The Cognitive Crucible

The Cognitive Crucible explores all aspects of our generational challenge: Cognitive Security. It is the only podcast dedicated to increasing interdisciplinary collaboration between information operations practitioners, scholars, and policy makers. Join the discussion forum each week with the Cognitive Crucible host, John Bicknell. Have a question or would like to suggest a topic go to: https://information-professionals.org/podcasts/cognitive-crucible.

#201 John Bicknell on Cognitive Indicators and Global Competition 10/01/2024

#201 John Bicknell on Cognitive Indicators and Global Competition 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, "reverse-interviews" John Bicknell, the CEO|Founder of and traditional Cognitive Crucible podcast host. John discusses More Cowbell Unlimited's cognitive indicators and related technology that the US Army is prototyping in order to create effects, maintain Information Advantage, and compete globally. Recording Date: 26 Sept 2024 Research Question: John Bicknell suggests an interested student or researcher examine: How can information professionals use complex system communication channel noise levels to improve goal pursuit? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned YouTube: by George A. Miller by Randall L. Schweller ? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek Guest Bio: John Bicknell founded More Cowbell Unlimited to help America remain a beacon of hope and strength on the world stage. America must adopt Process Dominance as a core capability in order to innovate and survive in the Information Age. His vision is for process technologies to be as ubiquitous as processes are. John is a national security thought leader and passionate analytics visionary. He has written extensively on national security matters related to information warfare, critical infrastructure defense, and space situational awareness. John leads software and business development efforts for More Cowbell Unlimited. John is a retired Marine Corps officer who served worldwide. He led enterprise-level process-intensive human resources supply chain projects designed to discover inefficiencies, architect solutions, and re-purpose manpower savings. In his corporate career, he operationalized an Analytics Center of Excellence for a large EdTech firm, among other accomplishments. John is also Vice President for the Information Professionals Association and host of The Cognitive Crucible podcast. His Master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School emphasizes econometrics and operations research. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/33228977

#200 Remi Whiteside on Media, Information, and Data Literacy Fundamentals against Malign Information in the Open Information Environment 09/24/2024

#200 Remi Whiteside on Media, Information, and Data Literacy Fundamentals against Malign Information in the Open Information Environment 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, Remi Whiteside discusses his Ph.D. research and dissertation which is entitled: Peering into US Army Media, Information, and Data Literacy Fundamentals against Malign Information in the Open Information Environment: A Qualitative Case Study. According to Remi Whiteside, the US Army currently has no institutionalized program-of-record for educational development, uniquely designed for its population of uniformed Information Professionals in training to detect, analyze, and scrutinize malign information in the Open Information Environment. Unlike its peer services, the US Army does not perceive malign information, a reimagined tool of ideological subversion, as a high-caliber threat so far as to invest the time, money, or resources into critical, foundational metaliteracy competencies needed for its Information Professionals for the Open Information Environment. Recording Date: 1 Aug 2024 Research Question: Remi Whiteside suggests an interested student ask–in relation to media and information—how do narratives derived from the Open Information Environment shape servicemembers’ metanarratives and do these metanarratives conflict with military identity? Resources: Peering into US Army Media, Information, and Data Literacy Fundamentals against Malign Information in the Open Information Environment: A Qualitative Case Study by Noam Chomsky by Jim Ridolfo and William Hart-Davidson Guest Bio: Remington Whiteside is an active-duty Chief Warrant Officer in the US Army, career education, and academic researcher into MIDLE (media, information, and data literacy education) and M2DP (malinformation, misinformation, disinformation, propaganda). He started his career as an enlisted Cryptologic Linguist, with work in strategic, SOF, and training environments. He metamorphosed to Signals Intelligence Warrant Officer, specializing in tactical SIGINT, COMINT, OSINT, PAI, OPSEC, and Intelligence Support to Cyber and Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) training as an Observer-Coach-Trainer at Fort Johnson, Louisiana at the Joint Readiness Training Center. Remi holds an undergraduate degree in Middle Eastern studies, a graduate degree in Applied Linguistics with a focus on Computational Linguistics, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education. He is lovingly supported by his wife Sara and his three children: Evolette, Torben, and Soren. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/33162057

#199 Ellen McCarthy on Trust in Media and Information 09/10/2024

#199 Ellen McCarthy on Trust in Media and Information 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, Ellen McCarthy discusses how to conceptualize and develop standards and measurements on information quality, how to align AI with accurate and reliable information, and how challenges and potential of leveraging AI can support information quality. Also, be sure to check out and register for the upcoming 28 October symposium co-sponsored by TIM and IPA: . Recording Date: 5 Sept 2024 Research Question: Ellen McCarthy suggests an interested student examine macroeconomic indicators or drivers of information consumption. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned Gallup: Gallup: DOJ: Alfred North Whitehead quote: “Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking of them.” Guest Bio: The Honorable Ellen McCarthy is a national security professional with extensive experience in government and the private sector. She has held several high-level positions in the U.S. intelligence community and has worked on a wide range of national security issues. Ellen served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research from 2018 to 2020. In this role, she oversaw the State Department's intelligence analysis and provided support to senior policymakers on foreign policy matters. Before that, she was the President of Noblis NSP, a national security-focused science and technology company. She also served as the President of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), a non-profit organization focused on addressing intelligence and national security priorities. Prior to her time in the private sector, McCarthy held various leadership positions in the intelligence community, including serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Director of Intelligence Operations at the U.S. Coast Guard. She was also lead for Human Capital and Security for the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and started her career as an all source intelligence analyst within the Office of Naval Intelligence and the Atlantic Intelligence Command. She is a wife, mother, daughter and friend. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/32963877

#198 Melissa Graves Frank Emerson and Pat Hendrix on OSINT 08/27/2024

#198 Melissa Graves Frank Emerson and Pat Hendrix on OSINT 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, Melissa Graves, Frank Emerson, and Pat Hendrix discuss the history of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), how publicly available information (PAI) is being analyzed by students in the Department of Intelligence and Security Studies at The Citadel, and The Citadel’s which will be held October 23-25, 2024. Recording Date: 26 Aug 2024 Research Questions: Where does academia fit within the OSINT landscape? What should students be allowed to collect? How can students be best kept safe during OSINT analysis? Resources: October 23-25, 2024 Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned bio bio bio by Eliot Higgins (HBO) Guest Bio: Melissa Graves is an Associate Professor in the Department of Intelligence and Security Studies at The Citadel and currently serves as the head of the department. Her research areas include national security legal issues, the US presidency’s relationship to the intelligence community, and intelligence analysis. She teaches a variety of courses on intelligence and legal issues. Her book, Nixon’s FBI: Hoover, Watergate, and a Bureau in Crisis, evaluates the historically complex and oftentimes fraught relationships between the President, Attorney General, and FBI Director. Frank Emerson is a senior policy consultant and accomplished leader with almost three decades of experience in U.S. national security, intelligence, and foreign policy matters. He served overseas with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Department of State, driving worldwide operations, conducting diplomacy, and building diverse multi-agency international programs. Dr. Michael Pat Hendrix is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Intelligence Analysis and Security Studies at The Citadel Military College. His research areas include intelligence analysis and communication and African national security issues. He teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses including analysis and research, open source intelligence, homeland security, and the department capstone. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/32754082

