135-901: The Cavendish Laboratory is the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge , and is part of the School of Physical Sciences. The laboratory was opened in 1874 on the New Museums Site as a laboratory for experimental physics and is named after the British chemist and physicist Henry Cavendish . The laboratory has had a huge influence on research in the disciplines of physics and biology. The laboratory moved to its present site in West Cambridge in 1974. As of 2019, 30 Cavendish researchers have won Nobel Prizes . Notable discoveries to have occurred at
270-499: A Platonist by Stephen Hawking , a view Penrose discusses in his book, The Road to Reality . Hawking referred to himself as an "unashamed reductionist" and took issue with Penrose's views. Mathematics provides a compact and exact language used to describe the order in nature. This was noted and advocated by Pythagoras , Plato , Galileo, and Newton. Some theorists, like Hilary Putnam and Penelope Maddy , hold that logical truths, and therefore mathematical reasoning, depend on
405-488: A frame of reference that is in motion with respect to an observer; the special theory of relativity is concerned with motion in the absence of gravitational fields and the general theory of relativity with motion and its connection with gravitation . Both quantum theory and the theory of relativity find applications in many areas of modern physics. While physics itself aims to discover universal laws, its theories lie in explicit domains of applicability. Loosely speaking,
540-442: A " Public Ivy ". Since its inaugural 1990 reputational survey, Times Higher Education has considered Berkeley to be one of the world's "six super brands" along with the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge , Harvard University , MIT , and Stanford University . The 2010 United States National Research Council Rankings identified Berkeley as having the highest number of top-ranked doctoral programs in
675-478: A blue background with an imaginary yellow pen. The California Victory Cannon, placed on Tightwad Hill overlooking the stadium, is fired before every football home game, after every score, and after every Cal victory. First used in the 1963 Big Game, it was originally placed on the sidelines before moving to Tightwad Hill in 1971. The only time the cannon ran out of ammunition was during a game against Pacific in 1991, when Cal scored 12 touchdowns. The Cal Mic Men,
810-529: A culvert upstream of the recreational complex at the mouth of Strawberry Canyon and passes beneath California Memorial Stadium before appearing again in Faculty Glade. It then runs through the center of the campus before disappearing underground at the west end of campus. The north fork appears just east of University House and runs through the glade north of the Valley Life Sciences Building,
945-759: A graduate of St. John's College, Cambridge . The discovery was made on 28 February 1953; the first Watson/Crick paper appeared in Nature on 25 April 1953. Sir Lawrence Bragg , the director of the Cavendish Laboratory, where Watson and Crick worked, gave a talk at Guy's Hospital Medical School in London on Thursday 14 May 1953 which resulted in an article by Ritchie Calder in the News Chronicle of London, on Friday 15 May 1953, entitled "Why You Are You. Nearer Secret of Life." The news reached readers of The New York Times
1080-420: A hard-to-find physical meaning. The final mathematical solution has an easier-to-find meaning, because it is what the solver is looking for. Physics is a branch of fundamental science (also called basic science). Physics is also called " the fundamental science" because all branches of natural science including chemistry, astronomy, geology, and biology are constrained by laws of physics. Similarly, chemistry
1215-474: A longer article on 12 June 1953). The Cambridge University undergraduate newspaper Varsity also ran its own short article on the discovery on Saturday 30 May 1953. Bragg's original announcement of the discovery at a Solvay Conference on proteins in Belgium on 8 April 1953 went unreported by the British press. Sydney Brenner , Jack Dunitz , Dorothy Hodgkin , Leslie Orgel , and Beryl M. Oughton, were some of
1350-581: A new center for computing and data science. For the 2020 fiscal year, Berkeley set a fundraising record, receiving over $ 1 billion in gifts and pledges, and two years later, it broke that record, raising over $ 1.2 billion. Officially named the "University of California, Berkeley" it is often shortened to "Berkeley" in general reference or in an academic context ( Berkeley Law , Berkeley Engineering , Berkeley Haas , Berkeley Public Health ) and to "California" or "Cal" particularly when referring to its athletic teams ( California Golden Bears ). In August 2022,
1485-435: A print and online edition. Berkeley's FM student radio station , KALX , broadcasts on 90.7 MHz. It is run largely by volunteers, including both students and community members. Berkeley also features an assortment of student-run publications: There are ninety-four political student groups on campus, including MEChXA de UC Berkeley, Berkeley ACLU , Berkeley Students for Life, Campus Greens, The Sustainability Team (STEAM),
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#17328515279651620-669: A research facility and headquarters for the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences , opened. Supported by a grant from alumnus James Simons , the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing was established in 2012. In 2015, Berkeley and its sister campus, UCSF , established the Innovative Genomics Institute to develop CRISPR gene editing , and, in 2020, an anonymous donor pledged $ 252 million to help fund
1755-465: A specific practical application as a goal, other than the deeper insight into the phenomema themselves. Applied physics is a general term for physics research and development that is intended for a particular use. An applied physics curriculum usually contains a few classes in an applied discipline, like geology or electrical engineering. It usually differs from engineering in that an applied physicist may not be designing something in particular, but rather
1890-426: A speed much less than the speed of light. These theories continue to be areas of active research today. Chaos theory , an aspect of classical mechanics, was discovered in the 20th century, three centuries after the original formulation of classical mechanics by Newton (1642–1727). These central theories are important tools for research into more specialized topics, and any physicist, regardless of their specialization,
2025-538: A standard at home football games, has recently expanded to involve basketball and volleyball. The traditional role comes from students holding megaphones and yelling, but now includes microphones, a dedicated platform during games, and the direction of the entire student section. Berkeley students are offered a variety of housing options, including university-owned or affiliated residences, private residences, fraternities and sororities, and cooperative housing (co-ops). Berkeley students, and those of other local schools, have
2160-526: A student regent, and a non-voting student regent-designate. Prior to 1952, Berkeley was the University of California, so the university president was also Berkeley's chief executive. In 1952, the university reorganized itself into a system of semi-autonomous campuses, with each campus having its own chief executive, a chancellor, who would, in turn, report to the president of the university system. Twelve vice-chancellors report directly to Berkeley's chancellor, and
