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.

Matrix On Point

Recap

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Published April 10, 2025

Mainstreaming Psychedelics

Psychedelics are steadily moving from the fringes of counterculture to the heart of mainstream society, driven by a growing body of research and shifting public perception. As psychedelics shed their stigma, they are catalyzing a broader conversation about mental health, spirituality, and the boundaries of human consciousness. Recorded on March 6, 2025, this panel featured Diana Negrin, David Presti, Charles Hirschkind, and Graham Pechenik, with Poulomi Saha moderating.

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Research Highlights

Article

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Published November 16, 2014

Economic Impacts of Climate Change

Climate change threatens certain U.S. regions and populations more than others, according to recent study led by UC Berkeley economist and professor of public policy, Solomon Hsiang.

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Research Highlights

Article

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Published November 10, 2014

Taming the Dust Devils

In an effort to control air pollution, the Chinese government is offering incentives to Mongolian pastoralists to shift their source of income, according to research by a UC Berkeley doctoral student.

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Matrix News

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Published November 7, 2014

UC Berkeley Research Network Graph

Social Science Matrix is building an interactive data visualization tool to highlight collaborations among UC faculty and students.

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Research Highlights

Article

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Published October 16, 2014

The Dragon of Debt

An oral history project about the national debt features interviews with top U.S. policy-makers from the past five decades.

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Workshop/Symposium

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Published October 7, 2014

Behavior Measurement and Change

A Matrix seminar explored how mobile devices and other "sensors" are transforming how social scientists working in different disciplines can measure—and change—human behavior.

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Research Highlights

Article

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Published October 6, 2014

Credit and Class

Economic classification tools such as credit scores directly contribute to stratification and class division, according to Berkeley sociologist Marion Fourcade.

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