#197 Maksym Tereshchenko on How the Russia-Ukraine War Sparked a New Era in Risk Management and Cognitive Security 08/13/2024

#197 Maksym Tereshchenko on How the Russia-Ukraine War Sparked a New Era in Risk Management and Cognitive Security 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, Maksym Tereshchenko of discusses his firm’s AI platform and how it is being used within the informational dimension of the Russia-Ukraine War. Recording Date: 19 July 2024 Research Question: Maksym Tereshchenko suggests as interested student examine: How can we accurately measure the impact of an influence campaign on people's behavior? NATO and US doctrine categorize domains as air, sea, land, space, and cyber. What about the informational domain? A critical challenge lies in measuring and depicting visually the interactions among events across these domains and their mutual influence. Resources: : a new era of messaging “” by Eliot Higgins "" by Justin Crump Guest Bio: With nearly two dozen years in IT, Maksym Tereshchenko has worked his way up to the top, building data and AI products. He has worked in a variety of settings: from the grandeur of big corporations to the humble beginnings of startups. But everything changed with Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine. February 2022 marked a turning point: driven by the mission to help the Ukrainian resistance, Maksym gathered a team of volunteers, setting a mission to make Ukrainian institutions informationally resilient, able to leverage AI to manage physical and informational risks, including identifying Russian influence campaigns, and containing narrative warfare. Thus, the story of Mantis Analytics began. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/32535527

#196 Dave Troy on Threats to Democracy 07/30/2024

#196 Dave Troy on Threats to Democracy 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, Dave Troy discusses threats to democracy. The related problems of disinformation, misinformation, and radicalization have been popularly misunderstood as technology or fact-checking problems, but this ignores the mechanism of action, which is the reconfiguration of social capital. By recasting these problems as one problem rooted in the reconfiguration of social capital and network topology, we can consider solutions that might maximize public health and favor democracy over fascism, even as the urgent need for stewarding human behavior may introduce ethical questions about what kinds of network configurations are ideal, and who might have the moral authority to oversee their pursuit. Recording Date: 25 June 2024 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned Work in Progress Article: by Dave Troy by Balaji Srinivasan by Raymond Craib Guest Bio: Dave Troy is an investigative journalist focused on exposing threats to democracy. Based in Baltimore, his background as a technologist with an interest in studying online extremism affords him a unique perspective. His work has appeared at MoMA in New York, and he is a fellow with New America Foundation’s Future Frontlines. Dave writes regularly about information warfare, history, and politics. He is the host of the podcast Dave Troy Presents, and speaks regularly at conferences on disinformation, extremism, and information warfare. Contact information is available at davetroy.com. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/32320047

#195 Michael Zequeira on the Effects of Social Media on Military Recruiting 07/16/2024

#195 Michael Zequeira on the Effects of Social Media on Military Recruiting 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, US Army Major Michael Zequeira discusses his Army Command and General Staff research entitled: the Effects of Social Media on Military Recruiting. More and more Americans receive information from social media. This work looks at the effects of social media’s rise on U.S. Army recruiting. The primary research question was “Is the increased reliance on social media for information negatively affecting the U.S. Army’s ability to recruit?” The secondary research questions were “What role do foreign mis, mal, and disinformation play in decreasing the propensity to serve in the Army of the United States population?” and “How do the negative effects of social media on mental health affect the Army’s ability to meet its’ recruiting goal?” The researcher answered these questions through a hermeneutics approach, analyzing existing research and correlating it to the past 10 years of recruiting trends. The researcher supplemented this by conducting open coding of videos on YouTube to assess the narratives portrayed based on various Army-related keywords. Based on this research, the increase in information speed of social media allows foreign adversaries to perpetuate mis, mal, and disinformation at speeds that decrease trust in the U.S. Government and Army. The well-documented negative effects of excessive social media use on mental health are decreasing the qualified youth available faster than any other discriminating factor. Recording Date: 20 Jun 2024 Research Question: Mike Zequeira suggests an interested student examine: For narrative/misinformation academic researchers, does the TikTok algorithm push content harmful to, or counter to, a positive US military outlook? For military researchers, how can Social Media feeds be integrated into the targeting cycle to enable real time/near real time targeting? Resources by Thomas Rid by Peter Singer by Stanley McCrystal Guest Bio: Major Michael (Mike) Zequeira was born and raised in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area. He commissioned through the Officer Candidate School at Fort Moore in 2013 as a branch-detailed Military Intelligence Officer. MAJ Zequeira served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer and Battalion Logistics Officer in 1-68AR, in the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division in Ft. Carson, Colorado. Post graduation from the Military Intelligence Captain’s career course, he served as Brigade Assistant Intelligence Officer at 2nd IBCT, 10th Mountain Infantry Division, 2-14 Infantry Battalion Intelligence Officer, and Military Intelligence Company Commander for the 41st Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Drum, New York. He also served as the Headquarters, Headquarters Company Commander, and as an Operational Test Officer at the Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Testing Directorate at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. MAJ Zequeira is currently transitioning to his next assignment in the Division Intelligence section of 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell KY. MAJ Zequeira’s military education includes the North Georgia University/MCOE Mandarin Language Course, Airborne Course, Military Intelligence Officer Captains Career Course, Digital Intelligence Systems Master Gunners Course, Army Basic Space Cadre I & II, the CENTCOM Foreign Disclosure Officer Course, and the Information Advantage Scholars Program at the Resident Command and General Staff Officer Course at Fort Leavenworth, KS. His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and Economics from Anderson University (SC), a Master of Arts in International Security Studies from the University of Arizona, and a Master in Military Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Information Advantage from the Command and General Staff College. MAJ Zequeira’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (3), the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (2), NATO Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Rotational Forces Lithuanian Medal, Romanian Partner of Defense Medal 3rd Class, Order of the Gold Spur, Order of the Silver Spur, Combat Action Badge and the Parachutists Badge. He is also the winner of the CGSOC Class 24 Excellence in Information Warfare writing award. He is married to his wife Laura, who has her own career in finance and the couple shares a young son, Matthew, age 2. Mike and Laura are both avid sports fans of baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and both enjoy skiing. Mike also enjoys working out and fishing in his free time. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/32133142

