UC Berkeley’s flagship institute for social science research

Our purpose is captured in our name: we provide an organizational framework—a “matrix”—that supports cross-disciplinary research pursued by social scientists across the University of California, Berkeley campus and beyond.

Book Talk

REGISTER

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.

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Interview

Podcast

Published June 9, 2021

Matrix Podcast: Interview with Youjin Chung

In this episode of the Matrix Podcast, Professor Michael Watts interviews Youjin Chung, Assistant Professor of Sustainability and Equity, with a joint appointment in the Energy and Resources Group and the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management.

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Matrix On Point

Recap

Published May 21, 2021

Matrix on Point: America’s Pursuit of Racial Justice

A "Matrix on Point" panel on the long (and continuing) struggle for racial justice in America led to a thought-provoking conversation among Professors Monica Bell, from Yale Law School; Leigh Raiford, from UC Berkeley; and Brandon M. Terry, from Harvard University. Moderated by UC Berkeley's Christopher Muller.

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Affiliated Centers

Recap

Published May 19, 2021

President Biden’s First 100 Days: An Assessment

Recorded on April 22, 2021, and presented by UC Berkeley's Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research, an online panel evaluated the first 100 days of the Biden Administration.

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Matrix Book Salon

Recap

Published May 11, 2021

Matrix Book Salon: “Race to the Bottom: How Racial Appeals Work in American Politics”

Recorded on May 7, 2021, this UC Berkeley Social Science Matrix Book Salon featured the book, "Race to the Bottom: How Racial Appeals Work in American Politics," by LaFleur Stephens-Dougan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics at Princeton University, who was joined in conversation by Taeku Lee, Professor of Political Science and Law at UC Berkeley.

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Matrix On Point

Recap

Published May 4, 2021

Truth & Denial: Searching for Information in the Digital Era

On April 22, 2021, a "Matrix on Point" panel discussion focused on questions of objectivity, disinformation, and the construction of truth from a media-consumption (rather than media-production) perspective, focusing on how internet users find information, how algorithms play a deterministic role in search results, and how lies propagate and solidify.

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Other Events

News

Published May 1, 2021

2021 Social Sciences Fest and Matrix Open House

On April 9, faculty members and graduate students from across the UC Berkeley Division of Social Sciences joined together online for the 2021 Social Sciences Fest and Matrix Open House, a celebration of the past year's accomplishments of the division.

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