Matrix Podcast
Education & Explainer
About
The Matrix Podcast features interviews with social scientists from across the University of California, Berkeley campus (and beyond). It also features recordings of events, including panels and lectures. The Matrix Podcast is produced by Social Science Matrix, an interdisciplinary research center at the University of California, Berkeley.
Episodes
- Benjamin Recht: "The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us"
Recorded on May 5, 2026, this video features a talk by Benjamin Recht, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley, focused on his book, The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us…
- Incommunicable: Toward Communicative Justice in Health and Medicine
Recorded on April 9, 2026, this Authors Meet Critics panel features the book Incommunicable: Toward Communicative Justice in Health and Medicine , by Charles Briggs, the Alan Dundes Distinguished Professor and Distinguished Professor of An…
- Authors Meet Critics: Trevor Jackson, "The Insatiable Machine: How Capitalism Conquered the World"
On April 7, 2026, Social Science Matrix hosted an Authors Meet Critics panel on the book The Insatiable Machine: How Capitalism Conquered the World , by Trevor Jackson, Associate Professor of History at UC Berkeley. Professor Jackson was j…
- Matrix on Point: The U.S. Dollar Hegemony in Transition
The global dominance of the U.S. dollar has long shaped international trade, financial markets, and geopolitical power. Amid shifting global dynamics and the rapid development of stablecoins and other digital assets, new questions are emer…
- Julien Migozzi: "Algorithms of Distinction: Class, Credit Scores, and Property in South Africa"
Recorded on March 18, 2026, this podcast features a lecture by Julien Migozzi, an economic geographer and Assistant Professor in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. Dr Migozzi's lecture, "Algorithms of Distinction: Class, C…
- California Spotlight: Higher Education Under Attack
Higher education is facing mounting pressures, from political intervention and financial challenges to attacks on academic freedom. These tensions are visible in the University of California system, where debates over funding, governance,…
- Matrix Teach-In: Ula Taylor, "The Making of Frances M. Beal's Black Feminist House"
Recorded on February 19, 2026, this video presents a lecture by Ula Taylor , Professor and Chair of the Department of African American Studies & African Diaspora Studies. The talk centered on Professor Taylor's current work in progress, an…
- Matrix on Point: Corruption in America
Corruption is a persistent challenge in America, shaping institutions, influencing policy, and eroding public trust. Understanding its roots, mechanisms, and consequences is essential for assessing the health of democratic governance. On F…
- "Some College" and the Social Function of Higher Education: An Interview with Sarah Payne
What are the economic consequences of starting, but not completing college? On this episode of the Matrix Podcast, Sarah Harrington, Program Manager at Social Science Matrix, spoke with Sarah Payne , a sociologist who recently published a…
- Alexis Madrigal: "To Know A Place"
Recorded on December 4, 2025, this video features a Social Science Matrix Distinguished Lecture, "To Know a Place," presented by journalist and author Alexis Madrigal. Madrigal has long explored how technology, culture, and environment sha…
- Maximilian Kasy: "The Means of Prediction: How AI Really Works (and Who Benefits)"
Recorded on December 2, 2025, this video features a talk by Maximilian Kasy, Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford, presenting his book The Means of Prediction: How AI Really Works (and Who Benefits) . This talk was part of a…
- Matrix Teach-In: Seth Lunine
Recorded on November 17, 2025, this recording features a talk by Seth Lunine , Lecturer in the UC Berkeley Department of Geography, who presented a talk reflecting on his experiences with collaborative scholarship between UC Berkeley under…
- Matrix on Point: Financializing Disaster
The technical world of insurance is a critical lens through which to understand the escalating crises in climate change and housing. As climate risks intensify, both public and private homeowner insurance markets face unprecedented pressur…
- Matrix on Point: Spaces for Thriving
Physical spaces profoundly influence community well-being. Understanding this relationship is crucial for leveraging planning and policy to foster equitable outcomes. Recorded on November 3, 2025, this panel brought together experts to exp…
- Matrix on Point: Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theories are a pervasive and powerful force in contemporary society, shaping public discourse and influencing real-world events. Understanding their origins, spread, and impact is crucial in navigating today's information landsc…
- Engendering Blackness: Slavery and the Ontology of Sexual Violence
On October 15, 2025, Matrix hosted an Authors Meet Critics panel on the book Engendering Blackness: Slavery and the Ontology of Sexual Violence , by Patrice Douglass, Assistant Professor of Gender and Women's Studies at UC Berkeley. Profes…
