The Cognitive Crucible

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Dr. 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 #150 Jill Goldenziel on China and the Philippines #151 Daniel Runde on Chinese Soft Power Seafloor Mining Dragons in the West: Chinese Communist Party Threats in Europe and the Imperative of a Strategic Pivot by Joanna Siekiera What We Know About Deep-sea Mining — And What We Don’t "21st Century as the Pacific Century: Culture and Security of Oceania States in Great Power Competition" by Joanna Siekiera "Security in Indo-Pacific and development of Oceania: Commonwealth’s presence in the region" by Joanna Siekiera Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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 #7 Randy Rosin on Russia and Applied Cybernetics #100 Rand Waltzman on the Metaverse and Immersive Virtual Reality Propaganda Universe: 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. Norbert Wiener Heinz von Foerster Dialectical Materialism Digital Forensics Research Lab Diane Chotikul, The Soviet Theory of Reflexive Control in Historical and Psychocultural Perspective: A Preliminary Study, July 1986. Russian Operations in Georgia: Lessons Identified Versus Lessons Learned by Keir Giles Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President: What We Don't, Can't, and Do Know by Kathleen Hall Jamieson Structure of Awareness: Symbolic Language Human Reflection by Vladimir A. Lefebvre Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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: YouTube Presentation Link to full show notes and 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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 #144 Nick Eberstadt on Demographics Chinese Politics in the Xi Jinping Era: Reassessing Collective Leadership by Cheng Li Middle Class Shanghai: Reshaping U.S.-China Engagement by Cheng Li  Censored: Distraction and Diversion Inside China's Great Firewall by Dr. Molly Roberts Intelligence Matters podcast: Chinese Cognitive Warfare Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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: Hybrid Warfare: The Russian Approach to Strategic Competition and Conventional Military Conflict. 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 #144 Nick Eberstadt on Demographics Hybrid Warfare: The Russian Approach to Strategic Competition and Conventional Military Conflict About Curtis Fox Hybrid Warfare: The Russian Approach to Strategic Competition and Conventional Military Conflict by Curtis Fox Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared M. Diamond Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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 #22 James Mulvenon on Our Peer Adversaries #174 Kara Masick on Assessment Insights from Program Evaluation US air force says fighter jet test is ‘coincidence’ after Trump’s Iran threat Language Enabled Airman Program (LEAP) [3-min Youtube] The Wisdom of Psychopaths: Kevin Dutton The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success by Kevin Dutton F.I.R.E.: How Fast, Inexpensive, Restrained, and Elegant Methods Ignite Innovation by Dan Ward Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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 #148 Kalev Leetaru on GDELT #115 Russ Burgos on Information Supply, Demand, and Effect #174 Kara Masick on Assessment Insights from Program Evaluation Meltwater Carpe Datum Cambridge Disinformation Summit UK RESIST 2 Framework World Economic Forum Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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: Media Literacy Index Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity by Sander van der Linden Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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 #85 Josh Kerbel on Complexity and Anticipatory Intelligence #176 Bob Jones on Special Operations at a Crossroads and Strategic Influence Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior by Leonard Mlodinow Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking by Leonard Mlodinow The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity by Sander van der Linden Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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. Can archetypes be modeled, analyzed, and applied in support of national security? During this episode, Joseph Lee discusses Carl Jung, collective consciousness, and archetypes. Our wide ranging discussion covers a comparison between Jung and Freud, Joseph Campbell’s work on myth and the hero’s journey, the Marvel universe as a modern day collection of stories about gods, the power of rituals, and archetype emergence.  Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #77 Paul Lopata on Quantum The Jungian Life Podcast Episode 179: The Archetype of War Joseph R. Lee’s Webpage DreamSchool The Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts Apotheosis of Washington Mural Century of the Self Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari Guest Bio:  Joseph R. Lee is a Jungian Analyst in private practice in Southern VA. He is co-host and co-creator of This Jungian Life podcast, as well as the online learning program DreamSchool, where people learn how to interpret their own dreams. He is president emeritus of The Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts that provides analytic training. 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