2295-399: A subfield of mechanics , is used in the building of bridges and other static structures. The understanding and use of acoustics results in sound control and better concert halls; similarly, the use of optics creates better optical devices. An understanding of physics makes for more realistic flight simulators , video games, and movies, and is often critical in forensic investigations. With
2430-598: A system of semi-autonomous campuses, with each campus given a chancellor, and Clark Kerr became Berkeley's first Chancellor, while Robert Sproul remained in place as the President of the University of California. Berkeley gained a worldwide reputation for political activism in the 1960s. In 1964, the Free Speech Movement organized student resistance to the university's restrictions on political activities on campus—most conspicuously, student activities related to
2565-597: A term derived from φύσις ( phúsis 'origin, nature, property'). Astronomy is one of the oldest natural sciences . Early civilizations dating before 3000 BCE, such as the Sumerians , ancient Egyptians , and the Indus Valley Civilisation , had a predictive knowledge and a basic awareness of the motions of the Sun, Moon, and stars. The stars and planets, believed to represent gods, were often worshipped. While
2700-453: A university task force was formed which recommended renaming the athletic identity to "Cal Berkeley" to further tie the athletic brand to academic prestige, and reduce public confusion. The University of California is governed by a twenty-six member Board of Regents , eighteen of whom are appointed by the Governor of California to 12-year terms. The board also has seven ex officio members,
2835-567: Is Oski the Bear , who debuted in 1941. Previously, live bear cubs were used as mascots at Memorial Stadium until it was decided in 1940 that a costumed mascot would be a better alternative. Named after the Oski-wow-wow yell, he is cared for by the Oski Committee, whose members have exclusive knowledge of the identity of the costume-wearer. The University of California Marching Band , which has served
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#17328515279652970-514: Is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California , United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley , it is the state's first land-grant university and is the founding campus of the University of California system. Berkeley has an enrollment of more than 45,000 students. The university is organized around fifteen schools of study on
3105-636: Is also home to the University of California Botanical Garden , with more than 12,000 individual species. What is considered the historic campus today was the result of the 1898 "International Competition for the Phoebe Hearst Architectural Plan for the University of California," funded by William Randolph Hearst 's mother and initially held in the Belgian city of Antwerp ; eleven finalists were judged again in San Francisco in 1899. The winner
3240-487: Is an important symbol of California school spirit. The Big "C" has its roots in an early 20th-century campus event called "Rush," which pitted the freshman and sophomore classes against each other in a race up Charter Hill that often developed into a wrestling match. It was eventually decided to discontinue Rush and, in 1905, the freshman and sophomore classes banded together in a show of unity to build "the Big C." Students invented
3375-413: Is clear-cut, but not always obvious. For example, mathematical physics is the application of mathematics in physics. Its methods are mathematical, but its subject is physical. The problems in this field start with a " mathematical model of a physical situation " (system) and a "mathematical description of a physical law" that will be applied to that system. Every mathematical statement used for solving has
3510-410: Is completely erroneous, and our view may be corroborated by actual observation more effectively than by any sort of verbal argument. For if you let fall from the same height two weights of which one is many times as heavy as the other, you will see that the ratio of the times required for the motion does not depend on the ratio of the weights, but that the difference in time is a very small one. And so, if
3645-419: Is concerned with bodies acted on by forces and bodies in motion and may be divided into statics (study of the forces on a body or bodies not subject to an acceleration), kinematics (study of motion without regard to its causes), and dynamics (study of motion and the forces that affect it); mechanics may also be divided into solid mechanics and fluid mechanics (known together as continuum mechanics ),
3780-400: Is concerned with the most basic units of matter; this branch of physics is also known as high-energy physics because of the extremely high energies necessary to produce many types of particles in particle accelerators . On this scale, ordinary, commonsensical notions of space, time, matter, and energy are no longer valid. The two chief theories of modern physics present a different picture of
3915-616: Is decentralized; applicants apply directly to the department or degree program. Most graduate students are supported by fellowships, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships. Doe Library serves as the Berkeley library system 's reference, periodical, and administrative center, while most of the main collections reside in the subterranean Gardner Main Stacks and Moffitt Undergraduate Library. The Bancroft Library , which has over 400,000 printed volumes and 70 million manuscripts, pictures, and maps, maintains special collections that document
4050-425: Is expected to be literate in them. These include classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics , electromagnetism , and special relativity. Classical physics includes the traditional branches and topics that were recognized and well-developed before the beginning of the 20th century—classical mechanics, acoustics , optics , thermodynamics, and electromagnetism. Classical mechanics
4185-429: Is generally concerned with matter and energy on the normal scale of observation, while much of modern physics is concerned with the behavior of matter and energy under extreme conditions or on a very large or very small scale. For example, atomic and nuclear physics study matter on the smallest scale at which chemical elements can be identified. The physics of elementary particles is on an even smaller scale since it
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4320-593: Is often called the central science because of its role in linking the physical sciences. For example, chemistry studies properties, structures, and reactions of matter (chemistry's focus on the molecular and atomic scale distinguishes it from physics ). Structures are formed because particles exert electrical forces on each other, properties include physical characteristics of given substances, and reactions are bound by laws of physics, like conservation of energy , mass , and charge . Fundamental physics seeks to better explain and understand phenomena in all spheres, without
4455-641: Is one of the most fundamental scientific disciplines. A scientist who specializes in the field of physics is called a physicist . Physics is one of the oldest academic disciplines . Over much of the past two millennia, physics, chemistry , biology , and certain branches of mathematics were a part of natural philosophy , but during the Scientific Revolution in the 17th century, these natural sciences branched into separate research endeavors. Physics intersects with many interdisciplinary areas of research, such as biophysics and quantum chemistry , and
4590-500: Is possible only in discrete steps proportional to their frequency. This, along with the photoelectric effect and a complete theory predicting discrete energy levels of electron orbitals , led to the theory of quantum mechanics improving on classical physics at very small scales. Quantum mechanics would come to be pioneered by Werner Heisenberg , Erwin Schrödinger and Paul Dirac . From this early work, and work in related fields,
