European officials struck a deal yesterday to reopen most of Europe's air space to plane travel as early as this afternoon, assuming Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano continues to subside. This would end the worst peacetime travel disruption in history, a travel crisis that has left thousands of passengers stranded for days and cost the airline industry hundreds of millions of dollars. But in the midst of the chaos and inconveniences, one philosopher took a moment to reflect on what our world would look like without airplanes.

We take look at what's ahead this week, with Marcus Mabry of The New York Times and Latoya Peterson editor of the blog, Racialicious. Volcanic ash continues to keep most European flights grounded affecting attendance at everything from the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate to the Tribeca Film Festival, both of which take place this week. Meanwhile, Washington is still buzzing about the Iran memo sent by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. And in cultural news, Wanda Sykes' show is up for renewal and Green Days' "American Idiot" opens on Broadway.