Book Talk
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Event Date: May 5th, 2026
4:00pm-5:15pm
The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us
Join us on May 5 for a talk on "The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us," by Benjamin Recht, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley. The conversation will be moderated by Marion Fourcade, Professor of Sociology and Director of Social Science Matrix.
Learn More >Berkeley Conversation
Recap
Published September 23, 2021
Berkeley Conversation: Defending Against Disinformation
On September 21, UC Berkeley Public Affairs presented a panel discussion focused on the proliferation of disinformation and what can be done about it. The panel included: Geeta Anand, dean of the School of Journalism; Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Berkeley Law; Hany Farid, associate dean and head of the School of Information; Susan D. Hyde, chair of the Department of Political Science; john powell, director of the Othering & Belonging Institute; and moderator Henry Brady, former dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy.
Learn More >Podcast
Interview
Published September 16, 2021
A New Voice for Black History: Xavier Buck, PhD
In this episode of the Matrix Podcast, Julia Sizek interviews Xavier Buck, Deputy Director of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation. Buck graduated with a PhD in History from UC Berkeley in 2021. The discussion focuses on Buck’s work in public history, including his @historyin3 channel (which can be found on TikTok and Instagram), his current work at the Huey P. Newton Foundation, and his dissertation research, which shows connections between Black experiences in Louisiana and California in the 20th century.
Learn More >Matrix On Point
Recap
Published September 13, 2021
Matrix on Point: Leaving Afghanistan
On September 7, 2021, UC Berkeley’s Social Science Matrix and the Institute of International Studies (IIS) hosted a panel discussion, “Matrix on Point: Leaving Afghanistan,” that featured a group of scholars examining the geopolitical and humanitarian consequences of the end of the 20-year war in Afghanistan. The panel featured Omar Sharifi, from American University of Afghanistan; Robert Crews, from Stanford University; Dipali Mukhopadhyay, from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs; and Georgi Derluguian, from NYU Abu Dhabi. UC Berkeley's Daniel Sargent, moderated. Watch the video, or listen to the discussion as a podcast.
Learn More >Podcast
Interview
Published September 9, 2021
Matrix Podcast: Interview with Juliana Friend, PhD Candidate, Anthropology
In this podcast, Julia Sizek interviews Juliana Friend, a PhD candidate in the UC Berkeley Department of Anthropology, whose research focuses on the intersection of technology, privacy, and culture. Her dissertation, “Don’t Click Here! Porn, Privacy, and Digital Dissidence in Senegal,” examines how digital dissidents are transforming the idea of sutura (discretion or modesty), a concept used to describe the appropriate relationship between private and public life in Senegal.
Learn More >Podcast
Interview
Published September 2, 2021
Matrix Podcast: The Past and Present of Teletherapy
In this episode of the Social Science Matrix podcast, Julia Sizek, a Phd candidate in the UC Berkeley Department of Anthropology, interviews scholars Hannah Zeavin and Valerie Black, UC Berkeley researchers who study the history and present of teletherapy, which describes all forms of remote therapy, from letter-writing to chatbots.
Learn More >Cities
Interview
Published September 1, 2021
A Photographic Interview: Kaily Heitz on Black Oakland
Kaily Heitz, who earned her PhD from the UC Berkeley Department of Geography in 2021, studies how concepts of Blackness and Black culture are deployed in the making and marketing of Oakland, California. Her dissertation, entitled “Oakland is a Vibe: Blackness, Cultural Framings and Emancipations of The Town,” draws on Black feminist geographies and media studies to understand contemporary conflicts over gentrification in “The Town.” This interview by Julia Sizek, a PhD candidate in the UC Berkeley Department of Anthropology, revolves around images from Kaily’s work that help reveal the arguments of her work.
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