4725-431: Is using physics or conducting physics research with the aim of developing new technologies or solving a problem. The approach is similar to that of applied mathematics . Applied physicists use physics in scientific research. For instance, people working on accelerator physics might seek to build better particle detectors for research in theoretical physics. Physics is used heavily in engineering. For example, statics,
4860-454: The Archaic period (650 BCE – 480 BCE), when pre-Socratic philosophers like Thales rejected non-naturalistic explanations for natural phenomena and proclaimed that every event had a natural cause. They proposed ideas verified by reason and observation, and many of their hypotheses proved successful in experiment; for example, atomism was found to be correct approximately 2000 years after it
4995-555: The Berkeley Student Food Collective , Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Cal Berkeley Democrats, and the Berkeley College Republicans. The Residence Hall Assembly (RHA) is the student-led umbrella organization that oversees event planning, legislation, sponsorships and other activities for over 7,200 on-campus undergraduate residents. Berkeley students also run a number of consulting groups, including
5130-491: The California Golden Bears , have also won 107 national championships, 196 individual national titles, and 223 Olympic medals (including 121 gold). Berkeley's alumni , faculty, and researchers include 55 Nobel laureates and 19 Academy Award winners, and the university is also a producer of Rhodes Scholars , Marshall Scholars , and Fulbright Scholars . Made possible by President Lincoln 's signing of
5265-643: The Civil Rights Movement . The arrest in Sproul Plaza of Jack Weinberg , a recent Berkeley alumnus and chair of Campus CORE , prompted a series of student-led acts of formal remonstrance and civil disobedience that ultimately gave rise to the Free Speech Movement, which movement would prevail and serve as a precedent for student opposition to America's involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1982,
5400-527: The Industrial Revolution as energy needs increased. The laws comprising classical physics remain widely used for objects on everyday scales travelling at non-relativistic speeds, since they provide a close approximation in such situations, and theories such as quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity simplify to their classical equivalents at such scales. Inaccuracies in classical mechanics for very small objects and very high velocities led to
5535-470: The Islamic Golden Age developed it further, especially placing emphasis on observation and a priori reasoning, developing early forms of the scientific method . The most notable innovations under Islamic scholarship were in the field of optics and vision, which came from the works of many scientists like Ibn Sahl , Al-Kindi , Ibn al-Haytham , Al-Farisi and Avicenna . The most notable work
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5670-666: The Lawrence Hall of Science . The Museum of Paleontology, found in the lobby of the Valley Life Sciences Building, showcases a variety of dinosaur fossils including a complete cast of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The campus also offers resources for innovation and entrepreneurship, such as the Big Ideas Competition, the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, and the Berkeley Haas Innovation Lab. The campus
5805-625: The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) was established on campus with support from the National Science Foundation and at the request of three Berkeley mathematicians— Shiing-Shen Chern , Calvin Moore , and Isadore M. Singer . The institute is now widely regarded as a leading center for collaborative mathematical research, drawing thousands of visiting researchers from around the world each year. In
5940-647: The Morrill Act in 1862, the University of California was founded in 1868 as the state's first land-grant university, inheriting the land and facilities of the private College of California and the federal-funding eligibility of a public agricultural, mining, and mechanical arts college. The Organic Act states that the "University shall have for its design, to provide instruction and thorough and complete education in all departments of science, literature and art, industrial and professional pursuits, and general education, and also special courses of instruction in preparation for
6075-589: The National Register of Historic Places . Built in 1873 in a Victorian Second-Empire-style , South Hall, designed by David Farquharson, is the oldest university building in California. It, and the Frederick Law Olmsted -designed Piedmont Avenue east of the main campus, are two of the only surviving examples of the nineteenth-century campus. Other notable architects and firms whose work can be found in
6210-660: The Sather Tower (nicknamed "the Campanile" after its architectural inspiration, St Mark's Campanile in Venice), the tallest university clock tower in the United States. Buildings he regarded as temporary and non-academic were designed in shingle or Collegiate Gothic styles; examples of these are North Gate Hall, Dwinelle Annex, and Stephens Hall. Many of Howard's designs are recognized California Historical Landmarks and are listed on
6345-456: The Scientific Revolution . Galileo cited Philoponus substantially in his works when arguing that Aristotelian physics was flawed. In the 1300s Jean Buridan , a teacher in the faculty of arts at the University of Paris , developed the concept of impetus. It was a step toward the modern ideas of inertia and momentum. Islamic scholarship inherited Aristotelian physics from the Greeks and during
6480-736: The Space Sciences Laboratory , the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute , an 800-acre (320-hectare) ecological preserve, the University of California Botanical Garden and a recreation center in Strawberry Canyon. Portions of the mostly undeveloped, eastern area of the campus are actually within the City of Oakland ; these portions extend from the Claremont Resort north through the Panoramic Hill neighborhood to Tilden Park . To
6615-601: The Standard Model of particle physics was derived. Following the discovery of a particle with properties consistent with the Higgs boson at CERN in 2012, all fundamental particles predicted by the standard model, and no others, appear to exist; however, physics beyond the Standard Model , with theories such as supersymmetry , is an active area of research. Areas of mathematics in general are important to this field, such as
6750-535: The Townsend discharge by John Sealy Townsend , and the development of the cloud chamber by C.T.R. Wilson . Ernest Rutherford became Director of the Cavendish Laboratory in 1919. Under his leadership the neutron was discovered by James Chadwick in 1932, and in the same year the first experiment to split the nucleus in a fully controlled manner was performed by students working under his direction; John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton . Physical Chemistry (originally
6885-460: The cyclotron , which won him the Nobel physics prize in 1939. Using the cyclotron, Berkeley professors and Berkeley Lab researchers went on to discover sixteen chemical elements —more than any other university in the world. In particular, during World War II and following Glenn Seaborg 's then-secret discovery of plutonium, Lawrence's Radiation Laboratory began to contract with the U.S. Army to develop
