During this episode, Jeff Edmonds and Sam Bendett --both of whom are Russian specialists with the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA)--discuss their recently published report: AI and Autonomy in Russia . Funded by the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), the report covers everything from ethical considerations, to Russian entrepreneurship, to human capital gaps within the Russian citizenry. Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bios : Samuel Bendett is an Adviser with CNA Strategy, Pol...
Jun 22, 2021•35 min
During this thought provoking episode, Prof. Yaneer Bar-Yam discusses the nature of complex systems and complexity science. Our discussion covers the cacophony of signals within the information environment and how complexity science provides tools for understanding system dynamics. Prof. Bar-Yam also reports his scientific findings related to the COVID pandemic which he and his colleagues at NECSI have observed. He asserts that values are emergent properties of our cultural and social systems an...
Jun 15, 2021•43 min
During this episode, US Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder discusses the evolution of military public affairs, media relations, and strategic communications. Our discussion covers how public affairs integrates with other information related capabilities, partnerships with other agencies, and trust in media. Link to full show notes Guest Bio : Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder is the Director of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. In addition to ...
Jun 08, 2021•32 min
During this episode, Carm Cicalese of Cyber CIC discusses military and corporate risk. Carm is bringing his considerable military leadership and information operations experience into the boardroom and helping corporate customers think about cyber, information, and cognitive risk in new ways. Perspectives on risk are evolving as is the entire information environment; Carm walks through his most current thinking about how organizations should mitigate risk. Link to full show notes Guest Bio : Car...
Jun 01, 2021•1 hr 1 min
During this episode, Dr. Leigh Armistead , President of Peregrine Technical Solutions and the Chief Editor of the Journal of Information Warfare, discusses practical steps people can take to secure their homes and devices in order to protect themselves from information warfare, hacks, and cyber threats. He also talks about the 20th year anniversary of the Journal of Information Warfare and how the journal will revisit the articles published in its very first issue. Link to full show notes Guest ...
May 25, 2021•32 min
During this episode, Dr. Tod Schuck of Lockheed Martin discusses Command and Control (C2) and the importance of information maneuverability. Our wide ranging conversation covers Shannon information theory, cybernetics, the evolution of C2, business, the "million dollar microsecond," as well as military applications. We conclude with Schuck’s new formulation of the OODA loop, where he adds an explicit cognitive dimension: the C-OODA loop. Full Show Notes with Resources Guest Bio : Dr. Tod Schuck ...
May 18, 2021•45 min
During this episode, Mr. Phil Chudoba discusses technology acquisition at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Our conversation covers NGA’s mission, how NGA facilitates operations in the information environments, as well as NGA’s “moonshot” initiative. Link to full show notes Guest Bio : Mr. Phillip C. Chudoba serves as the Associate Director for Capabilities, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. In this capacity, he is responsible for defining the strategic direction of the agency ...
May 11, 2021•43 min
Mr. Toomas Hendrik Ilves , who was the President of Estonia from 2006-2016, discusses a variety of cyber, information operations, and cognitive security topics including: Russian influence, cyber operations vs. kinetic operations, anti-vaxxer disinformation, coding education, and technology adoption in the United States. The episode concludes with Toomas passing along social media security advice to digital native youths. Full show notes : here Bio : Toomas Hendrik Ilves is an Estonian politicia...
May 04, 2021•49 min
During this episode, LTC Erica Mitchell discusses the Army Cyber Institute’s Jack Voltaic (JV) project , which studies response gaps alongside assembled partners to identify interdependencies among critical infrastructure sectors, provide recommendations, and prevent strategic surprise. JV provides an innovative, bottom‐up approach to critical infrastructure resilience in two unique ways. Whereas most federal efforts to improve resiliency focus on regional or multistate emergency response, JV fo...
Apr 27, 2021•35 min
During this episode, VADM Joe Dyer USN (Ret.) recaps his service on the Section 809 Panel , which was chartered by the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). He also discusses 5G technology, investment strategy, enterprise portfolio management, changing from process to product, and the Congressionally-funded National Spectrum Consortium . Full show notes Bio : Vice Admiral Joseph W. Dyer USN (Ret.) is Chief Strategy Officer for the National Spectrum Consortium . He was a C-Level execu...