#194 Mike Hall on the Moral Imperative of Our Time 07/02/2024

#194 Mike Hall on the Moral Imperative of Our Time 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. Wayne “Mike” Hall discusses his latest capstone book: the Moral Imperative of Our Time-Purposeful Intellectual Growth. According to Mike, America’s intellect is sharply declining; he implores national security leaders to address this problem immediately by: 1) improving individual learning, 2) promoting organizational learning, and 3) encouraging intellectual mentoring. Satisfying these callings is the moral imperative. Mike also discusses other important themes such as: will, incorporating information and cognition as warfighting domains, how to think in today's fight, non-linearity and complex systems, anticipation compared to prediction, and the importance of initial conditions, and unity of effort. Research Question: Mike Hall suggests interested students examine: How does this fit into DOTMLPF? How do we get politicians to understand Clausewitz? Recording Date: 21 June 2024 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Ed D Wayne Michael Hall by Wayne Michael Hall by Wayne Michael Hall by Wayne Michael Hall and Gary Citrenbaum by Wayne Michael Hall and Patrick M. Hughes Guest Bio: Wayne Michael “Mike” Hall, Brigadier General, US Army (Retired), is a career U.S. Army intelligence officer with over 50 years of experience in intelligence operations. In the Army, Brigadier General Hall served in four infantry divisions: 2d, 1 st , 4 th , and 82d. He commanded intelligence units at the company (337 th ASA Company), battalion (313 th MI Bn, 82d Airborne Division), and brigade (501 st MI Brigade in the Republic of Korea). BG Hall was an infantry battalion S-2 in the 1 st Infantry Division, an infantry brigade S-2 while in Korea in the 2d Infantry Division, and an infantry brigade S-2 in the 1 st Infantry Division. He was the G-2 of the 82d Airborne Division, and as a general officer, the J-2 US Forces Korea. After retiring from the Army in 1999, he worked with military and private corporations providing consulting services in intelligence-related matters for more than 12 years. He also created a two-week intensive seminar for intelligence analysts and collections specialists, centering on his book Intelligence Analysis: How to Think in Complex Environments. Brigadier General Hall led the strenuous two-week seminars from 2008-2014 and helped ~1250 intelligence analysts and collection people learn “how to think” in complex environments. Brigadier General Hall has written six books: Stray Voltage War in the Information Age (2003); Intelligence Analysis How to Think in Complex Environments(2009); Intelligence Collection How to Plan and Execute Intelligence Collection in Complex Environments (2012); The Power of Will in International Conflict (2018); Whispers From the Arrow of Time (2023); and The Moral Imperative of Our Time—Purposeful Intellectual Growth. Brigadier General Hall holds a BS from the University of Nebraska, an MS from Kansas State University, an MMAS from the US Army CGSC, and an EdD from The George Washington University. Brigadier General Hall is a graduate of the US Army’s Command and General Staff College, School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), and the National War College. Brigadier General Hall is a Senior Parachutist and a Ranger School graduate from the US Army’s Ranger School, February 1973. Brigadier General Hall lives with his wife near Denton Texas. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/31890867

#193 Hatteras Hoops on Human Domain Security 06/18/2024

#193 Hatteras Hoops on Human Domain Security 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, Hatteras Hoops discusses business and national security considerations related to Human Domain Security. Current concepts around insider threat, insider risk, insider trust, insider fraud, critical people protection, personnel security and counterintelligence are broadly considered Human Domain Security. Evolved from over a millennia of documented models, practice, and theory, the terms insider threat and insider risk often have negative connotations around intention, despite the definitions being clearly inclusive of both intentional and unintentional insiders. Human Domain Security seeks to disarm and expand its value to more sensitive parts of the world, and through a more positive application. Recording Date: 6 June 2024 Research Questions: Hatteras Hoops suggests interested students examine: What empirical evidence exists across administrative, physical, and technical controls that proves changes in behavior can serve as retrospective indicators of human risk? Based on history and technical advancements, what specific emerging human-centric disruptions should we expect in the next 10 years? How will it affect trust across teams and organizations? These are important topics because I don’t think we’ve fully thought through the extent of its impact from society to person Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned Other resources: Quote from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago: “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained” by Hatteras Hoops by Hatteras Hoops by Liz Wiseman and Greg Mckeown Guest Bio: Hatteras Hoops is a Senior Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton supporting the Commercial vertical in the European market based out of the Hague, Netherlands. He has over twenty years’ experience spanning defense, national security, and commercial cybersecurity missions. His current focus transcends strategic consulting, governance, and human-centric security solutions. He holds a Master of Engineering degree in Cybersecurity from the George Washington University. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/31673787

#192 Dr. Josh "Bugsy" Segal on the American Maginot Line 06/04/2024

#192 Dr. Josh "Bugsy" Segal on the American Maginot Line 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 discusses his ongoing concerns about the “American Maginot Line.” He is concerned that the United States is insufficiently and inappropriately funding the cognitive war that is bearing down on us. Moreover, the United States domestic political system hampers progress. Our gallop across the information landscape includes political hot button topics, sea stories, open source intelligence, and also some bright spots. Recording Date: 29 May 2024 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui by Kishore Mahbubani by Donald A. Barclay Guest Bio: Dr. Joshua “Bugsy” Segal is the Co-Founder & Vice President for Strategy and Innovation at Deft9 Solutions. A veteran of over 30 years in national security policy, strategy and operations, and intelligence, both military and civilian, Dr. Segal is an internationally recognized expert in arms control, countering foreign malign influence, and counter-WMD. Dr. Segal spent over a decade as a member of U.S. multilateral arms control delegations in Geneva, Vienna, and The Hague, including the negotiations to finalize the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention and establish the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. After leaving the federal government and then retiring from the military, Dr. Segal serves as an advisor to senior DoD leaders on operations in the information environment and teaches OSINT tradecraft. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/31553612

#191 Jose Davis on Public Affairs Integration and Leveraging AI for Operations in the Information Environment 05/21/2024

