ICYMI, last week, professor emeritus John Clarke shared the Nobel Prize in physics with John Martinis and Michel Devoret, who worked alongside Clarke researching quantum tunneling while at Cal. And for chemistry, Professor Omar Yaghi was recognized for his work in developing metal-organic frameworks. Yaghi's win brings UC Berkeley's count to a total of 28 faculty members who have won a Nobel Prize.

UC Berkeley researchers are using evidence from the eruption that destroyed Pompeii to refine a key method scientists use to date Earth’s history — potentially helping geologists, paleontologists and archaeologists more accurately date geological events of the past. bit.ly/4hKDkBU

New @ESPM_Berkeley research reveals a hidden carbon cycle in desert soils — one that could account for a surprisingly large share of the planet’s annual carbon exchange. bit.ly/4yXIbWe

All seven Databricks co-founders began our journey together at UC Berkeley. We started the company in a room in Soda Hall, moved to a small office on Addison Street, and spent our first few years in Berkeley before eventually heading to SF. Two of our co-founders are still on the faculty. Today we announced Databricks Field at California Memorial Stadium, our first collegiate athletics sponsorship. Berkeley shaped everything about how this company thinks, and this is our way of investing in the next generation of students and builders who'll do their best work on that campus. Go Bears! databricks.com/company/newsr…

At UC Berkeley, researchers nurture tiny balls of human brain cells to mimic structures found in newborn brains. Their work is helping uncover the causes of tuberous sclerosis complex — a leading genetic cause of early-onset epilepsy — and point to possible new treatments. bit.ly/4y9F9hv

For two years in the 1970s, @ucbsoj professor Ken Light documented everyday life in West Oakland’s Black community. Now, after nearly 50 years, those photographs offer a rare window into a neighborhood and community in transition. bit.ly/4hGwpJZ

The line between simulated empathy and human connection is becoming harder to ignore as AI moves into mental health care. UC Berkeley research associate Steven Barrie-Anthony explores what’s at stake for the future of therapy in @TheAtlantic.

Researchers from UC Berkeley and @UCSF identified a precise brain region involved in risk-reward decisions — and could predict a person’s choice just before it happened. The findings show how the brain weighs risk through competing signals that shift between approach and avoidance. bit.ly/4hF8Xg5

“It’s easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine the end of capitalism.” In 101 seconds, UC Berkeley historian Trevor Jackson unravels how the economic system that shapes every aspect of our lives came to be — and why none of it was inevitable. bit.ly/47alIJx

At a UC Berkeley event in August, comedian and filmmaker W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) questioned who is shaping artificial intelligence — and to what end. Hear the full conversation on the latest Berkeley Talks podcast episode. bit.ly/4iIWadO

Once again, U.S. News & World Report (@usnews) has named UC Berkeley the #1 public university (tied). Berkeley has topped the rankings for much of the 21st century. 🥇 bit.ly/4xFfAUF

Innovative Genomics Institute researchers discover an ancient ancestor of CRISPR using a combination of AI tools and human ingenuity to solve a genomic mystery. bit.ly/47chgKm

Charred papyrus scrolls from a library inundated by volcanic ash in 79 C.E. are largely unreadable. UC Berkeley scientists teamed up to create and burn their own scrolls to test a new way to decipher them. news.berkeley.edu/2026/09/16…

Psychedelics may do more than alter perception — they could help the brain relearn. UC Berkeley neuroscientist Gul Dolen is investigating whether these compounds can reopen critical periods in the brain, potentially informing new treatments for depression, PTSD and other conditions. bit.ly/3UJOuxX

At UC Berkeley, @OHIOChillicothe student Ana Frease heard her Coast Miwok ancestors’ language spoken for the first time through Breath of Life. The program, offered in partnership with Berkeley Linguistics, helps Indigenous communities reclaim and revitalize their languages. bit.ly/3SGBEjp

UC Berkeley professor Derek Van Rheenen met Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) when the freshman petitioned to take his graduate course. Years later, Van Rheenen reflects on Brown’s intellect, independence and determination to challenge expectations and use his voice beyond basketball. bit.ly/4Agx9wW

The math behind your social feed, music recommendations and today’s AI traces back to work by Jennifer Chayes, Dean of @BerkeleyCDSS. Hear more from Chayes on @scifri about these fields — and her interdisciplinary work connecting them. bit.ly/3SGGpJN

A new 10-sided atmospheric wave has emerged near Saturn’s south pole. 🪐 UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory helped track its development, revealing just how changeable the outer planets can be — and why regular observation matters. bit.ly/4xTjzh6