Last chance: Mark Twain

Cornell University Library's Mark Twain exhibition ends Oct. 8. Curator Lance Heidig will be on hand Oct. 2, 1-5 p.m., Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Level 2B, Carl A. Kroch Library, to talk about the exhibit, "Known to Everyone, Liked by All: The Business of Being Mark Twain," featuring Twain's original books and manuscripts and his little-known connections to Cornell.

Freedom and Tibet

"The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom" will show in the Willard Straight Theatre, Oct. 2 and 3 at 7:15 p.m. This film features the Dalai Lama, Woeser and Lhadon Tethong and covers the events of 2008, including protests in Tibet and the international response; the march to Tibet by Buddhist exiles in India; the Beijing Olympics; and the breakdown of talks between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government. Subtitled. Information: http://www.thesunbehindtheclouds.com.

New music by CONTINUUM

The award-winning new-music ensemble CONTINUUM returns to Cornell, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m., for its fifth appearance in Barnes Hall, to present a concert of contemporary works by eight composers. CONTINUUM has performed throughout the United States, including appearances at the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress, and in some 36 tours to Europe, Asia and Latin America. Free and open to the public.

Forest farming

Such non-timber forest crops as shiitake mushrooms, ginseng and other medicinal plants are grown beneath the canopy of an established forest at the MacDaniels Nut Grove. The grove will be open to the public, Oct. 2, 1-4 p.m., with tours at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Located near the Cornell Orchard; from Route 366 turn onto Palm Road, and follow to the Cornell Library Annex. Information: http://www.cornellplantations.org/events/ForestFarming.

CU Winds concert

Steve Peterson and Beth Peterson, both of Ithaca College, will conduct the CU Wind Ensemble and CU Wind Symphony, respectively, in a free, public concert, Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. in Bailey Hall. The wind ensemble will feature works by Frank Ticheli, Warren Benson and Britten, as well as John Mackey's Redline Tango. The wind symphony will perform music by Vaughan Williams, Greg Danner and Jan Van der Roost, as well as Roger Cichy's "Bugs."

Music and mental health

World renowned concert pianist and psychiatrist Richard Kogan will present the 2010 Robert E. Hamlisch M.D. Memorial Lecture, "Musical Genius and Psychiatric Illness," Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m., Bailey Hall. He will explore the links between creativity and mental health. His lecture-concerts combine piano recital with medical analysis of such figures as Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Gershwin. Free and open to the public.

Fundamental physics

The Messenger Lecture Series, focusing on the future of fundamental physics, will feature Princeton professor Nima Arkani-Hamed. The series begins Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. with "Setting the Stage: Space-time and Quantum Mechanics," followed by "Our 'Standard Models' of Particle Physics and Cosmology, and Their Discontents," Oct. 5 at 5 p.m.; "Space-time Is Doomed; What Replaces It?" Oct. 6 at 5 p.m.; "Why Is There a Macroscopic Universe?" Oct. 7 at 5 p.m., and "A New Golden Age of Experiments: What We Might Know by 2020?" Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. All take place at the Schwartz Auditorium, Rockefeller Hall. Arkani-Hamed is considered by many the most talented particle theorist of this decade. The Messenger Lecture Series is the one of the most prestigious sets of talks at Cornell.

Energy and the environment

Why Is Africa Poor?

Gregory J.B. Mills heads the Johannesburg-based Brenthurst Foundation, overseeing a number of presidential advisory teams to bring international expertise and African governments together. He has served as the national director of the South African Institute of International Affairs, as special adviser to the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan Gen. David Richards and as head of strategic analysis for the ninth International Security Assistance Force. In 2009, he served as strategic adviser to the president of Rwanda. He will talk about his book, "Why Africa Is Poor and What Africans Can Do About It," in a lecture Oct. 5 at 2:30 p.m., G08 Uris Hall.

Lin returns

Violinist Jasmine Lin returns to Cornell for the third time to present a concert featuring violin sonatas by Debussy and Beethoven and two quartet settings of Lin's poem "The night of h's," Oct. 5 at 8 p.m., Barnes Hall. She will be accompanied by pianists Xak Bjerken and Miri Yampolsky.

Asia ahead

A.D. White Professor-at-Large Jeffrey McNeely will present a public lecture, "The Fifth Revolution: Lessons for the History of Cultural Development in Southeast Asia," Oct. 6 at 4 p.m., G10 Biotechnology Building. He will suggest that four "revolutions" have shaped Southeast Asia: the control of fire, the development of agriculture, irrigation and globalization. He looks at current trends to suggest how a possible fifth revolution in Asia could affect biodiversity and the rest of the world.

Kabuki dance

From Tokyo, Bando Kotoji with Nishizaki Sakurako will perform a set of kabuki dance pieces, including Sanbaso, Kyo no shiki, and Tadanobu from the Yoshinoyama scene of the play "Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees," Oct. 6 at 7 p.m., Barnes Hall. A dance workshop by Naoya Mura (Bando Kotoji), instructor, choreographer and writer on Japanese dance, will follow, Oct. 7, 1:30 p.m., SB10 Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Both events are free and open to the public; sign up for the workshop at glopac@cornell.edu.

Signs of Alzheimer's: Knowing the 10 Warning Signs

Mike Massurin of the Central New York chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, will talk about the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's and coping with the disease, Oct. 7, noon-1 p.m., 221 Weill Hall. Free and open to members of the Cornell community and their families; RSVP to emw76@cornell.edu.

Investment portfolios

Bill Giesen, Fidelity Investments, will present a free lecture for faculty and staff, "Building a Portfolio for Any Weather," Oct. 8, 1 p.m., G10 Biotechnology Building. Designed for employees currently enrolled in a retirement savings plan and looking to improve their investment mix, the lecture will cover the principles of asset allocation and diversification, developing an appropriate investment strategy and estimating the income needed in retirement. Information: http://hr.cornell.edu/benefits/financial_planning/.