#191 Jose Davis on Public Affairs Integration and Leveraging AI for Operations in the Information Environment 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, US Air Force Captain Jose Davis discusses his paper, which is entitled: "Leveraging AI for Operations in the Information Environment: 3 Demonstrations in Disinformation, Social Media, and Entropy." The paper focuses on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the realm of Operations in the Information Environment (OIE), particularly for the Air Force. The paper presents three case studies demonstrating how AI can positively impact OIE and advocates for direct AI research in this area. Additionally, he’ll recap an information campaign that US Air Forces in Europe conducted to assure Baltic NATO Allies, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Recording Date: 24 April 2024 Research Questions: Jose Davis suggests as interested student examine: What other common metrics can be developed or researched for assessing the Information Environment, tailor-made for the national security needs and useful for IO and PA operators? What are the practical outcomes in the Information Environment (a complex system) when entropy is influenced, pushed either higher or lower? e.g. Hypothetically, when high entropy is present, humans deploy simplifying heuristics, so this should help improve Key Leader Engagements’ (KLE) timing and improve KLE dossiers. Or with PA/IO, high entropy hypothetically may demand a simplified messaging campaign. In what other ways can AI be leveraged to combat nefarious AI use for disinformation? The ideas of watermarking or safeguarding content from manipulation from nefarious Generative AI are a form of immunization, advancing Inoculation Theory as a whole. What other preventative measures along the lines of immunization can be taken to combat disinformation? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Seyed-Mohsen Moosavi-Dezfooli, Alhussein Fawzi, Omar Fawzi, and Pascal Frossard by Yuanhao Ban, Yinpeng Dong by Cpt Alexander Sferrella, Cpt Joseph Conger, and Maj Kara Masick by former Google technologist Kai-Fu Lee and science fiction writer Chen Qiufan. I’m a huge advocate of using story to educate. For those new to AI or wanting to understand AI’s societal impact, this is my go-to book. Written in a series of fictional short stories with in-depth essay analysis at the end of each, the book teaches AI while making it entertaining. by Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman. I think every Information Warfare professional should know who Claude Shannon is and read his “magna carta” of the Information Age, The Mathematical Theory of Communication. My intellectual hero, this exceptional biography brings the man to life — a polymath, a tinkerer, an innovator. “” by Ashish Vaswani et al. This is the seminal paper advancing the Transformer architecture which made Generative AI like ChatGPT possible. Liken this paper to Einstein’s book on Relativity or Newton’s Principia. by Klaus Krippendorff Guest Bio: Jose is a Public Affairs Officer for Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He has over 14 years of experience in integrated communications, both in the public and private sectors. He is accredited in Public Relations and Military Communications through the Public Relations Society of America. In his current role, he ensures the strategic communication of accurate and timely information about the command’s 104-country area of operations. He played a pivotal role at NATO in combating misinformation before, during and after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He just finished a rigorous six-month fellowship at a DoD-sponsored AI Accelerator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, gaining exposure to some of the brightest and best minds in AI and Machine Learning technologies. As part of his fellowship, Jose was required to apply his newly acquired AI foundational knowledge to produce a research paper addressing a problem or issue facing the U.S. Air Force. The paper is slated for publication in the U.S. Air Force’s Air and Space Operations Review journal. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/31062198

#190 Army Command and General Staff Information Advantage Scholars Symposium 05/17/2024

#190 Army Command and General Staff Information Advantage Scholars Symposium 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, we learn about the US Army’s Command and General Staff College Information Advantage Scholar Program. Two officers from the 2024 IA Scholar cohort–Army MAJs Vincent Michel and Josh Keller–present their research and also discuss their overall experience. Additionally, Cognitive Crucible listeners are invited to the . Recorded on: May 2, 2024 Research Questions: MAJ Michel suggests as interested student examine: What are the necessary steps a unit must take to isolate a prevalent actor within the narrative space? Are there additional factors that influence the narrative space and consolidation of gains? MAJ Keller suggests as interested student examine: Primary Research Question: How can Collateral Damage Estimation (CDE) adapt to accommodate nonlethal effects against satellite communication architecture? Secondary Research Question: How can CJCSI 3370.01 Target Development Standards accommodate entity-level target development for satellite communication architecture on orbit? What are the resulting impacts to intelligence and targeting professionals? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Maan, Clark, Steed, Drohan, Nesic, Holshek, Straub, Ronfeldt, and Arquilla by Richard E. Nisbett by Jacob Helberg by Paul Szymanski and Jerry Drew Guest Bios: Guest #1: Vincent Michel, U.S. ArmyInformation Operations, Military Intelligence, Armor Thesis: The Other Side to the Story: Consolidation of Gains and the Narrative Space Education:2018, M.A. Criminal Justice, American Military University 2013, B.A. Criminology, University of New Mexico Past Assignments:Mission Command IO Project Officer, MXCDID, Futures Concept Center, AFC, Ft. Leavenworth, KS Recruiting Company Commander, Evansville, IN Future Assignment: IO Team Leader, 11th Cyber BN Guest #2: Joshua Keller, U.S. ArmySpace Operations, Field Artillery Thesis:ADAPTING TARGETING POLICY FOR NONLETHAL EFFECTS ON SATELLITE COMMUNICATION ARCHITECTUREEducation: 2012, M.A. Quantitative and Psychological Foundations, University of Iowa 2010, B.A. Psychology, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Past Assignments:Deputy OIC, SPCT #3, 1st Space BN, Ft Carson, CO Assistant Ops Officer, 1st Space BDE, Ft Carson, CO Future Assignment: 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) Space Operations Officer, Ft Liberty, NC 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/31256162

#189 Todd Wilcox on PAI, OSINT, and Regulations 05/07/2024

#189 Todd Wilcox on PAI, OSINT, and Regulations 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, Todd Wilcox discusses national security considerations related to publicly available information (PAI), open source intelligence (OSINT), and related regulations. Research Question: Todd Wilcox suggests a valuable topic for academic research would be the application of regulatory framework around the collection, storage, manipulation and application of personally identifiable information (PII). With the comprehensive discretion of current regulatory requirements imposed by CCPA in US and GDPR in the EU, compare and contrast these two regulations and provide a proposed standard that could be used to build federal legislation to protect the privacy of digital device users in the US. Recording Date: 16 April 2024 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Gino Wickman Guest Bio: Todd Wilcox is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Patriot Defense. He founded Patriot Defense in 2005 with the purpose of Serving those who defend America. Todd is a decorated combat veteran, former CIA case officer, and a successful entrepreneur and business leader. 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 . Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/31061953

