Quantum Potential Podcast

Lamar Alexander, BA’62, continues a six-decade journey on the path of public service, one that famously began with a thousand-mile trek across Tennessee in his signature red-and-black plaid shirt. However, for the Vanderbilt community, his legacy is rooted even deeper—stretching back to his days as an undergraduate, serving as editor of The Vanderbilt Hustler and a key student voice of support for racial integration at the university. Soon, a variety of activities led by the university will allow the broader community to learn more about his storied history and engage with the former Tennessee governor and U.S. senator. Read More

Are you happy? What defines happiness and how does that impact your pursuit of achievement and purpose? In this special Quantum Potential podcast, hear from bestselling author, scholar and happiness researcher Arthur Brooks. Read More

When Vanderbilt University Provost C. Cybele Raver sits down with faculty to learn something new, her classroom isn’t a lecture hall or research lab—it’s the Quantum Potential podcast studio. Read More

When will you feel like you have enough? From panic-buying to FOMO to the relentless drive for “more,” why does the fear of “running out” sharpen our focus while also dictating some of our most irrational behaviors? Listen to this Quantum Potential podcast for a fascinating conversation with scarcity expert and professor of marketing Kelly Goldsmith. Read More

How can democratic societies endure, and even flourish, amid deep disagreement? Get ready for a fascinating and timely episode of the Quantum Potential podcast with political scientist and philosophy professor Dr. Robert Talisse and Provost C. Cybele Raver. Read More

What makes a true story more compelling than fiction? In this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, hear from documentary filmmaker and Vanderbilt professor Mariah Kramer as she talks with Provost C. Cybele Raver about the method and magic of showcasing real life on film. Read More

It’s an issue effecting millions of people and their loved ones—hearing loss. In this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with electrical and computer engineer Jack Noble about advances in technology to help improve hearing. Read More

What songs have a spot on the playlist of your life? In the next episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, explore the meanings of music over time, genre and cultural shifts with Provost C. Cybele Raver and musicologist Melanie Lowe. Read More

In this episode of the Quantum Potential podcast, Provost Cybele Raver and Chancellor Daniel Diermeier take a deep dive into Vanderbilt’s future—across campuses, cities, and partnerships. From West Palm Beach and San Francisco to New York City, Chattanooga, and Nashville, hear how the power of place is shaping a bold, networked vision for Vanderbilt’s next era. Read More

Advances in medicine, society and life-altering innovations are sparked through an environment committed to curiosity and potential. See what’s coming up in the second season of the Quantum Potential podcast as Provost C. Cybele Raver introduces listeners the innovators driving Vanderbilt progress. Read More

How do you expand compassion, joy and faith while also integrating artificial intelligence? Jump into a fascinating dialogue between Vanderbilt Divinity School professor Jaco Hamman and Provost C. Cybele Raver in the Season 2 premiere of the Quantum Potential podcast. Read More

What does the future of AI and robotics look like in our daily lives and as a career field? In a special episode of Quantum Potential, Provost C. Cybele Raver talks with Matthew Johnson-Roberson, the inaugural dean of the College of Connected Computing, about the accelerating evolution of AI and robotics. Read More

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—like energy, transportation, communication and banking—should be governed differently than small businesses. Read More

This year’s event will be titled “Vanderbilt University Presents: The Southern Festival of Books, a program of Humanities Tennessee,” marking a new chapter in the life of this storied public event and reflecting Vanderbilt’s deepening investment in the cultural, civic and intellectual fabric of the region. The continuation of the festival is a testament to the power of community. After months of uncertainty following the termination of federal funding, Tennesseans will have the opportunity to celebrate the return of this free event that connects authors and readers at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, the Tennessee State Museum and the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Read More

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Gen. Nakasone, former NSA director, founding director of Vanderbilt’s 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 the 21st century and academia’s role in training the next generation of multifaceted national security professionals. Read More

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. Read More

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 chronic pain. Read More

Josh Clinton, Abby and Jon Winkelried Chair and professor of political science, and co-director of the Vanderbilt Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss how transparency and increasing public literacy about statistics—including an awareness of limitations—can disrupt Americans’ mounting distrust in polling data. Read More

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 means to be a classical musician in the 21st century. Read More

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. Read More