Inside The World's Biggest Hackathon – Full Documentary on UC Berkeley's Cal Hacks

From the creator

This documentary will introduce you to the high-energy environment of Cal Hacks 2025, the world's largest collegiate hackathon, where over 2,500 students gather at the former Exploratorium in San Francisco to build innovative projects in just 36 hours. Quincy Larson interviews various teams to showcase diverse creations ranging from AI-powered dance coaches and K-pop training apps to automated "burger bots" and deodorant-spraying robots. Throughout the event, participants navigate technical challenges like limited Wi-Fi while demonstrating the intense work ethic, ingenuity, and community spirit that define modern developer culture. Cal Hacks 12.0 took place on October 24–26, 2025, at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, CA. Learn more about Cal Hacks: https://www.calhacks.io/ Director: Beau Carnes Sound and Camera: Sunday Ajak Camera: Nathaniel Tham Music: Quincy Larson Chapters - 00:00 Introduction to Cal Hacks at the Exploratorium - 00:42 The Scope: 2,500 Participants & 36 Hours - 01:30 Exploring the Venue: Mezzanine to the Main Floor - 01:57 Interview: Team San Jose State University (Rapid Learning & Pressure) - 04:36 Interview: Anti-Deepfake Mobile App - Baran (Sacramento) - 05:16 Interview: AI Dungeon Master for D&D - Julian & Colin (Colgate University) - 07:27 Interview: Hackathon Project Management App - Kai, Ricardo, Kas - 08:24 Interview: Kahoot Clone - Ji, Gilbert, Marian, Jason - 09:31 Sepehr the Shark and Scenes - 10:58 Interview: AI Dance Co

Published 2026-01-14 · Watch on YouTube ↗
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