It's shaping up to be a great week for Seattle geeks looking for interesting technology events to attend. Here are a few of the highlights from the TechFlash Events Calendar and the Seattle Tech Calendar.

Xconomy Forum: The Future of Search and Information Discovery: Representatives of Google, Microsoft Bing, Vulcan Capital and the University of Washington assess the direction of the search market. Plus mini-demos by startups Evri, Gist, Sage Bionetworks, SEOmoz, and Topsy. Monday Nov. 30, 5:30 p.m., UW Kane Hall 225. Tickets: $75 in advance, $95 at the door, $25 students. [Registration]

Ignite Seattle 8: Fast-paced, five-minute talks on a variety of technical, societal and cultural subjects. Topics this time include "How to Sneak into Bars," "iPhoning My Way to Retirement, $.70 at a time," "Defamation and Twitter: A Practical Guide to Covering Your Ass," and "Google vs. Microsoft: An Insider's Guide." Tuesday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m., King Cat Theatre, 2130 6th Ave., Seattle. Free admission. [Details]

Why Pluto is Planet-Worthy: Alan Boyle, msnbc.com science editor and author of the new book, "The Case for Pluto," speaks on the subject as part of the Seattle Science Lectures series. Tuesday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Avenue. Tickets: $5. [Registration]

WTIA Cocktails and Contributions Holiday Networking Cruise: Washington Technology Industry Association holiday networking and charity raffle aboard the Royal Argosy Cruise Ship. Wednesday, Dec. 2, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., boat leaves at 7 p.m. sharp from Pier 56, Seattle. Pre-registration $25 for WTIA members, $30 non-members. [Registration]

Why Are Graphics Systems So Fast? Pat Hanrahan of Stanford University speaks as part of the University of Washington Computer Science & Engineering Department's Distinguished Lecturer Series. Thursday, Dec. 3, 3:30 p.m., UW Electrical Engineering Building Room 105. Free admission. [Details]

I made it all the way to IPO, and all I got was this T-shirt!: Stories and Strategies for Surviving Your Exit: MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest: Experienced entrepreneurs Jordan Mitchell, Chris Early and Loren West share lessons on the end of the startup lifecycle. Thursday, Dec. 3, 5:30 p.m., 600 University St., First Level, Seattle. Tickets: $25. [Registration]

DEMO Innovation Seattle Meetup: VentureBeat editor-in-chief and DEMO executive producer Matt Marshall will be in town in search of companies to participate in DEMOspring 2010. Thursday, Dec. 3, 6 p.m., Barca Seattle, 1510 11th Avenue. Meetup admission free. [Details and Registration]

The Impact and Evolution of Mobile Broadband: Mobile Breakfast Series, Friday, Dec. 4, 7:30 a.m., Harbor Club, 801 Second Ave., Seattle. Registration closed, waiting list available, tickets $36. [Details]

And a final note on the subject of upcoming events: Don't forget to register for the TechFlash Holiday Party & Birthday Bash, featuring our first-ever Seattle tech trivia contest. Wednesday, Dec. 9, 5 p.m., Spitfire, 2219 4th Ave. Seattle. Tickets: $35. [Registration]

Check the TechFlash Events page and the embedded Seattle Tech Calendar for more events, including regularly scheduled meetups such as Hops & Chops and TechFoam. Know of an upcoming Seattle-area tech event we should be tracking? Send an email to techflashevents@bizjournals.com to submit a listing.