Apr 20, 2021•54 min
LtGen Lori Reynolds leads the Marine Corps’ modernization efforts related to operations in the information environment. During this episode, our wide ranging discussion covers competition, professional military education, authorities, technology, and partnerships. Full Show Notes with Links and Resources Bio : Lieutenant General Reynolds was commissioned in May 1986 upon graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and assigned as a Communications Officer. As a Company grade officer, she served in var...
Apr 13, 2021•41 min
During this episode, one of the principal authors of Marine Corps Doctrinal Pub (MCDP) 1-4 (“Competing”), Col Bill Vivian , USMC (ret.), discusses the creation of this timely document. After recapping the Marine Corps' capstone doctrinal publication, which is called "Warfighting," he then offers a perspective on the evolution of information operations and great power competition from the vantage of a career infantry officer. More information about the Phoenix Challenge conference with Keynote by...
Apr 06, 2021•35 min
During this episode, Mr. Shomit Ghose of ONSET Ventures outlines the difference between marginal and disruptive innovation. We also talk about the embodiment of the Red Queen Hypothesis and the OODA loop in today’s competitive business climate where companies are expected to innovate quickly in order to stay ahead of their competition. Shomit asserts that the big tech companies are outpacing most others, which has analogues for national security, as well. We conclude the episode talking about dr...
Mar 30, 2021•24 min
During this episode, MAJ Jessica Dawson of the Army Cyber Institute at West Point shares recent research about the social media ecosystem and how it is being weaponized. We also discuss the concept of identity and a new framework for understanding narrative weaponization for the purposes of mobilization and radicalization. Our conversation concludes with Jess’ policy and regulatory recommendations for mitigating risk. Link to full show notes and resources Bio : MAJ Jessica Dawson is a native of ...
Mar 23, 2021•34 min
During this episode, Emma Chiu of Wunderman Thompson discusses global trends which affect brands as well as the competition for attention. She describes growing anxiety and a sense of urgency as some trends--especially trends mapped to digital and technology capabilities--seem to have accelerated during the COVID crisis. Brands are also grappling with Gen Z consumers and how they are driving cultural shifts; for example, Emma describes how younger generations engage in employee activism and are ...
Mar 16, 2021•55 min
During this episode, Mr. August Cole discusses fictional intelligence (or FICINT) and how it can help leaders understand emerging concepts such as the cognitive warfighting domain. August observes that plausible fictionalized future scenarios which are rooted in academic research communicate to leaders and decision makers better than do white papers and powerpoint slides. He also emphasizes the importance of experimentation and stress testing ideas. One of August’s primary goals with his writing...
Mar 09, 2021•38 min
During this episode, Dr. Greg Treverton , who was the Director of the National Intelligence Council during the second Obama Administration, provides an Intelligence Community perspective on the information problem. Our wide ranging conversation covers findings contained in the 2017 Global Trends Report including vivid warnings about disease and climate-related national security matters. Greg has also written extensively about data governance and how data should be at the very top of our manageme...
Mar 02, 2021•45 min
During this episode, former CIA leader, George Beebe , discusses the nature of wicked problems. The wide ranging discussion covers complex adaptive systems, feedback loops, inadvertent nuclear escalation, leaderless organizations, information access, and extremist radicalization. Link to full show notes and resources Bio : George Beebe is Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for the National Interest , a foreign affairs think tank. He spent more than two decades in government as ...
Feb 23, 2021•38 min
During this episode, Dr. Chase Cunningham discusses the evolving nature of cyber. He asserts that cyber is a key component of national policy, national capability, and warfare. We touch on the concept of a perimeter and why he asserts the “perimeter is dead.” Additionally, Chase recounts examples of COVID-related disinformation and deepfake technologies which have ramifications both in national security and corporate security. The conversation shifts gears into a discussion about Cynja , which i...
Feb 16, 2021•28 min
During this episode, Dr. Jan Kallberg and COL Stephen Hamilton of the Army Cyber Institute at West Point discuss their recent article, “ How To Protect Troops From An Assault In The Cognitive Domain .” After reviewing some historical examples where the will to fight influenced decisively military outcomes, Jan and Stephen discuss how information is likely being used in a modern version of battlefield prep--eroding the will to fight both in the military and across the homeland. Then, they mention...