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: The Tie that Binds – Cyberspace as the Core of All Domain Maneuver Warfare. 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 Cyber Fires Episode Dr. Christopher Whyte’s piece in the latest Cyber Defense Review titled Beyond "Bigger, Faster, Better:" Assessing Thinking About Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Conflict.  Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #13 Brian Russell on Behind Enemy Lines #132 Brian Russell on OIE Truths The Tie that Binds – Cyberspace as the Core of All Domain Maneuver Warfare by Brian Russell Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture (JCWA) Expeditionary Cyberspace Operations, Paul Schuh, Cyber Defense Review Beyond “Bigger, Faster, Better:” Assessing Thinking About Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Conflict by Dr. Christopher Whyte Cyber Fires, Phoenix Cast PW Singer and Emerson T Brooking, Foreign Affairs) Gaza and the Future of Information Warfare  Wiring the Winning Organization: Liberating Our Collective Greatness through Slowification, Simplification, and Amplification by Gene Kim and Steven J. Spear Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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 #24 John Davis on Modern Warfare, Teamwork, and Commercial Cognitive Security #166 John Agnello on Information Advantage Army Doctrinal Publication 3-13 INFORMATION, Nov 2023 Cybersecurity First Principles: A Reboot of Strategy and Tactics by Rick Howard  Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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: How Russia Loses: Hubris and Miscalculation in Putin’s Kremlin. 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 #10 Tom Kent on Striking Back #105 Tom Kent on Persuasion in the Developing World #25 Alan Kelly on Mapping the Strategies of IO Actors #151 Daniel Runde on Chinese Soft Power [Free Download] How Russia Loses: Hubris and Miscalculation in Putin’s Kremlin by Tom Kent Taxonomy of Influence Strategies Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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 #56 Bob Jones on Governance Emerging Strategic & Geopolitical Challenges: Operational Implications for US Combatant Commands (Volume III) U.S. Command Perspectives on Campaigning in Support of Integrated Deterrence (Volume IV) Casebooks on insurgency On Guerrilla Warfare by Mao Tse-tung Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice by David Galula Fighting Talk: Forty Maxims on War, Peace, and Strategy by Colin Gray The Ugly American by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented The Constitution by David O. Stewart Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis How to Think Like Einstein: Simple Ways to Break the Rules and Discover Your Hidden Genius by Scott Thorpe The Age of the Unthinkable:  Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us and What We Can Do About It by Joshua Cooper Ramo Guns, Germs, and Steele: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond Ph.D. The Art of War by Sun Tzu Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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: Cognitive Warfare: Maneuvering in the Human Dimension. 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 #38 Lori Reynolds on Operations in the Information Environment #95 LtGen Matthew Glavy on MCDP 8 Information #85 Josh Kerbel on Complexity and Anticipatory Intelligence #47 Yaneer Bar-Yam on Complex Systems and the War on Ideals #72 Noah Komnick on Cybernetics and the Age of Complexity #121 Koichiro Takagi on East Asia Security #37 Bill Vivian on MCDP 1-4 Competing Cognitive Warfare: Maneuvering in the Human Dimension by Majors Andrew MacDonald and Ryan Ratcliffe, U.S. Marine Corps New York Times Article: China Sows Disinformation About Hawaii Fires Using New Techniques Marine Corps MCDP 1-4 Competing Books mentioned: The Age of AI: And Our Human Future by Kissinger, Schmidt, and Huttenlocher Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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: 12 (Mis)Steps from Sober Assessments: Confessions of a Failed OIE Assessor. 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 #83 Joseph Lee on Jung and Archetypes #130 Teasel Muir-Harmony on Spaceflight, Foreign Policy, and Soft Power #25 Alan Kelly on Mapping the Strategies of IO Actors IPA Blog Article: 12 (Mis)Steps from Sober Assessments: Confessions of a Failed OIE Assessor by Kara Masick The Iron Law Of Evaluation And Other Metallic Rules by Peter H. Rossi Evaluation: A Systematic Approach by Peter H. Rossi, Mark W. Lipsey, Gary T. Henry Foundations of Program Evaluation: Theories of Practice By Shadish, Cook, Levitan Scriven, M. (1974). Maximizing the power of causal investigations: The modus operandi method. In Evaluation in education (pp. 68–84). McCutchan Publishing Scriven, M. (2005). The Logic and Methodology of Checklists. McGuire’s Classic Input–Output Framework for Constructing Persuasive Messages. In Public Communication Campaigns (Fourth Edition, pp. 133–145). SAGE Publications, Inc. Decoding Crimea. Pinpointing the Influence Strategies of Modern Information Warfare by Alan Kelly and Christopher Paul Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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 #76 Yuval Levin on the Constitution & Institutions Influence Operations of China, Russia, and the Soviet Union: A Comparison – Nipp John A. Gentry, Information Operations against the United States: Defensive Actions are Needed, No. 556, June 12, 2023 – Nipp Russia and China expected to renew their espionage vigour by Dries Putter and Sascha-Dominik Bachmann Russia and China Expected to Renew their Espionage Vigour The Red Atlas: How the Soviet Union Secretly Mapped the World by John Davies, Alexander Kent, and James Risen Neutering the CIA: Why US Intelligence versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences by John Gentry Link to full show notes and resources 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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, Steve Hunnewell of Premise Data discusses geopolitical risk in Asia and the grey zone. Our conversation covers the rise of China and its implications for the global order, the growing strategic competition between China and the United States in Asia, the concept of hybrid warfare and how China and other countries use it, and the need for better integration of commercial solutions and implications for operations in the information environment.  Research Question: Steve Hunnewell suggests an interested student examine the following: assess the “infinite game” and assess our positions of advantage?  