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#17328515279657020-579: The empirical world. This is usually combined with the claim that the laws of logic express universal regularities found in the structural features of the world, which may explain the peculiar relation between these fields. Physics uses mathematics to organise and formulate experimental results. From those results, precise or estimated solutions are obtained, or quantitative results, from which new predictions can be made and experimentally confirmed or negated. The results from physics experiments are numerical data, with their units of measure and estimates of
7155-585: The exact sciences are descended from late Babylonian astronomy . Egyptian astronomers left monuments showing knowledge of the constellations and the motions of the celestial bodies, while Greek poet Homer wrote of various celestial objects in his Iliad and Odyssey ; later Greek astronomers provided names, which are still used today, for most constellations visible from the Northern Hemisphere . Natural philosophy has its origins in Greece during
7290-539: The standard consensus that the laws of physics are universal and do not change with time, physics can be used to study things that would ordinarily be mired in uncertainty . For example, in the study of the origin of the Earth, a physicist can reasonably model Earth's mass, temperature, and rate of rotation, as a function of time allowing the extrapolation forward or backward in time and so predict future or prior events. It also allows for simulations in engineering that speed up
7425-435: The 16th and 17th centuries, and Isaac Newton 's discovery and unification of the laws of motion and universal gravitation (that would come to bear his name). Newton also developed calculus , the mathematical study of continuous change, which provided new mathematical methods for solving physical problems. The discovery of laws in thermodynamics , chemistry , and electromagnetics resulted from research efforts during
7560-593: The Berkeley campus is in the city limits of Berkeley with portion of the property extending into Oakland . It encompasses approximately 1,232-acres, though the "central campus" occupies only the low-lying western 178-acres of this area. Of the remaining acres, approximately 200-acres are occupied by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; other facilities above the main campus include the Lawrence Hall of Science and several research units, notably
7695-512: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, billionaire Sir Li Ka-Shing , Israeli-Russian billionaire Yuri Milner , Thomas and Stacey Siebel , Sanford and Joan Weill , and professor Gordon Rausser ($ 50 million gift in 2020). Hundreds of millions of dollars have been given anonymously. The 2008–13 "Campaign for Berkeley" raised $ 3.13 billion from 281,855 donors, and the "Light the Way" campaign, which concluded at
7830-675: The British Tube Alloys project of research into the atomic bomb . Researchers included Nicholas Kemmer , Alan Nunn May , Anthony French , Samuel Curran and the French scientists including Lew Kowarski and Hans von Halban . Several transferred to Canada in 1943; the Montreal Laboratory and some later to the Chalk River Laboratories . The production of plutonium and neptunium by bombarding uranium-238 with neutrons
7965-409: The Cavendish Laboratory include the discovery of the electron , neutron , and structure of DNA . The Cavendish Laboratory was initially located on the New Museums Site , Free School Lane , in the centre of Cambridge. It is named after British chemist and physicist Henry Cavendish for contributions to science and his relative William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire , who served as chancellor of
8100-607: The College of California, became its first president. With the completion of North and South Halls in 1873, the university relocated to its Berkeley location with 167 male and 22 female students. The first female student to graduate was in 1874, admitted in the first class to include women in 1870. Beginning in 1891, Phoebe Apperson Hearst funded several programs and new buildings and, in 1898, sponsored an international competition in Antwerp , where French architect Émile Bénard submitted
8235-572: The Haas ( Walter A. Haas , Rhoda Haas Goldman , Walter A. Haas Jr. , Peter E. Haas , Bob Haas ) family. Berkeley has also benefited from benefactors beyond its alumni ranks, notable among which are Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan ; Vitalik Buterin , Patrick Collison , John Collison , the Ron Conway family, Daniel Gross , Dustin Moskovitz and Cari Tuna , along with Jane Street principals; BP ;
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#17328515279658370-640: The Haas School of Business (1), College of Chemistry (5), College of Engineering (20), College of Environmental Design (4), College of Letters and Science (67), Rausser College of Natural Resources (10), and individual majors (2). The most popular majors are electrical engineering and computer sciences , political science , molecular and cell biology , environmental science , and economics . Requirements for undergraduate degrees include an entry-level writing requirement before enrollment (typically fulfilled by minimum scores on standardized admissions exams such as
8505-695: The Los Angeles branch of the California State Normal School became the southern branch of the university, which ultimately became the University of California, Los Angeles . By the 1920s, the number of campus buildings in Berkeley had grown substantially and included twenty structures designed by architect John Galen Howard . In 1917, one of the nation's first ROTC programs was established at Berkeley and its School of Military Aeronautics began training pilots, including Jimmy Doolittle . In 1926, future Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz established
8640-587: The Medical Research Council Unit, headed by Max Perutz and housed in the Cavendish Laboratory, when James Watson came from the United States and they made a breakthrough in discovering the structure of DNA . For their work while in the Cavendish Laboratory, they were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962, together with Maurice Wilkins of King's College London , himself
8775-529: The SAT or ACT), completing coursework on "American History and Institutions" before or after enrollment by taking an introductory class, passing an "American Cultures Breadth" class at Berkeley, as well as requirements for reading and composition and specific requirements declared by the department and school. Berkeley has a "comprehensive" graduate program, with high coexistence with the programs offered to undergraduates, and offers interdisciplinary graduate programs with
8910-453: The UC Office of the President and accounts for 12 percent of Berkeley's total revenues. Berkeley has benefited from private philanthropy and alumni and their foundations have given to the university for operations and capital expenditures with the more prominent being J. Paul Getty , Ann Getty , Sanford Diller , Donald Fisher , Flora Lamson Hewlett , David Schwartz ( Bio-Rad ) and members of
9045-688: The University of California (ASUC) is the official student association that controls funding for student groups and organizes on-campus student events. The two main political parties are "Student Action" and "CalSERVE." The organization was founded in 1887 and has an annual operating budget of $ 1.7 million (excluding the budget of the Graduate Assembly of the ASUC), in addition to various investment assets. Its alumni include multiple State Senators, Assemblymembers, and White House Administration officials. Berkeley's student-run online television station, CalTV ,
9180-461: The atomic bomb. Physics professor J. Robert Oppenheimer was named scientific head of the Manhattan Project in 1942. Along with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley founded and was then a partner in managing two other labs, Los Alamos National Laboratory (1943) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (1952). In 1952, the University of California reorganized itself into
