Quantum Potential

What can poetry teach us about essential life lessons like paying attention, embracing uncertainty, and finding ways to begin new chapters in our lives? Join acclaimed poet Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities, professor of English and director of creative writing, in a special summer remix of the Quantum Potential podcast with Provost C. Cybele Raver.

Major Jackson is the author of numerous books of po...

We all love to talk. Some like to listen, too. But language is far more than just a tool we use to communicate; it can impact democracy, identity and access. In this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with Akshya Saxena, associate professor of English at Vanderbilt. Saxena’s work sits at the intersection of literature, media and political thought. She studies how English operates in multil...

What defines happiness? And how does that impact the pursuit of achievement, success and a meaningful life? These are some powerful questions no matter where you are in life. On this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with bestselling author, scholar and thought leader Arthur Brooks, who has spent his career examining the science around our pursuit of happiness. 

Brooks is joining Vanderbilt...

Remember during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were hoarding everything from toilet paper to potato chips? Or when the desire for a “must have” item drives buyers into strategic chaos to make that purchase? That type of psychological panic-buying is the economic power of scarcity. 

On this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with Kelly Goldsmith, E. Bronson Ingram Chair and Pro...

Right now in our country, political polarization and divisive anger between parties make some feel that our democracy is breaking. How can democratic societies endure—and even flourish—amid deep and persistent disagreement? On this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with Robert B. Talisse, W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt. Talisse is one of the country’s lea...

What makes a true story more compelling than fiction? Documentary films have the ability to shine a light on real-life experiences, issues and people in unique and creative ways. They pull viewers in by showing a slice of life through a specific perspective. In this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with Mariah Kramer, documentary filmmaker, senior lecturer and director of undergraduate studies...

More than 50 million people in the United States have some form of hearing loss. The intricate science around improving hearing is advancing at a rapid pace with the help of innovative researchers like Jack Noble, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. On this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with Noble about his groundbreaking research on ways to restore hearing for peopl...

What songs have a spot on the playlist of your life? What music sparks emotions around specific moments in time? In this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver and Melanie Lowe, associate professor of musicology, explore the significance and teaching of music from the perspective of the listener and the composer. They examine how the meanings of different genres of music are filtered through time, experie...

What does it mean to build a great research university for the 21st century—one that is both deeply rooted and boldly distributed? In this special episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver and Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier examine an exciting and pivotal moment in the university’s history. Together, they explore how Vanderbilt’s expanding network of campuses and partnerships—...

How can we cultivate systems of human flourishing and expand compassion, joy and faith while also integrating artificial intelligence? In the Season 2 premiere of the Quantum Potential podcast, join Provost C. Cybele Raver and Jaco Hamman, director of the program in theology and practice and professor of religion, psychology and culture at Vanderbilt Divinity School. They dive into a riveting conversation on the questions of how to...

What does the future of AI and robotics look like in our daily lives and as a career field? In a special episode of the Quantum Potential podcast recorded in front of a live audience during Reunion 2025, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with Matthew Johnson-Roberson, the inaugural dean of the College of Connected Computing. Johnson-Roberson is an internationally recognized roboticist and computer scientist whose work spans underwater ...

Political propaganda and artificial intelligence–driven misinformation are infiltrating social media accounts, and Americans need to do something about it. That’s the warning revealed in research from two Vanderbilt professors and discussed on this special episode of the Quantum Potential podcast. The researchers explain their breakthrough red flag discovery and how they uncovered evidence of a state-sponsored company i...

The American spirit of competition can be counterproductive for some industries.

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Ganesh Sitaraman, New York Alumni Chancellor’s Chair in Law, professor of law, director of the Program in Law and Government, and director of the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator for Political Economy and Regulation, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to explore why businesses that provide essential services—lik...

Retired four-star general Paul M. Nakasone is challenging outdated ideas about what keeps a country safe.

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Gen. Nakasone, former NSA director, founding director of the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security, Distinguished Research Professor of Engineering Science and Management, and special advisor to the chancellor, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss the challenges of national security ...

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Amanda Little, writer-in-residence at Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss how journalism can highlight the tipping points humanity faces and how people-first storytelling can move us from observation to action. Little shares how she uncovers the stories behind the science, making potentially polarizing topics digestible for broad audiences, a...

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Craig Lindsley, William K. Warren, Jr. Professor of Medicine, University Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacology and executive director of the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss transformative research exploring how subtle tweaks to brain chemistry could change the way we treat neurodegenerative diseases and chroni...

In this episode of Quantum Potential, deconstruct the political polling process with Josh Clinton, co-director of the Vanderbilt Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, professor of political science and NBC News senior election analyst. Clinton joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss how transparency and increasing public literacy about statistics—including an awareness of limitations—can disrupt Americans&rs...

In this live performance turned Quantum Potential episode, Provost C. Cybele Raver hosts an extraordinary musical collaboration between Ji Hye Jung, associate professor of percussion at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, and the multi–Grammy Award–winning Attacca Quartet—Amy Schroeder and Domenic Salerni (violins), Nathan Schram (viola), and Andrew Yee (cello). The result? A rich exploration of what it mean...

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Felipe Barrera-Osorio joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss his groundbreaking research—comparing the impact of need-based versus merit-based micro-scholarship programs in rural, low-income communities in Cambodia, Colombia and Mexico. He explains how these programs were so successful that national governments around the world expanded investments in education.

Associate Professor of Pu...