How do we better integrate commercial solutions, public-private partnerships, etc to create an in-depth approach to creating resiliency? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #150 Jill Goldenziel on China and the Philippines #166 John Agnello on Information Advantage Persuade or Perish by Wallace Carroll Spies and Lies: How China's Greatest Covert Operations Fooled the World by Alex Joske Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio:  Before joining Premise Data, Steve Hunnewell was the Director of the Information Office for the United States Indo-Pacific Command. In this unique role, he served as the inaugural senior executive for strategic communications guidance and strategy, which focused on using data to improve the command's ability to engage within the information domain. Hunnewell's previous public service supported a wide range of special operations, diplomatic, and strategic communications issues throughout the U.S. government, including serving as a Strategic Advisor for Information Operations on the NATO ISAF Counterinsurgency Advisory & Assistance Team (CAAT), U.S. DoD liaison for Afghan Reconciliation & Reintegration to the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) & the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA); with additional roles and assignments in Ukraine, the Levant, Latin America, and Asia. Hunnewell also has extensive experience in the private sector. He has held leadership positions at technology firms such as Novetta and Two Six Technologies. In these roles, he has worked on various issues, including leading product innovation and developing solutions that identify events, rhetoric, and behavior patterns, thus yielding actionable insights into relationships between messengers, messages, and audiences. Steve's graduate studies and degrees include an MBA from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College and international affairs at The Fletcher School at Tufts 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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, Molly Dwyer, Vice President of Analysis at Predata, discusses how she and her colleagues unlock the other side of the Internet. Predata is the only web-based platform that quantifies shifts in online attention–how audiences research and consume information–to provide a more complete picture of the geopolitical landscape. The Predata platform enables government and commercial organizations to incorporate insights from an often overlooked dataset into their strategy and operations. Research Question: Molly suggests an interested student investigate ways to identify early signals or breadcrumbs on the Internet which indicate a shift in messaging before it happens? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #129 Eliot Jardines on Open Source Intelligence The 90-9-1 Rule for Participation Inequality in Social Media and Online Communities by Jakob Nielsen PreData FiscalNote Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism by Anne Applebaum  Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: Molly is Vice President of Analysis at Predata, part of FiscalNote, an open-source intelligence company based in Washington D.C. Predata’s unique web-based analytics platform quantifies how online audiences consume and research information. The Predata platform enables users to analyze the “other side of the internet” beyond social media—understanding how web traffic patterns and online research behaviors help reveal the true reach of messaging, identifying the impact of disinformation, and uncovering early indicators of offline activity. In her seven-year career at Predata, Molly has played a key role in shaping the company’s data research, product development, intelligence analysis, and relationships with customers from the public and private sectors. As a Russia/Eurasia subject matter expert, she has spent several years living and traveling across the region—including a Department of State posting at the U.S. Consulate in Yekaterinburg, Russia and a year of immersive language study as a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship recipient. She is a graduate of Princeton 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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. Ben Zweibelson, Director, USSPACECOM Strategic Innovation Group (SIG), discusses his book 'Beyond the Pale: Designing Military Decision-Making Anew.' The discussion cover’s Ben philosophy related to managing the inter-war period we are experiencing, and his perspective on complexity. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #85 Josh Kerbel on Complexity and Anticipatory Intelligence #47 Yaneer Bar-Yam on Complex Systems and the War on Ideals #110 Sean McFate on The New Rules of War #73 Ori Brafman on The Starfish, Spider, and Resilient Societies PART I: The Singleton Paradox: On the Future of Human-Machine Teaming and Potential Disruption of War Itselfby Ben Zweibelson, PhD PART II: Whale Songs of Wars Not Yet Waged: The Demise of Natural-Born Killers through Human-Machine Teamings Yet to Come by Ben Zweibelson, PhD Types and Forms of Emergence by Jochen Fromm Earth Liberation Front Understanding the Military Design Movement: War, Change and Innovation by Ben Zweibelson, PhD Beyond the Pale: Designing Military Decision-Making Anew by Ben Zweibelson, PhD Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: Dr. Ben Zweibelson is the director of the U.S. Space Command’s Strategic Innovation Group at Peterson Space Force Base, CO. A retired Army infantry officer with combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, the Ranger Tab, four Bronze Star medals, and various awards and citations in his 22 years combined service. He previously worked for U.S. Special Operations Command for seven years, running all design education, theory, and outreach for the Joint Special Operations University. He has a doctorate in philosophy, three master’s degrees, and an undergraduate degree in graphic design. He has two design books forthcoming in the summer of 2023. 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 communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.