Planetary stroll

Bill Nye '77, "The Science Guy," returns to Cornell to lead a tour of the Sagan Planet Walk, Oct. 12 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The Sagan Planet Walk is a 5,000,000,000:1 scale-model of the solar system with stations representing the sun and the planets. The trek blasts off from the sun station in the center of the Ithaca Commons and flames out at the Ithaca Sciencenter with the former planet, Pluto. Astronomers from around the world who are in Ithaca for the 40th annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences conference will join the tour. Free and open to the public; the walk will go on rain or shine.

Musical visions

Cornell Cinema will show four rare programs of visual music in association with the nonprofit Center for Visual Music, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. The program starts Oct. 15 with "Optical Poetry," abstract animated works of Oskar Fischinger; read more at http://centerforvisualmusic.org/Fischinger. Also showing: the short video "Night Train" by John Zissovici, Cornell associate professor of architecture, who set Google Earth images of Japanese rooftop golf courses to the music of Oscar Peterson.

Also in the series: "The Films of Mary Ellen Bute," who used oscilloscopes and theremins in her 1930s works, Oct. 22; "Essential Visual Music: Rare Classics," Oct. 29; and "Legendary Light Shows" Nov. 5, featuring visuals that accompanied rock shows in the psychedelic '60s.

Angela returns

Activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis will deliver two lectures: "Race, Democracy and Power" Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in Sage Chapel and "Race and the 2008 Presidential Election," moderated by Robert Harris, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in Sage Chapel. During her residency on campus this month, Davis will visit classes and meet with students and faculty. Davis is a professor of feminist studies and of the history of consciousness at University of California-Santa Cruz. She last visited Cornell in September 2007 when she gave a lecture on prisons and democracy. Sponsored by the Africana Studies and Research Center and Cornell United Religious Work.

Wildlife: Arctic to Zambia

The College of Veterinary Medicine and the Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future host "Wildlife Conservation Research at Cornell -- From A to Z (The Arctic to Zambia)," a one-day symposium on Cornell research related to wildlife conservation, Oct. 17, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at James Law Auditorium, Schurman Hall. Keynote speaker: David Wildt, senior scientist and head of the Center for Species Survival at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park. Free and open to the public.

Night at the Museum

The Johnson Museum's After Hours for Students Only! (Oct. 17, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.) offers students the opportunity to visit all the galleries, see performances by Anything Goes, BASE Productions, Shadows Dance Troupe, and more student groups, and pretend the museum is a movie theater with a screening of "The Relic" (1997). An exhibit by MUTT (the society for the Maintenance of Useless Trash and Trivia) showcasing doodles created by Cornell students will also be on view through the weekend. Free.

Hip-hop: an appreciation

Cornell University Library sponsors "Born in the Bronx: A Celebration of Hip Hop," Oct. 31- Nov. 1. The conference and celebration features lectures, music and round-table discussions with scholars and hip-hop pioneers including Afrika Bambaataa, Jeff Chang, Grandmaster Caz, Grandwizzard Theodore, Mark Anthony Neal, Popmaster Fabel, Tricia Rose, Tony Tone, J.Rocc and Disco Wiz. The event also marks the opening of the library's collection of recordings, photographs and other documents of the early days of hip-hop. Registration is free but space is limited: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/hiphop/conference.html.

Climbing the walls

Cornell Outdoor Education has designed a "Learn to Climb" program for Cornell staff, faculty families and the local community. The $25 fee includes two hours of climbing instruction at the Lindseth Climbing Wall, all necessary equipment and two day passes for more climbing. The organizers want to encourage more people to learn the basic techniques necessary to successfully and safely rock-climb. Sessions are offered Thursdays, 7-9 p.m., and the first Saturday of each month, 1-3 p.m. Register at least 24 hours in advance at 607-255-6183 or in person at B-01 Bartels Hall. Information: Josh Bochniak, jb449@cornell.edu.