#188 Joanna Siekiera on China 04/23/2024

#188 Joanna Siekiera on China 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. Joanna Siekiera discusses how China is integrating itself into global affairs from a lawfare perspective. Research Question: Joanna Siekiera suggests an interested student ask: “Why”? Students should always start research from this question as it will help you understand who is benefiting from certain actions and omissions. In which domain are they benefiting? What are the true interests? And who is paying for all of that? We must stay pragmatic in order to see the true, not anticipatory research outcomes. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Joanna Siekiera "" by Joanna Siekiera "" by Joanna Siekiera Guest Bio: Joanna Siekiera is an international lawyer, legal advisor, Doctor of Public Policy. She is a fellow at the Marine Corps University and NATO Maritime Security Center of Excellence in Türkiye. Her areas of expertise are law of armed conflict (lawfare, legal culture in armed conflict, NATO legal framework) and the Indo-Pacific region, and Pacific law. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/30817028

#187 Randy Rosin on Reflexive Control 04/09/2024

#187 Randy Rosin on Reflexive Control 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. Randy Rosin returns to the Cognitive Crucible to discuss the “trippy” topic of reflexive control. Soviet influence practitioners favor an indirect approach. Reflexive control is the process of conveying the basis of decision-making from one person to another. Research Question: Randy Rosin suggests an interested student examine: How can reflexive processes be applied in the creation of strategies to obtain desirable results in scenarios of either conflict, competition, or cooperation? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned : Propaganda has become the dominant form of public discourse in the information age. Propaganda Universe is dedicated to helping citizens, journalists, scholars, and policy-makers understand the nature of propaganda, disinformation, and information warfare in order to identify and resist manipulative communication. Preserving our ability to think independently, both as individuals and as a society, is crucial to being able to decide what is in our own best interests and not those of others. Diane Chotikul, , July 1986. by Keir Giles by Kathleen Hall Jamieson by Vladimir A. Lefebvre Guest Bio: Dr. Randy Rosin is a faculty member of the National Intelligence University in Bethesda, Maryland who teaches courses in propaganda, foreign information and cyber strategy, cyber threat intelligence, denial and deception, and leadership. He is a 32-year active-duty Army veteran who has served in combat arms, psychological operations, information operations, as a middle eastern foreign area officer, and in human intelligence operations. Notably serving as the information operations chief in Iraq, at US Central Command, and as the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché in Yemen. His research interests are on the confluence of technology and manipulative communication with a particular focus on the development of information-based theoretical frameworks. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/30718933

#186 Rod Korba on Vygotsky’s Inner Speech 03/26/2024

#186 Rod Korba on Vygotsky’s Inner Speech 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, Vygotsky was a seminal figure in Soviet Psychology. His multi-staged—social learning theory of cognitive development—has influenced generations of cognitive psychologists. Our discussion today focuses on Vygotsky’s frequently overlooked and generally under-estimated concept of inner speech: or the use of internal words (and their idiosyncratic meanings) that differ in structure & function from the same words used in external speech—which are developed for public consumption. For Vygotsky, inner speech serves as an important catalyst and a dynamic process of adaptation linking the “self” to society—not only for acquiring social or conventional word meaning in external language, but for eventually establishing private or personal word meaning—that fosters one’s self identity. For Vygotsky, inner speech is the primary tool for mentation—the ability to think conceptually through language. Vygotsky’s internal language and inner speech mediate the differences between public and private thought. In this sense, inner speech is an indispensable, private tool of comprehension: a clandestine, personal shorthand that fires memory, evokes macro-concepts represented by word meanings, and serves as the catalyst for individual identity—through the continually developing concept of self. Research Question: Rod Korda suggests an interested student investigate: a participatory way of developing a framework to measure word meaning–especially in a cultural context. If successful, this kind of tool can become an input into measuring messaging effectiveness. Resources: Guest Bio: 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/30535703

#185 Becky Fair and Hannah Lincoln on Disrupt and Overwhelm Strategies 03/12/2024

#185 Becky Fair and Hannah Lincoln on Disrupt and Overwhelm Strategies 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. Our conversation covers Two-Six’s analysis methodology for creating their biannual Media Manipulation Monitor (M3) report which chronicles China’s efforts and presents strategies for achieving information advantage. Research Question: Becky and Hannah suggest an interested student examine how China’s influence online compares to everything else that’s influencing other people online. Because there’s a lot of evidence that China is doing a lot online to influence people’s minds, but not a lot of evidence that China has been successful except in a few cases and in a few countries. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Cheng Li by Cheng Li by Dr. Molly Roberts Guest Bio: Becky Fair is the Vice President of Information Advantage at Two Six Technologies. She spent a decade as a CIA officer in a variety of roles and brings a deep understanding of the national security community mission sets. She was the CEO and co-founder of Thresher, a software company acquired by Two Six Technologies, that uses unique data sets and machine learning to help decision makers in government and industry detect and measure information operations. She started her career working in Russia at the International Finance Corporation, a division of the World Bank. Hannah Lincoln is the Analysis Lead for the M3 team at Two Six Technologies. She spent a decade in China during its late economic boom years (2008-2018), where she worked in consumer research for a variety of multinational companies. Research on Chinese consumers was a natural segue into China intelligence analysis. Ms. Lincoln moved back to the US in 2018 and switched to OSINT analysis with a focus on Chinese censorship, propaganda, and disinformation at Thresher, now part of Two Six Technologies. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/30232703

#184 Curtis Fox on Hybrid Warfare 02/27/2024

#184 Curtis Fox on Hybrid Warfare 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, Curtis Fox discusses his new book: . Curtis Fox utilizes a series of case studies on historic Russian operations to demonstrate that while Russia’s methods appear to be cloaked in a shadow of mystique, their strategic realities make them consistent and predictable. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Curtis Fox by Jared M. Diamond Guest Bio: Curtis Lee Fox is the son of a West Texas cotton farmer and a Kentucky kindergarten teacher. He was raised in Texas and Virginia, and studied Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, where he lived next door to his future wife Katie. They eventually met after Curtis volunteered to help Katie’s roommates move furniture. Despite being accepted to the graduate engineering program at Virginia Tech under a research assistant-ship, Curtis chose to enlist in the Army. He was selected to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course, learned to speak Russian, won his Green Beret, and served in the 10th Special Forces Group. After completing his time in service, Curtis studied at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, earning a Master’s of Business Administration. Curtis and Katie married in 2017, and they now reside in Northern Virginia where Curtis works as a systems engineer and project manager. They celebrated the birth of their daughter Ginny in 2021. As believing Christians, Curtis and Katie are involved in their Church. “We change the world by changing ourselves. It’s only by letting go of grand-scale visions, the need to re-make the world ‘as it should be’, and by focusing on the development of our own consciences that our families and communities begin to transcend the meager existence that is man’s inheritance on Earth. The alleviation from unnecessary suffering, or perhaps from the habits of mind that produce suffering, is a direct result of the redemption of each individual human heart.” 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/30105723

