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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Matrix On Point

Recap

Published December 6, 2020

The Economic Consequences of COVID-19

This “Matrix on Point” panel discussion — recorded on December 3, 2020 — brought together a panel of scholars to discuss the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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Matrix On Point

Recap

Published December 5, 2020

The New Authoritarians

Recorded on November 30, 2020, this Matrix On Point panel considered not only the illiberal tactics these right-wing autocrats have used to consolidate power and further their objectives, but also what it will take to undo the damage they have inflicted upon democratic institutions.

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Affiliated Centers

Recap

Published November 30, 2020

2020 Election Post-Mortem: Why It Happened and the Implications for American Democracy.

Recorded on November 12, 2020, this video features a "post-mortem" analysis of the 2020 election — and what the implications are for the future.

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Authors Meet Critics

Recap

Published November 13, 2020

The Future of Nuclear Waste

Recorded on Nov. 5, 2020, this online "Authors Meet Critics" panel featured Rosemary Joyce, Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, discussing her book, The Future of Nuclear Waste: What Art and Archaeology Can Tell Us about Securing the World's Most Hazardous Material. 

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Affiliated Centers

Recap

Published October 25, 2020

2020 Citrin Center Award: Robert Putnam

Recorded on October 20, 2020, this video features a lecture by Robert D. Putnam, Malkin Research Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University. Putnam was awarded the 2020 Citrin Award, which recognizes the career of an individual who has made significant contributions to the study and understanding of public opinion.

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Authors Meet Critics

Recap

Published October 16, 2020

Let Them Eat Tweets

Recorded on October 13, 2020, this panel focused on the book, Let them Eat Tweets: How the Right Rules in an Age of Extreme Inequality, co-authored by Paul Pierson, the John Gross Endowed Chair and Professor of Political Science at UC Berkeley.

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