Social Sciences

Chimpanzees may have more in common with human thinkers than previously thought. A new study published in Science by researchers provides evidence that chimpanzees can rationally revise their beliefs when presented with new information.

The study, titled “Chimpanzees rationally revise their beliefs,” was conducted by a large research team that included UC Berkeley Psychology Postdoctoral Researcher Emily Sanford, UC Berkeley Psychology...

In many places in the Global South, armed groups — not the state— set the rules. In many neighborhoods in Brazil, that is also the case. In Rio de Janeiro, for instance, criminal organizations provide services, enforce social rules, and regulate daily lives. These armed groups range from drug trafficking organizations to paramilitary groups, often referred to as “militias.” Militias are often composed of former police officers and soldiers, exerting influence not just through coercion but through the provision of counterfeit public goods and their embeddedness in politics....

What began as a summer study abroad program became a cross-continental storytelling project for a group of Berkeley Social Sciences students who turned their experiences studying immigration and identity into a multimedia zine. They used the digital journal to document their personal reflections, political analysis, and travel tips with vibrant photography.

Under the guidance of Ethnic Studies Continuing Lecturer Pablo Gonzalez, students in the Summer 2025 “El Otro Lado / The Other Side” program in Spain documented their reflections on...

Economics Professor Emmanuel Saez was featured in a Bloomberg News article.

“The tax is small relative to the massive gains billionaires have made yet large enough to preserve programs that are crucial for California’s economy and its continued success,“ said Emmanuel Saez, an economics professor.