#223 Paul Buvarp on the Demand-side of Disinformation
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, Paul Buvarp contrasts disinformation as a human demand-side problem with the typical supply-side perspective. Additional discussion threads include thinking about online and real-world environments as differently as forests and tropical environments are different, how young people...
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#222 JD Maddox on Emerging IO Opportunities
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, JD Maddox discusses new influence opportunities borne out of necessity. JD suggests that listeners consider radical-sounding concepts for, such as letters of marque, indemnification, task-based organization, public-private operations, and new authorities as viable influence pathways...
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#221 Carrick Longley on Influence Automation
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, Carrick Longley discusses Large Language Models (LLM) and influence. Key topics include: LLM 101 Usage and changes in prompt engineering Improving influence resonance and speed The recent DeepSeek model controversy Bias in foundational models and Software development Recording...
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#220 Tom Kent on US International Broadcasting and Soft Power
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, Tom Kent returns to the Cognitive Crucible to share his concerns related to the United States recent withdrawal from international broadcasting. Topics include: US soft power, abandoning pro-democracy initiatives, impact on international relations, international broadcasting...
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#219 Dr. Josh Segal on Are We Losing the War? Lethality, Deterrence, and Information
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 asks the provocative question: Are We Losing the War? Josh discusses the importance of understanding the impact of the nation's investments in soft power assets and programs, emphasizing the need for a strategic approach and a broader national security...
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#218 Chris Greenway on BBC Monitoring
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, Chris Greenway discusses the origins and evolution of BBC Monitoring, a service that gathers news from various sources. BBC Monitoring began in the 1930s as a response to the BBC's external broadcasts, with the initial focus on Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese languages. The British...
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#217 Janne Riihelainen on the EU Influence Operations Course
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, Janne Riihelainen discusses the Information Operations Course funded by the European Union, which aims to enhance security by educating individuals on their role in providing security. Janne also expressed concern regarding the current cultural and political climate and risks...
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#216 John Cappello on the Balkan Security Network
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, John Cappello emphasized the importance of collaboration and sharing experiences in the Western United States to combat disinformation and influence social dynamics. He suggested several research areas, including the use of disinformation in the Western Balkans, the impact of...
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#215 Brian Hamel on the Special Operations Forces, Cyberspace, and Space Triad
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, Brian Hamel discusses his 2023 Army Command and General Staff Theses entitled: . Brian delves into the complex and evolving landscape of modern warfare, focusing on the intersection of Special Operations Forces (SOF), cyberspace, and space. The "Triad" emphasizes the synergistic...
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#214 Jon Roginski and Stephanie Jaros on Insider Threat and Workforce Protection
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, Jon Roginski and Stephanie Jaros discuss the strategic landscape for insider threat and workforce protection programs, emphasizing the need for a more holistic approach that considers both technical and human factors. They also explored the importance of balancing the use of...
info_outlineThe 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, Mike Vera discusses health-related propaganda and personal standard operating procedures (SOP) which minimize bad health habits and malign influence effectiveness.
Research Question: Mike Vera suggests research into crowd psychology and the ability for AI to change minds on deeply held beliefs.
Resources:
- Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
- Mike Vera’s Website
- Deindividuation
- Edward Bernays
- The Crowd: A study of the Popular Mind by Gustave Le Bon
- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
- The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande
- Propaganda by Edward Bernays
Link to full show notes and resources
Guest Bio: Mike Vera is a Board-Certified Health Coach holding a Master's of Science degree specialized in Sport Psychology, Performance Enhancement, and Injury Prevention. As the founder of Red Pill Health & Wellness, he is fervently dedicated to debunking health myths and empowering individuals with scientifically accurate information. Beyond this, Mike is the creator of the 'Red Pill Your Health' program and the host of the 'Healthy & Awake' podcast. His unparalleled approach centers on understanding the influence of propaganda, guiding clients in controlling their environment and thoughts to achieve their health objectives. A staunch advocate for critical thinking, Mike's philosophy stands as a beacon for those eager to assert control over their well-being.
About: The Information Professionals Association (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.
For more information, please contact us at [email protected].
Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.