#183 Julie Janson on Air Force IO Talent and Strategy 02/13/2024

#183 Julie Janson on Air Force IO Talent and Strategy 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, Julie Janson discusses the founding of the US Air Force’s Information Operations (IO) career field, professional military education, sending a message, and the need to keep pace with the ever-evolving information environment. Julie observes that IO and PSYOP practitioners are continually evolving engagement tactics; accordingly, large, cumbersome acquisition programs tend to be too slow and ineffective for today’s fast-paced fight. Julie also encourages IO and PSYOP practitioners to think outside the box and consider tradecraft from non-traditional sources–like magicians. Research Question: Julie suggests an interested student examine: How might we develop tailored and actionable information strategies among the services while remaining integrated to account for a global information environment? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Kevin Dutton by Dan Ward Guest Bio: Julie Janson is a US Air Force Information Operations officer, planner and strategist. She is a subject matter expert in Operations in the Information Environment (OIE) and IO. One of the founders of the 14F IO specialization. Lead author and tiger team lead of the Air Force’s OIE Strategic Plan. Graduate of the Multi Domain Operations Strategist Program. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/29776383

#182 Ben Kessler on the OEO Model of Measurement 01/30/2024

#182 Ben Kessler on the OEO Model of Measurement 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, Ben Kessler discusses Meltwater’s methodology and models for Owned, Earned, Organic (OEO) measurement of activities within the information environment. Research Question: Ben Kessler suggests an interested student ask the question: Where is the diaspora of opinion and content going as we mature as a digital society from centralized “town squares” to “closed door” networks? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned Guest Bio: Ben Kessler is the Head of Enterprise Strategy & Public Sector at Meltwater. He brings 11+ years of experience in the application and adoption of data and insights from the Information Environment. Ben has supported Civilian, DoD, IC, and Joint Forces / Coalitions in leveraging Meltwater's world-leading media intelligence suite to enable contextualized mission decisions - from risk assessments to strategic communications, public affairs, mis/dis/malinformation, narrative analysis, and real-time critical workflows. Over the past decade, Ben has seen first-hand the evolution of the Media Intelligence space to a critical decision making capability with direct impact to senior leadership. Meltwater’s goal is to harness PAI to deliver a unique capability measuring the impact of narratives, missions, audience cohorts, campaigns, and/or outbound efforts. We provide access to the world’s largest corpus of PAI data across the global information environment, tracking over 300,000+ news sources (including online, print, broadcast, and podcasts), and over 300 million social media data points including Reddit, Meta (Facebook + Instagram), Twitter/X, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, Forums, Deep Web, Message Boards, Comments, Review Sites, and blogs. Meltwater’s datalake spans Western and non-Western platforms, in over 100+ languages including character-based languages, and local in-market content. We process approx. 1.5B documents / day, each enriched with over 170+ AI and LLM powered metadata points for sophisticated analysis, detection algorithms, alerting workflows, network visualizations, and more. Meltwater has a commercial in-market presence in over 120+ countries that drives local requirements to support a global customer base. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/29654318

#181 Melissa Giannetto on Media Literacy 01/16/2024

#181 Melissa Giannetto on Media Literacy 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, US Marine Corps Major Melissa Giannetto discusses her Master’s thesis, which is an analysis on the media literacy efforts of Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Major Giannetto is currently an exchange student with the Norwegian Armed Forces. Resources: by Sander van der Linden Guest Bio: US Marine Corps Major Melissa Giannetto is currently a Masters of Military Studies student at the Norwegian Defense College. Prior to this assignment, she was a Psychological Operations officer and Influence Cell OIC, Information Maneuver Branch, Information Environment Division, Marine Forces Pacific. She was also the PYSOPs officer for Pacific Fleet Command, US Navy. Her primary MOS is 6002 Aircraft Maintenance Officer. She is a native of Rochester, New York and graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in May 2010 with a BS in Aerospace Studies. She is currently working on her Masters of Military Studies at the Norwegian Defense College. She has attended The Basic School, Aviation Maintenance Officer School, Expeditionary Warfare School (Blended Seminar), U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College (Non-Resident), the Psychological Operations Qualification Course and the Norwegian Defense Staff College 22-24. She is also a graduate of the Joint Information Operation (IO) Planners Course, Intermediate MAGTF IO practitioner’s Course, Joint Aviation Supply Maintenance Management course. Her service in the Operating Forces includes: Ground Support Equipment Division Officer in Charge (OIC), Airframes Division OIC, Aviation Life Support Systems OIC with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron-16 (MALS) , Production Control Officer with MALS-16 FWD, Maintenance Material Control Officer with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 (HMH), Detachment OIC and Executive Officer with Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Company, Marine Corps Information Operations Center, Executive Officer with Marine Wing Support Detachment 24, Assistant Aviation Maintenance Officer with MALS-24, PSYOP Officer and Influence Cell OIC with Marine Forces Pacific and PSYOP Officer for Pacific Fleet. Maj Giannetto has deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM 12.1 with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron-16 FWD and Operation ENDURING FREEDOM 14.1 with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron-466. She deployed to Iraq in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE 16.2 as part of CJTF-OIR CJ39 Information Operations division overseeing an IO train and equip program in Baghdad and Erbil, Iraq. Maj Giannetto’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (Gold Star in lieu of second award). 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/29488303

#180 Tanna Krewson on Cognitive Warfare and Global Conflict Analysis and Resolution 01/02/2024

