Provided

The Pearly Snaps, Rosie Newton (left) and Stephanie Jenkins '10.

String theory

Cornell physicist and violinist Kathy Selby will explore the science, evolution and dynamics of stringed instruments in "The Secrets of the Devil's Box," Feb. 18 at 4:30 p.m. at the State Theatre as part of the annual Light in Winter Festival. Admission is a $5 suggested donation.

Selby will explain the physics of how sound travels through air and discuss harmony and western music, the development of the modern violin and the work of such luthiers as the Stradivari family and local musician/craftsman Eric Aceto. Fiddler and composer Judy Hyman of the Horseflies and members of Stringfever will demonstrate the effects of electric amplification on stringed instruments. Stringfever performs at 8 p.m. at the State; tickets are $22.50-$32.50.

Other Light in Winter programs include "Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks and the Hidden Powers of the Mind," a Science Cabaret with Alex Stone, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Lot 10 (formerly Delilah's); and "Life in Balance" with dance troupe Galumpha, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. at the State Theatre (tickets $12-$15), followed by an athletic motion and balance workshop on the stage.

Information: http://www.lightinwinter.com.

Young and old-time

The Pearly Snaps return to Ithaca and the Anabel Taylor Hall Café for their second performance on "Bound for Glory," Feb. 19 from 8:30 to 11 p.m.

The old-time duo -- Stephanie Jenkins '10 on banjo, vocals, ukulele and guitar and Rosie Newton on fiddle, vocals and guitar -- will bring some local friends along to play.

Jenkins and Newton are New York City natives who met in high school and started playing Appalachian fiddle tunes and traditional country music together. They immersed themselves in the local old-time scene when they came to Ithaca in 2006, playing with Evil City String Band, the Hogwashers and other groups. The Pearly Snaps released an eponymous album in 2010.

"Bound for Glory" is broadcast live, Sundays from 8 to 11 p.m., on WVBR-FM 93.5 and on http://www.wvbr.com. Admission is free and open to the public; all ages welcome. Upcoming shows will feature Small Potatoes, Feb. 26; Canadian singer-songwriter Garnet Rogers, March 4; and Four Shillings Short, March 11.

China's economy

World Bank chief economist Justin Yifu Lin will speak on "Demystifying the Chinese Economy," Feb. 20 at 4:30 p.m. in Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall. Free and open to the public.

Lin's presentation will be followed by a discussion and is part of a lecture series, "The Rise of China," hosted by the Cornell Program on Ethics and Public Life.

Upcoming speakers and topics include: Joseph Chan, University of Hong Kong, on human rights and democracy from a neo-Confucian perspective, March 5; Rosemary Foot, Oxford University, on China's role in the international human rights regime; March 26; Wang Shaoguang, Chinese University of Hong Kong, on inequality and governance in China, April 16; and Wang Jisi, Beijing University, on the long-term prospects of Chinese-U.S. relations, April 30.

Visiting lecturers also will lead seminars and meet informally with faculty and students working on the topic. The program promotes learning across disciplinary lines on the ethical implications of public policies, technologies, economic initiatives and social and political processes. Information: http://courses.cit.cornell.edu/rwm5/riseofchina/.

Political divisions

In conjunction with the Johnson Museum of Art exhibition on political division, "Lines of Control," Cornell Cinema is presenting "No Man's Land/Everybody's Land," a series of nonfiction films responding to the politics of lines being drawn, manifested and violently fought between people, lands, beliefs and ways of being.

Series curator Nicole Wolf of the University of London chose films for their defiant gestures, commenting on the 1947 partition in India that created Pakistan and Bangladesh. Screenings include "Way Back Home" (2003) on Feb. 21; "Temporary Loss of Consciousness" (2005) and "Tales from the Margins" (2006) on March 1; and "Word Within the Word" (2008) on March 6. The series is cosponsored with the Cornell Council for the Arts.

Living wisdom

In his recent book "30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans," Karl Pillemer turns to our elders for collective wisdom and practical advice on how to make the most of our lives. He will give a book talk Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. in Mann Library 160. Free and open. A reception and book signing will follow.

Pillemer, the Hazel E. Reed Professor of Human Development and a professor of gerontology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, interviewed more than 1,000 Americans over 65 on issues relating to children, love and marriage, living through loss or illness, money, career and aging.

The Chats in the Stacks Book Talk is presented by the Cornell Library and supported by the Mary A. Morrison Public Education Fund at Mann Library. Information: http://mannlib.cornell.edu.

Danticat reading

Edwidge Danticat will read from her work in the Creative Writing Reading Series, Feb. 23 at 4:30 p.m. in Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall. Free and open to the public.

The Haitian-born writer won a 1999 American Book Award for her novel "The Farming of Bones." Her fiction includes the 1994 young adult novel and Oprah's Book Club selection "Breath, Eyes, Memory"; the 1996 short story collection "Krik? Krak!" (a National Book Award finalist) and "The Dew Breaker" (2004).

Danticat's memoir, "Brother, I'm Dying," won a 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award; she also has written a collection of essays, "Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work." Her other honors include a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" in 2009, a Pushcart Short Story Prize and the 2011 Langston Hughes Medal.

Information: http://www.arts.cornell.edu/english/creative/readings/.

Life 'Cycle'

Composer and lyricist William Finn tells the stories of his closest friends and relatives and how they influenced him in "Elegies: A Song Cycle," Feb. 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Schwartz Center's Flex Theatre.

Directed by Michael Doliner '13 and accompanied by musical director Danny Bernstein '14, the musical features 20 songs and was first performed at Lincoln Center in 2003. It is about appreciating the infinite joy and laughter of life and filled with the warmth and humor of Finn's other works, including the 1992 Tony Award winner "Falsettos" and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."

"Elegies" is part of a series of student-directed Performance Laboratory events scheduled this year in the Department of Theatre, Film and Dance. Tickets are $4, available at http://schwartztickets.com, by calling 254-ARTS or at the box office, open 12:30-4 p.m. weekdays.

Top chefs

Executive chef Ron Duprat, a competitor on season six of Bravo's "Top Chef" series, will bring some of his specialty exotic flavors to Cornell on Feb. 25 as part of the 21st edition of the Hotel School's Guest Chef Series. Tickets are $125 including cocktails, dinner and wine; and can be purchased online at http://guestchefs.sha.cornell.edu.

Duprat often combines his Haitian Creole cooking style with French-Asian fusion cuisine, and says his favorite dish to make is his signature flourless chocolate cake.

The Guest Chefs Series also features Jimmy Bradley on March 10, executive chef and owner of The Red Cat and The Harrison in New York City; and Matt Hoyle on April 29, the executive chef of Nobu 57, the Japanese-international eatery in Manhattan developed by restaurateur Drew Nieporent '77.

All events begin at 6 p.m. in the Beck Center Atrium in Statler Hall.