9315-433: The boundaries of physics are not rigidly defined. New ideas in physics often explain the fundamental mechanisms studied by other sciences and suggest new avenues of research in these and other academic disciplines such as mathematics and philosophy. Advances in physics often enable new technologies . For example, advances in the understanding of electromagnetism , solid-state physics , and nuclear physics led directly to
9450-459: The campus and surrounding area are Bernard Maybeck (Faculty Club); Julia Morgan (Hearst Women's Gymnasium and Julia Morgan Hall ); William Wurster (Stern Hall); Moore Ruble Yudell (Haas School of Business); Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (C.V. Starr East Asian Library), and Diller Scofidio + Renfro (Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive). Flowing into the main campus are two branches of Strawberry Creek . The south fork enters
9585-560: The college football tradition of card stunts . Then known as Bleacher Stunts, they were first performed during the 1910 Big Game and consisted of two stunts: a picture of the Stanford Axe and a large blue "C" on a white background. The tradition is continued today by the Rally Committee in the Cal student section and incorporates complicated motions, for example tracing the Cal script logo on
9720-434: The concepts of space, time, and matter from that presented by classical physics. Classical mechanics approximates nature as continuous, while quantum theory is concerned with the discrete nature of many phenomena at the atomic and subatomic level and with the complementary aspects of particles and waves in the description of such phenomena. The theory of relativity is concerned with the description of phenomena that take place in
9855-409: The constant speed predicted by Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism. This discrepancy was corrected by Einstein's theory of special relativity , which replaced classical mechanics for fast-moving bodies and allowed for a constant speed of light. Black-body radiation provided another problem for classical physics, which was corrected when Planck proposed that the excitation of material oscillators
9990-478: The current century, Berkeley has become less politically active, although more liberal. Democrats outnumber Republicans on the faculty by a ratio of nine to one, which is a ratio similar to that of American academia generally. The school has become more focused on STEM disciplines and fundraising. In 2007, the Energy Biosciences Institute was established with funding from BP and Stanley Hall,
10125-400: The deans of the fifteen colleges and schools report to the executive vice chancellor and provost, Berkeley's chief academic officer. Twenty-three presidents and chancellors have led Berkeley since its founding. Presidents Chancellors With the exception of government contracts, public support is apportioned to Berkeley and the other campuses of the University of California system through
10260-415: The density object it is falling through (e.g. density of air). He also stated that, when it comes to violent motion (motion of an object when a force is applied to it by a second object) that the speed that object moves, will only be as fast or strong as the measure of force applied to it. The problem of motion and its causes was studied carefully, leading to the philosophical notion of a " prime mover " as
10395-525: The department of Colloid Science led by Eric Rideal ) had left the old Cavendish site, subsequently locating as the Department of Physical Chemistry (under RG Norrish) in the then new chemistry building with the Department of Chemistry (led by Lord Todd) in Lensfield Road : both chemistry departments merged in the 1980s. In World War II the laboratory carried out research for the MAUD Committee , part of
10530-466: The development of a new technology. There is also considerable interdisciplinarity , so many other important fields are influenced by physics (e.g., the fields of econophysics and sociophysics ). Physicists use the scientific method to test the validity of a physical theory . By using a methodical approach to compare the implications of a theory with the conclusions drawn from its related experiments and observations, physicists are better able to test
10665-429: The development of modern physics in the 20th century. Modern physics began in the early 20th century with the work of Max Planck in quantum theory and Albert Einstein 's theory of relativity. Both of these theories came about due to inaccuracies in classical mechanics in certain situations. Classical mechanics predicted that the speed of light depends on the motion of the observer, which could not be resolved with
10800-407: The development of new experiments (and often related equipment). Physicists who work at the interplay of theory and experiment are called phenomenologists , who study complex phenomena observed in experiment and work to relate them to a fundamental theory . Theoretical physics has historically taken inspiration from philosophy; electromagnetism was unified this way. Beyond the known universe,
10935-548: The development of technologies that have transformed modern society, such as television, computers, domestic appliances , and nuclear weapons ; advances in thermodynamics led to the development of industrialization; and advances in mechanics inspired the development of calculus . The word physics comes from the Latin physica ('study of nature'), which itself is a borrowing of the Greek φυσική ( phusikḗ 'natural science'),
11070-422: The difference in the weights is not considerable, that is, of one is, let us say, double the other, there will be no difference, or else an imperceptible difference, in time, though the difference in weight is by no means negligible, with one body weighing twice as much as the other Philoponus' criticism of Aristotelian principles of physics served as an inspiration for Galileo Galilei ten centuries later, during
11205-649: The end of 2023, has raised over $ 6.2 billion. Berkeley is a large, primarily residential research university with a majority of its enrolment in undergraduate programs but also offering a comprehensive doctoral program. The university has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission since 1949. The university operates on a semester calendar and awarded 8,725 bachelor's, 3,286 master's or professional and 1,272 doctoral degrees in 2018–2019. There are 1,789 full-time and 886 part-time faculty members among
11340-682: The errors in the measurements. Technologies based on mathematics, like computation have made computational physics an active area of research. Ontology is a prerequisite for physics, but not for mathematics. It means physics is ultimately concerned with descriptions of the real world, while mathematics is concerned with abstract patterns, even beyond the real world. Thus physics statements are synthetic, while mathematical statements are analytic. Mathematics contains hypotheses, while physics contains theories. Mathematics statements have to be only logically true, while predictions of physics statements must match observed and experimental data. The distinction
11475-470: The explanations for the observed positions of the stars were often unscientific and lacking in evidence, these early observations laid the foundation for later astronomy, as the stars were found to traverse great circles across the sky, which could not explain the positions of the planets . According to Asger Aaboe , the origins of Western astronomy can be found in Mesopotamia , and all Western efforts in
