while the journalists from scientific american tended to wear tweed sport jackets with pocket protectors and were crowded into one corner of the room discussing photons , most of the other patrons looked as if they 'd dropped by after finishing up at work on wall street or madison avenue : italian suit jackets slung over the backs of chairs , hermes ties loosened , men who seemed to want to do nothing more than to scope out the women in attendance while flashing their rolexes .