Feb 09, 2021•35 min
This is a very special dual release episode of the Cognitive Crucible. Our friends over at the PSYWAR podcast are also releasing this via their channel. During this episode, IPA founding member, Austin Branch , is joined by COL Jeremy Mushtare , who commands the US Army’s 8th Psychological Operations Group. Jeremy discusses PSYOP manpower matters and then Austin contrasts roles and responsibilities between PSYOP soldiers and FA30s who tend to be more on the staff integration side of information ...
Feb 02, 2021•42 min
During this episode, James Farwell discusses his views on strategic communications and information warfare. He contrasts Russian and Chinese modern warfare strategies and uses many historic and modern vignettes to support his assertions. NIKE, he asserts, has mastered the art of strategic communications with their marketing campaigns which resonate with heroic narratives as old as humanity. Show notes and links to resources here . James P. Farwell is an author and national security expert in inf...
Jan 26, 2021•31 min
Prioritizing and funding cognitive and information-related capability is challenging. During this episode, Mark Mitchell recaps recent efforts within the Department of Defense as well as other United States government interagency efforts which have not reached their full potential. Bio: Mark Mitchell is a former senior executive in the Department of Defense who served most recently as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD(SO/LIC))...
Jan 19, 2021•43 min
What influence plays are being run against us? How do they work? And how are they countered or co-opted? During this episode, Alan Kelly discusses strategic communications and how his Taxonomy of Influence Strategies may be used to see past the messaging and into the motives of competitors. His recently published co-authored piece, “ Decoding Crimea ,” contains a compelling case study that taps his taxonomy to expose the moves and methods of Vladimir Putin’s IO playbook. Link to show notes and r...
Jan 12, 2021•42 min
During this episode, John Davis draws on many decades of special operations, information operations and cyber-related experiences and passes along advice to today’s military information professionals who are on the front lines of modern warfare. Since the mid-1980s, information operators have worked hard to gain trust within the Department of Defense, and today’s cohort must maintain this trust. Furthermore, collaboration amongst allies, government agencies, and even commercial firms is more cri...
Jan 05, 2021•44 min
On behalf of IPA, thank you for being part of the community and listening to The Cognitive Crucible podcast. This episode recaps the book and other online material recommendations from the Cognitive Crucible guests so far. See the show notes page for links to these resources: Click here for full show notes & resources 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 he...
Dec 31, 2020•58 min
During this episode, Dr. James Mulvenon of SOSI compares and contrasts Russian and Chinese information operations. After describing his robust team of linguists, James discusses collections efforts, sovereignty and the Chinese diaspora, and sharing of tactics, techniques, and procedures between Russia and China. Click here for full show notes & resources Bio: Dr. James Mulvenon is Director of Intelligence Integration for SOSi ’s Defense and Intelligence Group, where he has recruited and trai...
Dec 29, 2020•55 min
During this episode, Pete Villano discusses US Congressional oversight and authorities. During his time as Professional Staff with the House Armed Services Committee from 2010 through 2020, Pete helped politicians and other governmental leaders grapple with new national security threats and the new era of great power competition. The conversation concludes with Pete describing the pace of technological change and making the case that the United States government must innovate faster. Click here ...
Dec 22, 2020•35 min
During this episode, Dr. Chris Paul discusses his co-authored article, the Firehose of Falsehood . The discussion covers distinctive features of contemporary Russian Propaganda including, how it works, why it works, and psychological underpinnings. Dr. Paul provides numerous examples, discusses blind-spot bias, and talks about ways that we might mitigate disinformation. Click here for full show notes & resources Bio: Christopher Paul is a senior social scientist at the RAND Corporation and p...
Dec 15, 2020•43 min
During this episode, MAJ Ash Holzmann discusses psychological operations, the nature of propaganda, the philosophical underpinnings of propaganda, along with numerous historical examples. Click here for full show notes & resources MAJ Ash Holzmann is a horror writer, satirist, poet, artist, and Psychological Operations Officer in the U.S. Army Special Operations community. The opinions expressed by Ashley are his own and not representative of the Department of Defense or the United States Ar...
Dec 08, 2020•34 min