11610-502: The federal funding for campus research and development exceeded $ 1 billion. Thirty-two libraries also compose the Berkeley library system which is the sixth largest research library by number of volumes held in the United States. Berkeley students compete in thirty varsity athletic sports, and the university is one of eighteen full-member institutions in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Berkeley's athletic teams,
11745-959: The field of theoretical physics also deals with hypothetical issues, such as parallel universes , a multiverse , and higher dimensions . Theorists invoke these ideas in hopes of solving particular problems with existing theories; they then explore the consequences of these ideas and work toward making testable predictions. Experimental physics expands, and is expanded by, engineering and technology. Experimental physicists who are involved in basic research design and perform experiments with equipment such as particle accelerators and lasers , whereas those involved in applied research often work in industry, developing technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transistors . Feynman has noted that experimentalists may seek areas that have not been explored well by theorists. University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley ( UC Berkeley , Berkeley , Cal , or California )
11880-533: The first Naval ROTC unit at Berkeley. Berkeley ROTC alumni include former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara , Army Chief of Staff Frederick C. Weyand , sixteen other general officers , ten Navy flag officers , and AFROTC alumna Captain Theresa Claiborne . In the 1930s, Ernest Orlando Lawrence helped establish the Radiation Laboratory (now Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ) and invented
12015-597: The first people in April 1953 to see the model of the structure of DNA , constructed by Crick and Watson; at the time they were working at the University of Oxford 's Chemistry Department. All were impressed by the new DNA model, especially Brenner who subsequently worked with Crick at Cambridge in the Cavendish Laboratory and the new Laboratory of Molecular Biology . According to the late Dr. Beryl Oughton, later Rimmer, they all travelled together in two cars once Dorothy Hodgkin announced to them that they were off to Cambridge to see
12150-797: The history of the western part of North America, with an emphasis on California, Mexico and Central America. The Bancroft Library also houses the Mark Twain Papers, the Oral History Center, the Center for the Tebtunis Papyri, and the University Archives. In his memoirs, Clark Kerr records Berkeley's rise in the rankings (according to the National Academies ) during the 20th century. The school's first ranking in 1906 placed it among
12285-445: The knowledge of previous scholars, he began to explain how light enters the eye. He asserted that the light ray is focused, but the actual explanation of how light projected to the back of the eye had to wait until 1604. His Treatise on Light explained the camera obscura , hundreds of years before the modern development of photography. The seven-volume Book of Optics ( Kitab al-Manathir ) influenced thinking across disciplines from
12420-510: The laboratory after their formal retirement. Besides the Nobel Laureates, the Cavendish alumni include: [REDACTED] Media related to Cavendish Laboratory at Wikimedia Commons Physics Physics is the scientific study of matter , its fundamental constituents , its motion and behavior through space and time , and the related entities of energy and force . Physics
12555-400: The latter include such branches as hydrostatics , hydrodynamics and pneumatics . Acoustics is the study of how sound is produced, controlled, transmitted and received. Important modern branches of acoustics include ultrasonics , the study of sound waves of very high frequency beyond the range of human hearing; bioacoustics , the physics of animal calls and hearing, and electroacoustics ,
12690-490: The laws of classical physics accurately describe systems whose important length scales are greater than the atomic scale and whose motions are much slower than the speed of light. Outside of this domain, observations do not match predictions provided by classical mechanics. Einstein contributed the framework of special relativity, which replaced notions of absolute time and space with spacetime and allowed an accurate description of systems whose components have speeds approaching
12825-607: The maintenance of the six Cal flags, the large California banner overhanging the Memorial Stadium Student Section and Haas Pavilion , the California Victory Cannon, Card Stunts and The Big "C" among other duties. The Rally Committee is also responsible for safekeeping of the Stanford Axe when it is in Cal's possession. Overlooking the main Berkeley campus from the foothills in the east, The Big "C"
12960-412: The manipulation of audible sound waves using electronics. Optics, the study of light, is concerned not only with visible light but also with infrared and ultraviolet radiation , which exhibit all of the phenomena of visible light except visibility, e.g., reflection, refraction, interference, diffraction, dispersion, and polarization of light. Heat is a form of energy, the internal energy possessed by
13095-517: The medical schools at the University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University . The university offers Master of Arts , Master of Science , Master of Fine Arts , and PhD degrees in addition to professional degrees such as the Juris Doctor , Master of Business Administration , Master of Public Health , and Master of Design . The university awarded 963 doctoral degrees and 3,531 master's degrees in 2017. Admission to graduate programs
13230-550: The model of the structure of DNA. Orgel also later worked with Crick at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies . Due to overcrowding in the old buildings, it moved to its present site in West Cambridge in the early 1970s. It is due to move again to a third site currently under construction in West Cambridge. The Cavendish Professors were the heads of the department until the tenure of Sir Brian Pippard, during which period
13365-426: The nation. Berkeley doctoral programs that received a #1 ranking included English, German, Political Science, Geography, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Epidemiology, Plant Biology, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil and Environmental Engineering. For Fall 2022, Berkeley's total enrollment
13500-429: The natural place of another, the less abundant element will automatically go towards its own natural place. For example, if there is a fire on the ground, the flames go up into the air in an attempt to go back into its natural place where it belongs. His laws of motion included: that heavier objects will fall faster, the speed being proportional to the weight and the speed of the object that is falling depends inversely on
13635-475: The next day; Victor K. McElheny, in researching his biography, Watson and DNA: Making a Scientific Revolution , found a clipping of a six-paragraph New York Times article written from London and dated 16 May 1953 with the headline "Form of `Life Unit' in Cell Is Scanned." The article ran in an early edition and was then pulled to make space for news deemed more important. ( The New York Times subsequently ran
13770-584: The option of living in one of the twenty cooperative houses participating in the Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC), a nonprofit housing cooperative network consisting of 20 residences and 1250 member-owners. About three percent of undergraduate men and nine percent of undergraduate women—or 3,400 of total undergraduates—are active in Berkeley's Greek system. University-sanctioned fraternities and sororities comprise over 60 houses affiliated with four Greek councils. The Associated Students of
