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

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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.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published December 9, 2014

A New World of Mapping

UC Berkeley cartographer Darin Jensen is exploring novel ways to detail information about the world around us.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published December 8, 2014

From Oil to Soil

Research by UC Berkeley geographer Adam Romero exposes how the toxic byproducts of petroleum have transformed agricultural production in California and around the world.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published December 7, 2014

Solving the Mysteries of Brain Waves

In laboratories across the UC Berkeley campus, researchers are unlocking some of the mysteries surrounding "neural rhythms," the pulses, bursts, and waves of electricity that continually surge through our brains.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published November 30, 2014

Flying Forward

Investing in airports and other transportation infrastructure is a major driver of economic growth, according to new research by a UC Berkeley economics graduate student.

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Research Highlights

Article

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

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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