinformatics to virtual reality to embedded systems. What struck us about the conference, though, wasn't the diversity but the lack of it: According to the premeeting agenda, not a single one of the 27 featured speakers and instructors is female. -- ZW
Sat, July 18
Redeem
World Aquatics Championships
Rome
Nearly 3,000 athletes from 200 nations will compete at this year's swimming and diving championships. But extraordinary attention will go to one: Michael Phelps. In his first major meet since the bong-picture scandal that cost him a lucrative endorsement deal with Kellogg's, he'll race for redemption. Other celebs have rebounded from bigger infractions. Kate Moss, for example, cleaned up and part-nered with Topshop after alleged cocaine use ruined her H&M deal. We think Phelps can follow suit, as long as he sticks to smoking the competition. -- DM
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