13905-719: The original site of the Campus Arboretum. Trees in the area date from the founding of the university. The campus features numerous wooded areas, including: Founders' Rock , Faculty Glade, Grinnell Natural Area, and the Eucalyptus Grove, which is both the tallest stand of such trees in the world and the tallest stand of hardwood trees in North America. The campus sits on the Hayward Fault , which runs directly through California Memorial Stadium. The official university mascot
14040-572: The particles of which a substance is composed; thermodynamics deals with the relationships between heat and other forms of energy. Electricity and magnetism have been studied as a single branch of physics since the intimate connection between them was discovered in the early 19th century; an electric current gives rise to a magnetic field , and a changing magnetic field induces an electric current. Electrostatics deals with electric charges at rest, electrodynamics with moving charges, and magnetostatics with magnetic poles at rest. Classical physics
14175-457: The professions." Ten faculty members and forty male students made up the fledgling university when it opened in Oakland in 1869. Frederick Billings , a trustee of the College of California, suggested that a new campus site north of Oakland be named in honor of Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley . The university began admitting women the following year. In 1870, Henry Durant , founder of
14310-473: The roles separated. † Jacksonian Professors of Natural Philosophy Areas in which the Laboratory has been influential include:- As of 2023 the laboratory is headed by Mete Atature. The Cavendish Professor of Physics is Sir Richard Friend . As of 2015 senior academic staff ( professors or readers ) include: The Cavendish is home to a number of emeritus scientists, pursuing their research interests in
14445-600: The same campus, including the College of Chemistry , the College of Engineering , and the Haas School of Business . It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory was originally founded as part of the university. Berkeley was a founding member of the Association of American Universities and was one of the original eight " Public Ivy " schools. In 2021,
14580-590: The sixth century, Isidore of Miletus created an important compilation of Archimedes ' works that are copied in the Archimedes Palimpsest . In sixth-century Europe John Philoponus , a Byzantine scholar, questioned Aristotle 's teaching of physics and noted its flaws. He introduced the theory of impetus . Aristotle's physics was not scrutinized until Philoponus appeared; unlike Aristotle, who based his physics on verbal argument, Philoponus relied on observation. On Aristotle's physics Philoponus wrote: But this
14715-412: The speed of light. Planck, Schrödinger, and others introduced quantum mechanics, a probabilistic notion of particles and interactions that allowed an accurate description of atomic and subatomic scales. Later, quantum field theory unified quantum mechanics and special relativity. General relativity allowed for a dynamical, curved spacetime, with which highly massive systems and the large-scale structure of
14850-412: The study of probabilities and groups . Physics deals with a wide variety of systems, although certain theories are used by all physicists. Each of these theories was experimentally tested numerous times and found to be an adequate approximation of nature. For instance, the theory of classical mechanics accurately describes the motion of objects, provided they are much larger than atoms and moving at
14985-425: The theory of four elements . Aristotle believed that each of the four classical elements (air, fire, water, earth) had its own natural place. Because of their differing densities, each element will revert to its own specific place in the atmosphere. So, because of their weights, fire would be at the top, air underneath fire, then water, then lastly earth. He also stated that when a small amount of one element enters
15120-553: The theory of visual perception to the nature of perspective in medieval art, in both the East and the West, for more than 600 years. This included later European scholars and fellow polymaths, from Robert Grosseteste and Leonardo da Vinci to Johannes Kepler . The translation of The Book of Optics had an impact on Europe. From it, later European scholars were able to build devices that replicated those Ibn al-Haytham had built and understand
15255-435: The top six schools ("Big Six") in the nation. In 1934, it ranked second, tied with Columbia and the University of Chicago , behind only Harvard ; in 1957, it was ranked as the only school second to Harvard. In 1964, Berkeley was named the "best balanced distinguished university", meaning the school had not only the most top departments but also the highest percentage of top ranking departments in its school. The school in 1993
15390-552: The ultimate source of all motion in the world (Book 8 of his treatise Physics ). The Western Roman Empire fell to invaders and internal decay in the fifth century, resulting in a decline in intellectual pursuits in western Europe. By contrast, the Eastern Roman Empire (usually known as the Byzantine Empire ) resisted the attacks from invaders and continued to advance various fields of learning, including physics. In
15525-423: The universe can be well-described. General relativity has not yet been unified with the other fundamental descriptions; several candidate theories of quantum gravity are being developed. Physics, as with the rest of science, relies on the philosophy of science and its " scientific method " to advance knowledge of the physical world. The scientific method employs a priori and a posteriori reasoning as well as
15660-527: The university also owns land to the northwest of the main campus, a married student housing complex in the nearby town of Albany ("Albany Village" and the "Gill Tract"), and a field research station several miles to the north in Richmond, California . The campus is home to several museums including the University of California Museum of Paleontology , the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive , and
15795-407: The university and donated funds for the construction of the laboratory. Professor James Clerk Maxwell , the developer of electromagnetic theory , was a founder of the laboratory and the first Cavendish Professor of Physics . The Duke of Devonshire had given to Maxwell, as head of the laboratory, the manuscripts of Henry Cavendish's unpublished Electrical Works . The editing and publishing of these
15930-614: The university since 1891, performs at every home football game and at select road games as well. A smaller subset of the Cal Band, the Straw Hat Band, performs at basketball games, volleyball games, and other campus and community events. The UC Rally Committee, formed in 1901, is the official guardian of California's Spirit and Traditions. Wearing their traditional blue and gold rugbies, Rally Committee members can be seen at all major sporting and spirit events. Committee members are charged with
16065-421: The university's academic enterprise which is organized into fifteen colleges and schools that comprise 180 departments and 80 interdisciplinary units offering over 350 degree programs. Colleges serve both undergraduate and graduate students, while schools are generally graduate only, though some offer undergraduate majors or minors: The four-year, full-time undergraduate program offers 107 bachelor's degrees across
