19 November

Elias won the Nobel Prize partly for his work in understanding crowds, something his generation experienced in frightening detail in 20th century Europe, where tens of millions died as populations with previous ties to localities and customs and traditions suddenly became mass crowds. He observed that if you were to walk up to a stranger and touch them, it would be considered an intense violation. But in a crowd that resistance disappears. It rarely ends well. Today mass crowds are very popular again, which should make us more nervous than it does.