#180 Tanna Krewson on Cognitive Warfare and Global Conflict Analysis and Resolution 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, Tanna Krewson discusses her research related to cognitive warfare, global conflict analysis, and resolution. Our conversation unpacks foundational brain science principles that underpin our susceptibilities to cognitive warfare, how those vulnerabilities manifest in society. how modern conflict evolved within societies due to the influence of cognitive warfare, and societal dynamics at play. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Leonard Mlodinow by Leonard Mlodinow by Vance Packard by Sander van der Linden Guest Bio: Tanna M. Krewson, M.A. is a seasoned, senior-level cognitive security subject matter expert, researcher, and sociocultural psychologist specializing in cognitive warfare, the Information Environment, and the impact of narratives and group identity on conflict, violence, and decision-making. Having accumulated expertise through work with several prominent international NGOs, universities, private sector companies, and the U.S. Army, Krewson has managed programming across various countries, collaborating with national governments, local populations, and indigenous communities in conflict and post-conflict settings. These efforts have included developing and leading research in partnership with universities, governments, and local populations focused on effective justice, the impact of economic initiatives on refugees, national identity, and social norms change. Her work in these contexts has emphasized non-violent community engagement; women, peace, and security; global conflict resolution, and the importance of understanding indigenous communities. Currently, Krewson is making significant contributions to the growing field of cognitive security, leading the development and drafting of NATO’s cognitive warfare concept and wargame exercise. Krewson has also provided specialized training for U.S. and allied special forces on the sociocultural drivers of conflict, emphasizing the importance of understanding human factors and the role of cognition, emotions, and perception on behavior. She has been invited to guest lecture at Nova Southeastern University and Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and recently served on the board of directors of the Peace and Justice Studies Association. Academically, Krewson holds degrees in cognitive psychology (B.A.) and peace studies (M.A.) and is currently completing a Ph.D. (ABD) in Global Conflict Analysis and Resolution. She is presently completing her doctoral research, focusing on the impact of emerging and disruptive technologies on Ukrainian women’s participation in governance during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/29109983

Re-release: Joseph Lee on Jung and Archetypes 12/26/2023

#179 Brian Russell on The Tie that Binds 12/19/2023

#179 Brian Russell on The Tie that Binds 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 Russell returns to the Cognitive Crucible to discuss his latest article: . Research Question: Brian Russell asks the following: how to assess the effectiveness and risk of employing AI generated cyber weapons: AI on the AI so to speak. There are two resources: Phoenix Cast Episode Dr. Christopher Whyte’s piece in the latest Cyber Defense Review titled Beyond ". Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Brian Russell , Paul Schuh, Cyber Defense Review by Dr. Christopher Whyte , Phoenix Cast PW Singer and Emerson T Brooking, Foreign Affairs) by Gene Kim and Steven J. Spear Guest Bio: Brian Russell is the founder of Information Advantage and a Key Terrain Cyber Senior Fellow. He is a retired Marine Corps artillery officer, with previous assignments as the commanding officer of II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group (II MIG) and 1st ANGLICO. His combat deployments include serving as the Military Transition Team Leader in Habbaniyah, Iraq, the executive officer of Brigade Headquarters Group in Helmand Province, Afghanistan and Plans Director in Bagram, Afghanistan. Some of his notable staff assignments include: Operations Directorate at Marine Corps Special Operations Command, Operations Directorate at United States Cyber Command, and U.S. Plans Directorate at Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. He recently joined Peraton as a Cyber and Information Warfare subject matter expert. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/29109858

#178 John Davis on Four Operational Rules of the Road 12/12/2023

#178 John Davis on Four Operational Rules of the Road 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 Davis recaps Four Operational Rules of the Road, which are intended to prevent miscalculation and unintended escalation. John synthesized these Rules based upon many years experience in military uniform and after many conversations with global leaders and academics. Briefly, they are: transparency, SOPs for oversight, sharing threat intelligence, and banning third party actors. We also revisit some of the topics from John’s first Cognitive Crucible appearance. Research Question: John Davis asserts that there's been a lot of recent reporting about China's onslaught of disinformation oriented toward Taiwan and in the run up to the January elections. Reporting indicates that there may be important lessons in how Taiwan has handled this onslaught, including public education efforts with support from international media literacy partnerships as well as more active countermeasures by mature communities of fact-checkers, government investments and law enforcement investigations. He believes it would be a great research project to examine the techniques and capabilities employed by Taiwan and analyze the effectiveness, or lack thereof, to assist the U.S. in preparation for the 2024 presidential elections as well as our overall national effort to combat the information warfare efforts aimed at the country by Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and all of their surrogates. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned , Nov 2023 by Rick Howard Guest Bio: Retired U.S. Army Major General John Davis is the Vice President, Public Sector for Palo Alto Networks, where he is responsible for expanding cybersecurity initiatives and global policy for the international public sector and assisting governments around the world to prevent successful cyber breaches. Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, John served as the Senior Military Advisor for Cyber to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and also served as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy. Prior to this assignment, he served in multiple leadership positions in special operations, cyber, and information operations. John earned a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, Master of Military Art and Science from U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and Bachelor of Science from U.S. Military Academy at West Point. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/28990338

#177 Tom Kent on How Russia Loses 12/05/2023

#177 Tom Kent on How Russia Loses 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 discuss his latest book: . Vladimir Putin’s efforts to build influence abroad have succeeded in many places, leading some to see him as a master tactician whose skills are practically unbeatable. “How Russia Loses” takes a more skeptical approach, arguing that Russian influence operations have also been plagued by overconfidence and misjudgments, often repeating themselves in case after case. Thomas Kent’s book looks at six case studies where Russian fortunes suffered temporary or long-term reversals, and the reasons for those setbacks – from Russia’s own weaknesses to nimble responses by pro-democracy actors. The book spans Russian operations in Ukraine, Ecuador, South Africa and North Macedonia, as well as Moscow’s efforts to promote the Nordstream 2 pipeline and its Sputnik COVID vaccine. Kent offers an extensive analysis of common threads that have weakened Russian influence operations, and how the West can use this knowledge to respond more effectively to future efforts by Moscow. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned [Free Download] by Tom Kent https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-177 Guest Bio: Thomas Kent teaches and consults on Russian affairs, journalism, and the problems of propaganda and disinformation. President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty until 2018, he now teaches at Columbia University and consults for governments, NGOs, and news organizations. He is a senior fellow of The Jamestown Foundation and an associate fellow of Slovakia’s GLOBSEC. Previously, he was Moscow bureau chief for The Associated Press, head of AP’s international news coverage, and editor for standards and ethics. His first book, Striking Back: Overt and Covert Options to Combat Russian Disinformation, was published by Jamestown in 2020. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/28790388

#176 Bob Jones on Special Operations at a Crossroads and Strategic Influence 11/28/2023