16200-546: The upscale residential neighborhoods of the Berkeley Hills . Immediately southeast of campus lies fraternity row and beyond that the Clark Kerr Campus and an upscale residential area named Claremont . The area south of the university includes student housing and Telegraph Avenue , one of Berkeley's main shopping districts with stores, street vendors and restaurants catering to college students and tourists. In addition,
16335-573: The use of Bayesian inference to measure the validity of a given theory. Study of the philosophical issues surrounding physics, the philosophy of physics , involves issues such as the nature of space and time , determinism , and metaphysical outlooks such as empiricism , naturalism , and realism . Many physicists have written about the philosophical implications of their work, for instance Laplace , who championed causal determinism , and Erwin Schrödinger , who wrote on quantum mechanics. The mathematical physicist Roger Penrose has been called
16470-988: The validity of a theory in a logical, unbiased, and repeatable way. To that end, experiments are performed and observations are made in order to determine the validity or invalidity of a theory. A scientific law is a concise verbal or mathematical statement of a relation that expresses a fundamental principle of some theory, such as Newton's law of universal gravitation. Theorists seek to develop mathematical models that both agree with existing experiments and successfully predict future experimental results, while experimentalists devise and perform experiments to test theoretical predictions and explore new phenomena. Although theory and experiment are developed separately, they strongly affect and depend upon each other. Progress in physics frequently comes about when experimental results defy explanation by existing theories, prompting intense focus on applicable modelling, and when new theories generate experimentally testable predictions , which inspire
16605-573: The way vision works. Physics became a separate science when early modern Europeans used experimental and quantitative methods to discover what are now considered to be the laws of physics . Major developments in this period include the replacement of the geocentric model of the Solar System with the heliocentric Copernican model , the laws governing the motion of planetary bodies (determined by Kepler between 1609 and 1619), Galileo's pioneering work on telescopes and observational astronomy in
16740-455: The west of the central campus is the downtown business district of Berkeley ; to the northwest is the neighborhood of North Berkeley, including the so-called Gourmet Ghetto , a commercial district known for high quality dining due to the presence of such world-renowned restaurants as Chez Panisse . Immediately to the north is a quiet residential neighborhood known as Northside with a large graduate student population; situated north of that are
16875-487: The winning design for a campus master plan. Although the University of California system does not have an official flagship campus , many scholars and experts consider Berkeley to be its unofficial flagship. It shares this unofficial status with the University of California, Los Angeles . In 1905, the University Farm was established near Sacramento , ultimately becoming the University of California, Davis . In 1919,
17010-410: Was The Book of Optics (also known as Kitāb al-Manāẓir), written by Ibn al-Haytham, in which he presented the alternative to the ancient Greek idea about vision. In his Treatise on Light as well as in his Kitāb al-Manāẓir , he presented a study of the phenomenon of the camera obscura (his thousand-year-old version of the pinhole camera ) and delved further into the way the eye itself works. Using
17145-479: Was 45,745: 32,831 undergraduate and 12,914 graduate students, with women accounting for 56% of undergraduates and 49% of graduate and professional students. It had 128,226 freshman applicants and accepted 14,614 (11.4%). Among enrolled freshman, the average unweighted GPA was 3.90. Berkeley's enrollment of National Merit Scholars was third in the nation until 2002, when participation in the National Merit program
17280-673: Was Frenchman Émile Bénard , who refused to personally supervise the implementation of his plan and the task was subsequently given to architecture professor John Galen Howard . Howard designed over twenty buildings, which set the tone for the campus up until its expansion in the 1950s and 1960s. The structures forming the "classical core" of the campus were built in the Beaux-Arts Classical style, and include Hearst Greek Theatre , Hearst Memorial Mining Building , Doe Memorial Library , California Hall, Wheeler Hall , Le Conte Hall, Gilman Hall, Haviland Hall, Wellman Hall, Sather Gate , and
17415-528: Was Maxwell's main scientific work while he was at the laboratory. Cavendish's work aroused Maxwell's intense admiration and he decided to call the Laboratory (formerly known as the Devonshire Laboratory) the Cavendish Laboratory and thus to commemorate both the Duke and Henry Cavendish. Several important early physics discoveries were made here, including the discovery of the electron by J.J. Thomson (1897)
17550-592: Was discontinued. For 2019, Berkeley ranked fourth in enrollment of recipients of the National Merit $ 2,500 Scholarship (132 scholars). 27% of admitted students receive federal Pell grants . Berkeley students are eligible for a variety of public and private financial aid. Inquiries are processed through the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office, although schools such as the Haas School of Business and Berkeley Law , have their own financial aid offices. Much of
17685-489: Was formed in 2005 and broadcasts online. It is run by students with a variety of backgrounds and majors. Since the mid-2010s, it has been a program of the ASUC . Berkeley's independent student-run newspaper is The Daily Californian . Founded in 1871, The Daily Cal became independent in 1971 after the campus administration fired three senior editors for encouraging readers to take back People's Park . The Daily Californian has both
17820-482: Was influential for about two millennia. His approach mixed some limited observation with logical deductive arguments, but did not rely on experimental verification of deduced statements. Aristotle's foundational work in Physics, though very imperfect, formed a framework against which later thinkers further developed the field. His approach is entirely superseded today. He explained ideas such as motion (and gravity ) with
17955-453: Was predicted in 1940 by two teams working independently: Egon Bretscher and Norman Feather at the Cavendish and Edwin M. McMillan and Philip Abelson at Berkeley Radiation Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley . The Cavendish Laboratory has had an important influence on biology , mainly through the application of X-ray crystallography to the study of structures of biological molecules. Francis Crick already worked in
18090-536: Was proposed by Leucippus and his pupil Democritus . During the classical period in Greece (6th, 5th and 4th centuries BCE) and in Hellenistic times , natural philosophy developed along many lines of inquiry. Aristotle ( Greek : Ἀριστοτέλης , Aristotélēs ) (384–322 BCE), a student of Plato , wrote on many subjects, including a substantial treatise on " Physics " – in the 4th century BC. Aristotelian physics
18225-549: Was the only remaining member of the original 1906 "Big Six", along with Harvard; in that year Berkeley ranked first. The American Council on Education , a private non-profit association, ranked Berkeley tenth in 1934. However, by 1942, private funding had helped Berkeley rise to second place, behind only Harvard, based on the number of distinguished departments. In 1985, Yale University admissions officer Richard Moll published Public Ivies: A Guide to America's Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities which named Berkeley
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