- Legitimation by (Mis)identification: Credit, Discrimination, and The Racial Epistemology of Algorithmic Expansion
Recorded on September 22, 2025, this video features a talk by Davon Norris , Assistant Professor of Organizational Studies and Sociology (by courtesy) and Faculty Associate at the Stone Center for Inequality Dynamics at the University of M…
- New Directions: Borderlands
Borders reflect the many social, historical, and political forces that shape global movement and identity. While borders often suggest fixed lines of division, the experiences within and around them increasingly influence national and glob…
- Technology and China in the New Political Economy
The innovation, use and experience, and exchange of new and emerging technologies today are influenced by the role that China plays in global politics and economy. Recorded on April 18, 2025, this Matrix on Point panel brought together exp…
- Governing Giants: Law, Politics, and Antitrust
Large corporations increasingly dominate markets, the flow of information, and political influence. In response, many governments have used antitrust policies in an attempt to rein in companies. Examples include investigations and cases br…
- 150 Years of Border Control: The Legacy of the 1875 Page Act
Recorded on April 23, 2025, this event marked the 150th anniversary of the Page Act of 1875, one of the first federal laws to restrict immigration to the United States — especially Asian immigration, as the law prohibited the importation o…
- Matrix on Point: The New Gender Gap
Are we witnessing a backlash to the progress of gender equality around the world? New research reveals a growing gender gap in attitudes across a range of topics, particularly striking among younger generations. From polarized views on soc…
- Authors Meet Critics: "Native Lands: Culture and Gender in Indigenous Territorial Claims"
Recorded on April 4, 2025, this video features an Authors Meet Critics panel on the book Native Lands: Culture and Gender in Indigenous Territorial Claims, by Shari Huhndorf, Professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley. Professor Shari Huhn…
- Social, Spatial, Ecological, and Racial fixes in New Deal South Carolina: Interview with Morgan Vickers
For this episode of the Matrix Podcast, recorded in Fall 2023, Julia Sizek interviewed Morgan P. Vickers , an Assistant Professor of Race/Racialization in the Department of Law, Societies & Justice at the University of Washington. Vickers…
- Consequential Sentences: Computational Analyses of California Parole Hearing Transcripts
Recorded on April 1, 2025, this video features a talk by AJ Alvero , a computational sociologist at Cornell University, presenting findings from an analysis of parole hearing transcripts in California. This talk is part of a symposium seri…
- Alex Roehrkasse: The New Contours of Mass Incarceration
Recorded on March 18, 2025, this video features a talk by Alexander F. Roehrkasse , Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Butler University. Roehrkasse's research focuses on inequality, victimization, punishment, families and…
- Matrix on Point: 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. Once relegated to underground movements, substances like psilocybi…
- The State of Higher Education: Interview with Lorna Finlayson
One measure of the fragile state of many democracies is the way in which public universities have come under attack around the world. A new podcast series , produced as part of the Global Democracy Commons project, seeks to address the myr…
- Los Angeles Wildfires: Risk, Resilience, and Collective Action
As wildfires grow more frequent and devastating, they expose vulnerabilities in infrastructure, governance, and community preparedness. Tackling this escalating threat demands interdisciplinary solutions that address not just the immediate…
- Society Despite the State: Reimagining Geographies of Order
Recorded on February 10, 2025, this "Authors Meet Critics" panel centered on the book Society Despite the State: Reimagining Geographies of Order, by Gerónimo Barrera de la Torre, Assistant Professor of Geography at UC Berkeley, and Anthon…
- Interview with Julia Sizek: Regulating Off-Roading in the California Desert
Julia Sizek is a writer and anthropologist who studies the California desert and rural land management more broadly. Her work focuses on the politics of land in the California desert, including: the cultural politics of conservation acquis…
- New Directions in the Study of Fringe Politics
Fringe politics today is highly diverse and dynamic, reflecting the rapid social, technological, and economic changes of the 21st century. While the term "fringe" suggests ideas or movements outside the political mainstream, many fringe id…
- The Future of California Agriculture
As one of the nation's agricultural powerhouses, California's farming industry stands at a critical juncture. Climate change, labor availability and migration, and rapidly evolving technologies are reshaping the landscape of agriculture in…
- Making Sense of the Elections of 2024
