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 robotics, computer vision and large-scale engineering collaborations such as self-driving robotic delivery vehicles. In this episode, he shares his expertise about the impact of rapidly evolving AI and robotics for the average person and for those interested in AI-focused career fields.

This episode was produced by Vanderbilt University and created through the collaboration of Randolph Infinger, Sydney Jones-Wright, Amber Palmer-Halma, Patrick Sams, Jennifer Stevens, Whit Stiles, Maisie Wilson, and Amy Wolf. 

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. 

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

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 in China that is deploying sophisticated, AI-driven propaganda campaigns and profiling U.S. political figures.

Brett J. Goldstein is a research professor who leads the Wicked Problems Lab at the Vanderbilt University Institute of National Security and is a former Pentagon official. Brett V. Benson is an associate professor of political science and a faculty affiliate at the Institute of National Security who uses models to study some of the world’s complex security challenges.

Goldstein and Benson talk with Vanderbilt provost C. Cybele Raver about the growing threat of AI-driven propaganda and the warnings they wrote about in a guest essay in The New York Times, “The Era of A.I. Propaganda Has Arrived, and America Must Act.” 

This episode was produced by Vanderbilt University and created through the collaboration of Randolph Infinger, Sydney Jones-Wright, Amber Palmer-Halma, Patrick Sams, Jennifer Stevens, Whit Stiles, Maisie Wilson, and Amy Wolf. 

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. 

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

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

Drawing from his research and recent book, Why Flying Is Miserable and How to Fix It, Sitaraman unpacks how policies meant to boost competition have eroded the consumer experience—and how a governing framework known as NPU law (the law of networks, platforms and utilities) might offer solutions for industries disrupted by deregulation. 

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

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 the 21st century and academia’s role in training the next generation of multifaceted national security professionals. 

After nearly 40 years in the U.S. military leading efforts to dismantle ISIS online, counter Iranian cyber threats, and protect allies like Ukraine from Russian malware, Nakasone brought his talent and expertise to Vanderbilt University to shape tomorrow’s national security leaders.

During his chat with Provost Raver, Nakasone shares why he chose to come to Vanderbilt to lead the Institute of National Security and how he’s collaborating with Vanderbilt researchers to find pragmatic solutions to today’s national security challenges. 

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

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, and how the next generation of social media savvy journalists can leverage their knack for digital storytelling to help rebuild public trust in local journalism.

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

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. Lindsley shares how academic-industry collaborations drive innovation in drug discovery and highlights how Vanderbilt’s scientific workflow is enabling the broader research community to build on its breakthroughs. 

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

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’ mounting distrust in polling data.

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

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.

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

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 Public Policy, Education and Economics at Vanderbilt's Peabody College of education and human development Barrera-Osorio is also a visiting researcher at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at MIT.

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

How does the part of the brain connected to learning intersect with addiction? In the latest episode of Provost C. Cybele Raver’s ‘Quantum Potential’ podcast, Erin Calipari, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research takes us inside the neuroscience of addiction. 

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

In this thought-provoking episode of Quantum Potential, Vanderbilt University Provost C. Cybele Raver hosts renowned developmental psychologist David Yeager, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, co-founder of the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute, and author of 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People, for a closer look at how older adults can connect with and empower the next generation. In a relatable, live conversation, Yeager challenges common misconceptions about adolescent brain development and reveals how simple shifts in communication between young people and adults can provide support and transparency, triggering collaboration and inspiration rather than disengagement. 

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

In this episode, Provost Raver welcomes chemist Brian Bachmann, who is the principal investigator for the Vanderbilt Laboratory for Biosynthetic Studies. Bachmann talks about his work discovering useful chemicals made from natural products (compounds made by tiny living things like bacteria and fungi) that are paving new avenues for drug discovery. He also unpacks how he is using biosynthesis to identify individuals’ specific type/combination of cancers. Bachmann envisions a near future where each cancer case is managed individually, moving beyond the traditional approach of location-based treatments. Join us to learn why “conjugal lagoons,” “molecular choreography” and “stealing IP from molecules” will help make his vision a reality. 

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

How do we create a more “person-centered” judicial system, and when is fairness more valued than winning? Join the latest episode of Provost Cybele Raver’s ‘Quantum Potential’ podcast with law professor Lauren Sudeall. 

Vanderbilt University provost C. Cybele Raver explores civil justice inequities with Lauren Sudeall, law professor and director of Vanderbilt's Access to Justice program. Through her groundbreaking research in rural Alabama and Georgia, Sudeall reveals how low-income individuals navigate eviction proceedings—with or without legal representation—and advocates for a more "person-centered" judicial system. The conversation examines how courts handle eviction cases across jurisdictions, the impact of food and housing insecurity, and why many defendants value fairness over winning. Sudeall also shares her perspective as a legal scholar from Boston conducting research in impoverished rural communities in the U.S. South.

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

In our premiere episode, Vanderbilt University provost C. Cybele Raver hosts acclaimed poet Major Jackson for a deep dive into what he calls "sacred secular conversation." During this extraordinary conversation, they explore the intersection of music and poetry, pluralism, and living with uncertainty. Jackson, who describes the act of writing as a “dialogue with the subconscious,” also reads from his latest book, Razzle Dazzle: New and Selected Poems 2002-2022. Jackson has released nine books of poetry to date and been awarded the Pushcart Prize, a Whiting Award, and a Pew Fellowship, among many others. 

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Special thanks to Jad Abumrad, Vanderbilt University Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and the executive producer of the Quantum Potential podcast and video series. We also want to thank Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, for lending his voice to the end credits for this episode.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/

Journey into the Extraordinary - Join Vanderbilt University Provost C. Cybele Raver as she guides us through humanity’s greatest frontiers in her new Quantum Potential podcast. Tune in twice each month hear about Vanderbilt’s groundbreaking collaborations that weave together science and music, hard data and creative expression, empirical evidence and poetry—proving that in the pursuit of knowledge, there are no boundaries.

The Quantum Potential podcast is produced by Vanderbilt University. The leadership team includes Metanoya Z. Webb, director of content and editorial strategy for this episode, and Sydney Jones-Wright, director of academic affairs communications. Patrick Sams is the senior social media specialist, and Maisie Wilson is the senior creative project manager. Mike Todd is the university visual media manager.

Copyright 2025, Vanderbilt University.

For more information about Quantum Potential, go to vanderbilt.edu/quantumpotential/podcast.

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or Vanderbilt University.

Follow Vanderbilt on Social Media: http://social.vanderbilt.edu/