“Authoritarians have always been here. But the features of a given moment make that way of thinking more or less appealing. Germany in the 1920s, when people are starving, suddenly makes 'populist' answers and scapegoating different groups as the source of the problem much more appealing.”

American academic, neuroscientist, and primatologist

Robert Morris Sapolsky is an American academic, neuroscientist, and primatologist. He is the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor at Stanford University and a professor of biology, neurology, and neurosurgery. His work focuses on neuroendocrinology, especially the biology of stress. He is also a research associate with the National Museums of Kenya, reflecting a career that links laboratory science with long-term study of primates and their behavior.