Depending on Strangers: Love, Fear, and the Making of the Modern World (with some help from Harold Innis)

As wars, climate disasters, and economic tensions reshape today’s world, many say globalization is over—but our deep interdependence isn’t going anywhere. Join us on March 3 for the 2026 Innis Alumni Lecture where Professor Jeremy Adelman (BA '84) will explore how history can help us make sense of a moment when people across the globe rely on each other more than ever, even as trust breaks down. From early thinkers like Adam Smith, to modern crises, we’ll look at how connections between strangers have sparked innovation, conflict, hope, and harm. By putting today’s upheavals into historical context, Professor Adelman invites us to learn from the past so we can argue, and imagine, the future more clearly.