The 10 best Chicago Ideas Week events

This seminar hosts the crème de la crème of American politicians, as the former host of Meet the Press David Gregory grills political strategists David Axelrod, Beth Myers and Mike Murphy on our democracy at work.

Lagunitas Brewing Company invites you to become a brewer for a day and learn about all the work that goes into creating a quality craft beer. Learn how barley and hops become a libation while you get a crash course in brewing. Of course, samples will be served when you hang up your hard hat.

A group of leaders and entrepreneurs under the age of 35 gather to talk about politics, art, technology and education during this half-day summit. Featuring guests like current Harvard Lampoon president Alexis Wilkinson and Move for Hunger founder Adam Lowy, the conversation will address the ways in which a new generation of leaders is tackling global problems.

Take a trip to the Rhine Hall Distillery and learn about the art of crafting apple brandy. Then put your newly honed skills to good use by creating your own signature brandy cocktail.

Learn how to use analog modular synthesis to create new sounds that can inspire compositions. By the end of the lab, attendees will create their own synthesizer "patch" that can be used by artists.

Over the course of three sessions, technology experts from organizations like Code.org, Fast Company and Cisco Systems will explore topics like digital privacy and demonstrate new gadgets that could change the way humans interact with the world.

Chicago's ever-expanding bikeshare program opens up its doors, shedding light on how it decides where to allocate its resources. Attendees will also go on a tour of Divvy HQ and discover the behind-the-scenes work that keeps more than 3,000 bikes on the city's streets.

With the recent state legislation to decriminalize marijuana and its new appearance in the Illinois medical market, a drug that was once considered to be dangerous has taken on a more benign status. At this panel, experts will discuss the plant's medical potential as well as the economic implications of its legalization.

Actress Joan Cusack, BucketFeet co-founder Raaja Nemani and jazz musician T.S. Monk all come from very different backgrounds, but they all share a similar creative drive. Chicago Ideas Week brings these three individuals together in a panel discussion about how they express themselves through their art.

Chicago Ideas Week hosts a panel of professors and academics who study the brain, who will talk about how the mind can be inhibited or enhanced by substances, stressors and much more.