Science

Special Event

Recap

Published May 3, 2022

Solving Big Problems: Berkeley Psychology in the 21st Century

As part of an ongoing series of events celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Psychology Department at UC Berkeley, this video featured talks by three Berkeley Psychology faculty members: Professors Robert Knight, Sheri Johnson, and Jason Okonofua. The presentation was moderated by Serena Chen, Professor and Chair of Berkeley Psychology, and includes remarks by Raka Ray, Dean of the Division of the Social Sciences at UC Berkeley, and Carol Christ, Chancellor of UC Berkeley.

Learn More >

California Spotlight

Recap

Published April 12, 2022

The Social and Economic Impacts of Wildfires

Recorded on April 4, 2022, this panel focused on the contemporary social and economic impacts of wildfires in California during another record-breaking fire season. How have fires changed during the last five years, and with what impacts on the economy? How might policy-makers and economists respond to the changing fire season? The panel was co-sponsored by the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) and presented as part of the Social Science Matrix California Spotlight series.

Learn More >

Article

Interview

Published March 29, 2022

The Labor Market and the Opioid Epidemic: A Visual Interview with Nathan Seltzer

In this visual interview, Nathan Seltzer, a postdoctoral scholar in the UC Berkeley Department of Demography, discusses his research into the relationship between economic change and population trends. In published and ongoing work, he investigates how the decline of the American manufacturing sector has impacted fertility rates, mortality rates, and economic mobility. 

Learn More >

Podcast

Interview

Published January 11, 2022

Science and Socialism in Cuba

In this episode of the Matrix podcast, Julia Sizek interviews Clare Ibarra, a PhD candidate in history, and Naomi Schoenfeld, a public health nurse practitioner and recent PhD from the joint UC San Francisco/UC Berkeley medical anthropology program. They discuss the history of science and medicine in Cuba and its relationship to the socialist project, as well as how Cuba has developed vaccines during the current pandemic.

Learn More >

Grad Student Profile

Interview

Published November 30, 2021

The History of Astronomical Illustration: Q&A with Lois Rosson

How do we imagine and illustrate outer space? Lois Rosson, a PhD candidate in the UC Berkeley Department of History, focuses on the history of astronomical illustration as a lens into the history of science and technology. She worked at NASA for two years before starting graduate school, and recently completed a research internship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Matrix content curator Julia Sizek interviewed Rosson about her dissertation research, drawing on astronomical illustrations that Rosson features in her work.

Learn More >

Podcast

Interview

Published November 4, 2021

Genetic Ancestry Testing and Reconnection: An Interview with Dr. Victoria Massie

In this episode of the Matrix podcast, Julia Sizek, a PhD candidate in Anthropology at UC Berkeley, interviews Dr. Victoria Massie, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology, and Faculty Affiliate for the Center for African & African American Studies (CAAAS), the Medical Humanities Program and the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality (CSWGS) at Rice University, in Houston. Sizek interviews Massie about her research tracking diasporic connections between the United States and Cameroon, and the wider world of genetic ancestry testing.

Learn More >

Research Highlights

Article

Published September 15, 2020

Social Science Prediction Platform

An interview with Stefano DellaVigna, Professor of Economics and Business Administration at the University of California, Berkeley.

Learn More >

COVID-19

Article

Published May 6, 2020

Disaster Preparedness and Seeking Equity Amidst COVID-19

An interview with Sarah Vaughn, Assistant Professor in the UC Berkeley Department of Anthropology, on how different communities prepare for and respond to pandemics and disasters.

Learn More >

Matrix On Point

Recap

Published November 27, 2019

On IPCC, Climate Crisis

A "Matrix On Point" panel examined the climate crisis from diverse disciplinary perspectives.

Learn More >

Podcast

Interview

Published October 30, 2019

Matrix Podcast: Interview with Dacher Keltner

In this episode of the Matrix Podcast, Michael Watts talks with Dacher Keltner, Professor of Psychology, Director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory, and Faculty Director of the Greater Good Science Center.

Learn More >

Matrix Lecture

Recap

Published November 28, 2018

The New Research Compact: Social Science Partnerships for the Common Good

In this Matrix Distinguished Lecture recorded on November 15, 2019, Alondra Nelson, President of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and Professor of Sociology at Columbia University, discussed findings from a recent SSRC report and assessed the myriad challenges and threats facing social science research.

Learn More >

Climate

News

Published February 5, 2018

Matrix Hosts Advanced Workshop in Climate Economics

Social Science Matrix was honored to host the Advanced Workshop in Climate Economics, with support from SAGE Publications and Sara Miller McCune.

Learn More >