#176 Bob Jones on Special Operations at a Crossroads and Strategic Influence 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 Jones returns to the Cognitive Crucible to discuss strategic influence and how the United States is at a crossroads. Additionally, we revisit Bob’s previous Cognitive Crucible appearance and discuss the importance of governance and taking other people’s perspectives. Research Question: Bob Jones suggests as interested student examine: Is political conflict internal to a single system inherently different than political conflict between two or more systems; and if so, how, why and so what? How is the modern Chinese effort to expand their sovereignty to match their expanded power distinct from, or similar to, the US efforts to do the same in the 1890 to 1914 timeframe? If one expands the definition of unconventional warfare (UW) to the leveraging of foreign political grievances to advance or secure one’s interests, do al Qaeda and ISIS conduct UW? Does the presence of absence of violence lend strategic insight to the nature of a political competition/conflict? If one accepts that AQ and ISIS wage UW campaigns, how does one best disrupt, defeat, or render irrelevant their efforts? Is counterinsurgency best thought of as a purely domestic, civilian-led activity; where, as in all domestic emergencies, the military is always in support, last in and first out? It has been offered that internal, revolutionary insurgency differs from democracy only in legality; and that causation is rooted in how some distinct demographic feels about the governance affecting their lives. How does this perspective affect counterinsurgency operations? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Mao Tse-tung by David Galula by Colin Gray by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick by David O. Stewart by Joseph J. Ellis by Scott Thorpe by Joshua Cooper Ramo by Jared Diamond Ph.D. by Sun Tzu https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-176 Guest Bio: Mr. Robert Jones is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel; a former Deputy District Attorney; a Fellow with the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), and the Senior Strategist at U.S. Special Operations Command. Currently serving as a member of the SOCOM J5 Donovan Group, Mr. Jones is responsible for leading innovative thinking on the strategic environment and understanding how it impacts factors critical to national security, such as competition, the character of conflict, deterrence and societal stability. Mr. Robert Jones is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel; a former Deputy District Attorney; and the Senior Strategist at U.S. Special Operations Command. Currently serving as a member of the SOCOM J5 Donovan Group, Mr. Jones is responsible for leading innovative thinking on the strategic environment and understanding how it impacts factors critical to national security, such as competition, the character of conflict, deterrence and societal stability. Mr. Jones’s principle focus is on the fundamental human aspects of political conflict. In a rapidly evolving strategic environment, good strategy is rooted in understanding what remains constant and why; while good tactics demands a realistic appreciation for what is different or changed. Successful campaigning demands a fusion of the two. He enjoys “wire brushing” concepts by routinely standing in front of tough audiences. None of these is tougher than those he faces in his role as a fixture in the Joint Special Operations University’s Enlisted Academy, applying a commonsense perspective to bring our most experienced Special Operators strategic insights they can actually use. This is also the third consecutive year that Mr. Jones has addressed the Air War College class during the Operational Design phase of their curriculum, sharing practical insights gleaned from his experiences. He has been a featured speaker at Universities as storied as Oxford, St Andrews, Stanford and Harvard; and has led professional development events with operational units across the SOCOM enterprise. Mr. Jones is also a Fellow with the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS). 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/28790353

#175 Ryan Ratcliffe on Cognitive Warfare 11/21/2023

#175 Ryan Ratcliffe on Cognitive Warfare 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, Marine Corps Maj Ryan Ratcliffe discusses his recent article entitled: . Our discussion covers national security challenges at the intersection of technology and cognition, information maneuver, and emerging offensive/defensive needs. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Majors Andrew MacDonald and Ryan Ratcliffe, U.S. Marine Corps New York Times Article: Books mentioned: by Kissinger, Schmidt, and Huttenlocher by Yuval Noah Harari by John Lewis Gaddis by David Epstein Guest Bio: Major Ratcliffe is an EA-6B electronic warfare officer and joint terminal attack controller assigned to the office of the chief of naval operations staff. Previously, he served in the office of the Deputy Commandant for Information, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. He holds a master of international public policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/28675803

#174 Kara Masick on Assessment Insights from Program Evaluation 11/14/2023

#174 Kara Masick on Assessment Insights from Program Evaluation 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, US Air Force Major Kara Masick discusses her thought-provoking article: . Our discussion covers her OIE assessment recovery journey. Like an alcoholic seeking sobriety by first admitting they have a problem and acknowledging where they’ve gone wrong, this essay is 12 confessions of her OIE assessment failures. During the discussion, she presents a new assessment metric that she calls: Most Likely Cause (MLC). Assessors should learn to think like an IT Helpdesk professional; like detectives discovering clues to find the most likely culprit, we can weigh relative likelihoods that our OIE had the effect compared to other potential causes. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Kara Masick by Peter H. Rossi by Peter H. Rossi, Mark W. Lipsey, Gary T. Henry By Shadish, Cook, Levitan Scriven, M. (1974). Maximizing the power of causal investigations: The modus operandi method. In (pp. 68–84). McCutchan Publishing Scriven, M. (2005). . . In Public Communication Campaigns (Fourth Edition, pp. 133–145). SAGE Publications, Inc. by Alan Kelly and Christopher Paul Guest Bio: Kara Masick is an Air Force 14F (Information Operations officer) with a passion for MISO/PSYOP who's worked mostly within Intel and Cyber organizations. She was the first 14F officially assigned to the J39 of the Information Warfare Numbered Air Force (16AF). She was sponsored by USSOCOM to study Psychology and is doing that within the Measurement Research methodology Evaluation and Statistics Lab at George Mason University (GMU) with the goal of improving her MISO operations and assessments contributions. Her dissertation research on persuasion uses Large Language Models to analyze text. Previously, she studied theology at the University of Oxford (certificate), Behavioral Science (BS) with Religious Studies and Arabic minors at the Air Force Academy, and Sociology (MA) at GMU. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/28337642

#173 John Gentry on Active Measures, Reflexive Control, and Useful Idiots 11/07/2023

#173 John Gentry on Active Measures, Reflexive Control, and Useful Idiots 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 Gentry discusses long-term influence strategies employed by the former Soviet Union, which remain ongoing today. The conversation covers a wide range of related topics including reflexive control, useful idiots, institutions, diaspora, plus more. Research Question: John Gentry suggests that an interested student examine vulnerabilities that attackers identify, what causes them, and how to ameliorate them. For starters, he describes three general categories: ideology, gullibility, and interests (for example: financial). Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned by Dries Putter and Sascha-Dominik Bachmann by John Davies, Alexander Kent, and James Risen by John Gentry Guest Bio: Dr. John A. Gentry is an adjunct professor with the School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University. He writes regularly on intelligence topics and security issues more generally. Dr. Gentry has an economics background and received a Ph.D. in political science from the George Washington University. His most recently published book is Neutering the CIA: Why US Intelligence versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences. 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, . Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. /episode/index/show/cognitivecrucible/id/28337570

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