#241 Andy Whiskeyman on Cognitive Intelligence
The Cognitive Crucible
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Andrew Whiskeyman discusses his co-authored article: . "COGINT" is the systematic mapping, safeguarding, and operational exploitation of decision-making architectures in the contemporary cognitive battle space. Topics include: understanding and protecting human decision-making...
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#240 Anthony Vinci on the Fourth Intelligence Revolution
The Cognitive Crucible
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Anthony Vinci, author of , discusses how the battlefield has shifted from physical territory to the human brain. From China’s influence within U.S. education and gaming to the subtle "mind hacking" potential of AI-generated misinformation, Anthony breaks down the strategic...
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#239 Ian Brown on Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals
The Cognitive Crucible
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. John Boyd is well known to have formally written down very little of his own theories on war and conflict, making researching his concepts challenging and leading many to infer meanings based on their own interpretations—or others’—of what little easily accessible evidence of his thinking remains....
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#238 Bill Wall on AI in Information Operations
The Cognitive Crucible
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Bill Wall discusses ’s comprehensive AI platform. The conversation explores the necessity for the U.S. to balance military focus with information strategies, diplomacy, and a deeper understanding of the populace to achieve success in modern conflicts. Recording Date: 9 Dec 2025...
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#237 Josh “Bugsy” Segal on Ukraine, Electronic Warfare, and Fast Battlefield Innovation
The Cognitive Crucible
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Dr. Josh “Bugsy” Segal recaps his recent observations from the Ukraine battlefield and concerns for Western governments which don’t adapt quickly. Ukraine's rapid development of sophisticated, cost-effective domestic defense technology, including advanced counter-drone...
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#236 Michael Lissack on Anticipatory Agents
The Cognitive Crucible
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Michael Lissack discusses –a unified theoretical framework that reconciles Quantum Bayesianism (QBism), Robert Rosen's theory of Anticipatory Systems, the causal bubbles interpretation of quantum mechanics, and pragmatic constructivism through Hans Vaihinger's philosophy of 'as...
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#235 Rob Thelen on the US Army IWAR Initiative
The Cognitive Crucible
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, COL Rob Thelan discusses the US Army’s Information Warfare (IWAR) Branch. IWAR aims to integrate the IO (Information Operations) and PSYOP (Psychological Operations) communities into a unified, conventional force branch. Other topics include: U.S. lagging behind adversaries like...
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#234 Robert Thibadeau on a Million Identities and Computational Cognitive Neuroscience
The Cognitive Crucible
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Bob Thibadeau returns to the Cognitive Crucible and discusses the fundamentals of computational cognitive neuroscience and privacy. He asserts that everyone should manage a million identities on an embodied chip, share these identities selectively, and change them frequently....
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#233 Orlandon Howard on Rethinking Strategic Communication
The Cognitive Crucible
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Lt. Col. Orlandon Howard discusses rethinking strategic communication for U.S. military public affairs, exploring topics such as the PESO model and the balance between informing and influencing. The discussion centers around his recent article: “.” Recording Date: 24 Sep 2025...
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#232 John Pennell on Russia's Actions in Ukraine and Syria
The Cognitive Crucible
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Dr. John Pennell discusses his book and Ph.D. research: . Recording Date: 4 Sep 2025 Research Question: John Pennell suggests an interested student or researcher examine: How can we better inform the American public about the information space; focusing on informing the...
info_outlineBio: Dr. James Mulvenon is Director of Intelligence Integration for SOSi’s Defense and Intelligence Group, where he has recruited and trained a team of more than forty-five Chinese, Russian, Korean, and Farsi linguist-analysts and ten cleared software developers performing collection, analysis, and operations support for US Government and corporate customers. A Chinese linguist by training, he is a leading international expert on Chinese cyber, technology transfer, espionage, and military issues. Dr. Mulvenon received his B.A. in China Studies from the University of Michigan, studied Communist Party History at Fudan University in Shanghai, and received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Mulvenon contributed multiple chapters to China’s Quest for Foreign Technology: Beyond Espionage, which was published in September 2020. He is regularly invited to address senior government and commercial audiences on Chinese technology espionage and cyber topics, and his comments have appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other international media outlets.
IPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.
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For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.
Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.