The American election closed out a year of momentous elections. Almost two decades on from the financial crisis of 2007 that helped unleash a wave of authoritarian, populist, and nativist movements in global democracies, a range of social…
- Gendered Violence in Insurgencies: Interview with Tara Chandra
This episode of the Matrix Podcast features an interview with Tara Chandra , a consultant and independent researcher who received a PhD in in Political Science with a Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from UC Berk…
- New Directions in the Study of Labor
In this "New Directions" panel, recorded on December 2, 2024, an interdisciplinary group of UC Berkeley graduate students explored the evolving dynamics of work, management, and labor organization. The panel featured research by three curr…
- Sin Padres, Ni Papeles: Unaccompanied Migrant Youth Coming of Age in the United States
Recorded on December 3, 2024, this podcast episode features an Authors Meet Critics panel on Sin Padres, Ni Papeles: Unaccompanied Migrant Youth Coming of Age in the United States by Stephanie L. Canizales , Assistant Professor of Sociolog…
- Authors Meet Critics: "Authoritarian Absorption: The Transnational Remaking of Epidemic Politics in China"
Recorded on November 13, 2024, this Authors Meet Critics" panel centered on the book Authoritarian Absorption: The Transnational Remaking of Epidemic Politics in China , by Yan Long , Assistant Professor in the UC Berkeley Department of So…
- Emotion, Race, and Gender: Interview with Gold Okafor
Gold Okafor is a PhD candidate in social and personality psychology at UC Berkeley. She investigates racial and gender disparities through emotion research. Her research questions include, "how does the race and gender of an emotional pers…
- Matrix on Point: Shifting Alignments in the 2024 Election
Recorded on October 25, 2024, this panel examined the shifting demographic and political forces that are redefining the traditional bases of the Democratic and Republican parties and their efforts to build new electoral coalitions. Panelis…
- The Imperiled Place of Universities and Democracy in the USA: Interview with Todd Wolfson
Global Democracy Commons Podcast: Episode 2 In the run up to the American election we talked to Todd Wolfson , the new President of AAUP, about how public disinvestment from higher education and the culture wars have transformed colleges i…
- Matrix on Point: Voices from the Heartland
Over the past few years, Arlie Hochschild has been in conversation with citizens of Pikeville, Kentucky, in the heart of Appalachia; Jenny Reardon has been biking through her home state of Kansas, talking to farmers, ranchers and other den…
- Partisan Nation: The Dangerous New Logic of American Politics in a Nationalized Era
Recorded on October 9, 2024, this video features an Authors Meet Critics panel on the book Partisan Nation: The Dangerous New Logic of American Politics in a Nationalized Era , by Paul Pierson , the John Gross Distinguished Professor of Po…
- Matrix on Point: War is Back
War is back. Open military operations in Europe and the Middle East have driven an escalation of geopolitical tensions in those regions. The conduct of warfare is changing, too, fueled by the deployment and sometimes live-testing of new te…
- Understanding Academic Freedom: Interview with Hank Reichman
One measure of the fragile state of many democracies is the way in which public universities have come under attack around the world. A new monthly podcast series, produced as part of the Global Democracy Commons project, seeks to address…
- Authors Meet Critics - Juana María Rodríguez, "Puta Life: Seeing Latinas, Working Sex"
On Sept. 16, 2024, Social Science Matrix hosted an Authors Meet Critics panel focused on the book Puta Life: Seeing Latinas, Working Sex , by Juana María Rodríguez , Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley. In Puta Lif…
- Prisoner Labor Legacies: An interview with Elizabeth Hargrett and Xander Lenc
While recent news has highlighted how prisoners have fought wildfires, prison labor is not a new phenomenon. Although incarcerated people have built highways, dams, and buildings, their contributions to American infrastructure are often ma…
- Agricultural Modernization in China: Interview with Ross Doll and Coleman Mahler
This episode of the Matrix Podcast features Matrix Postdoctoral Fellow Julia Sizek interviewing Ross Doll and Coleman Mahler, two scholars from different disciplines whose work focuses on the modernization of China. Ross Doll is Ciriacy-Wa…
- The Emotions of Dyadic Relationships: An Interview with Jenna Wells and Felicia Zerwas
This episode of the Matrix Podcast features an interview with Jenna Wells and Felicia Zerwas, who at the time of the interview were Ph.D. candidates in the UC Berkeley Department of Psychology. The interview was conducted by Julia Sizek, M…
- Sugar and the Transformation of the American West: An Interview with Bernadette Pérez
For this episode of the Matrix Podcast, J.T. Jamieson , a 2022-2023 Matrix Communications Scholar , interviewed Bernadette Pérez , Assistant Professor of History at UC Berkeley. Pérez is a historian of the United States who specializes in…