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

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

Published August 6, 2014

Take No Prisoners

Through overcrowding, lockdowns, and medical neglect, the conditions in U.S. prisons have become unconstitutional, according to UC Berkeley legal scholar Jonathan Simon.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published August 6, 2014

Decline of the City-State

UC Berkeley historian Mark Peterson writes about the prominence—and ultimate decline—of city-states, using 18th- and 19th-century Boston as an example.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published August 4, 2014

The Happy App

Tchiki Davis, a Berkeley social psychology Ph.D. candidate, is building an app to boost happiness.

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Workshop/Symposium

Published August 4, 2014

Dangerous Knowledge

An interdisciplinary working group at UC Berkeley aims to better understand how breakthrough scientific discoveries have been—and should be—regulated.

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Research Highlights

Article

Published August 4, 2014

Playing with Kids Pays Off Economically

A groundbreaking study by UC Berkeley researchers shows that playing with children has a profound impact on their future incomes.  

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Research Highlights

Article

Published August 1, 2014

Waging War on Inequality

Minimum wage increases in cities have significant benefits and fewer costs than expected, according to a team of UC Berkeley economists.

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