Looking Ahead

Egyptian transition

In what could be the first step toward civilian rule after Egypt's military took control of the country following the end of Hosni Mubarak's regime in February, an electoral commission is expected to convene on Sept. 18 to prepare voting rosters and candidate lists ahead of a November election.

Autumn begins

Sun-weary residents of the American Midwest will be anticipating the promise of cooler weather when autumn begins on Sept. 23. Weather stations in Texas and Oklahoma recorded as many as 68 days of 100-degree heat this summer as well as 40 consecutive days above 100 in Dallas.

'Elections' in the UAE

On Sept. 24, for only the second time in the United Arab Emirates, voters will head to the polls for elections. Not that the process will be terribly democratic. The voters will be selected by local rulers and will only be allowed to select half of the members of a national advisory board with limited powers.

Ig Nobel Prizes

Academics will gather at Harvard University on Sept. 29 for the presentation of the Ig Nobel Prizes-satirical awards honoring "improbable research." Last year, scientists from the United Kingdom and Mexico won the Ig Nobel's prize in engineering for perfecting a non-invasive way to collect whale snot-by helicopter.

Tevatron closes

The doors close Sept. 30 at the Tevatron-a massive particle accelerator located west of Chicago. The 3.9-mile particle accelerator cost $120 million to build in 1983 and has been accelerating and colliding protons and antiprotons ever since. In 1995, physicists at the Tevatron announced their discovery of the so-called "top quark"-a primary building block of matter.

Retiring mandatory retirement

Beginning Oct. 1, 65-year-olds in the United Kingdom may stay at work. Prior to the repeal of the mandatory retirement laws, older employees could face severance without cause simply because of their age. The Tory government, which oversaw the repeal, called the default retirement age discriminatory.