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, Rand Waltzman returns to the Cognitive Crucible to discuss his famous Disinformation 101 series.

Recording Date: 18 Nov 2024

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #1 Rand Waltzman on Cognitive Security
  • #100 Rand Waltzman on the Metaverse and Immersive Virtual Reality
• Disinformation 101 LinkedIn Posts:
  • Cognitive Technical Cyber Hacking
  • Cognitive Denial of Service Tip 1
  • Cognitive Denial of Service Tip 2
  • Exploit the Need to Believe
  • Sowing Seeds of Discord (Part 1)
• The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

Link to full show notes and resources

Guest Bio: Dr. Rand Waltzman has 40 years of experience performing and managing research in Artificial Intelligence applied to domains including social media and cognitive security in the information environment. He is former Deputy Chief Technology Officer and currently an Adjunct Senior Information Scientist at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, CA. He is also a founding board member of the Information Professionals Association.

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, Kay Nissen discusses her Army’s Command and General Staff College thesis entitled: Second Mover Advantage In The Military Information Environment. This thesis examines second-mover advantage theory within the military information environment. It aims to offer military planners alternative strategies beyond the traditional emphasis on seizing the initiative, proposing a secondary response framework. The research explores how to create a second-mover advantage, focusing on response timing and type through a mixed-methods approach.

The conversation also touched on the challenges of implementing theories in practice, the importance of cooperative partners, consistency, and information tempo, and the potential research areas in this field.

Recording Date: 8 Nov 2024

Research Questions: Kay Nissen suggests interested students examine:

• What makes a cooperative partner in order to create a second mover advantage?
• How does information tempo compare to influence timing?
• How do second mover advantages appear in different information functions?

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #190 Army Command and General Staff Information Advantage Scholars Symposium
  • #195 Michael Zequeira on the Effects of Social Media on Military Recruiting
  • #205 Nick Loui on Transforming Chaotic Data into Actionable Intelligence
• Kay Nissen’s thesis: Second Mover Advantage In The Military Information Environment will be available here
• Rebels to Reels: A biography of Combat Cameraman Daniel A. McGovern USAF by Joseph McCabe
• Nobody Is Coming to Save You: A Green Beret's Guide to Getting Big Sh*t Done Hardcover by Scott Mann

Link to full show notes and resources

Guest Bio:

Maj. Kay M. Nissen is the commander, 2d Audiovisual Squadron, at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. As the commander, she oversees the squadron’s mission to create effective audiovisual productions on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense. She is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Total Force Airmen and Government Service civilians to operate an Air Force level production center and employ the Air Force’s only live broadcast truck.

Maj. Nissen received her commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in May of 2011. She has served as a public affairs officer for both fighter and airlift wings, as well as in support of NATO and Major Command staffs. She has also deployed as a media engagements officer for the NATO Resolute Support mission in Kabul, Afghanistan, and as a Chief of Public Affairs for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing in the United Arab Emirates. Prior to this position, Maj. Nissen was a student and Information Advantage Scholar at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

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, Chris Stirewalt discusses the state of media as presented in his latest book: Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back. Chris believes that a major component of the challenges faced by news consumers can be explained by “demand side” dynamics. We also discuss KayFabe and News/Political Operatives.

Recording Date: 6 Aug 2024

Research Question: Guest suggests as interested student examine:

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #62 Jonathan Rauch on the Constitution of Knowledge
  • #76 Yuval Levin on the Constitution & Institutions
• Chris Stirewalt Dispatch
• Chris Stirewalt AEI
• Chris Stirewalt wikipedia
• Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back by Chris Stirewalt
• KayFabe

Link to full show notes and resources

Guest Bio: Chris Stirewalt is a contributing editor at The Dispatch, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, the politics editor for NewsNation and anchor of The Hill Sunday, co-host of the Ink Stained Wretches podcast, and author of Broken News, a book on media and politics.

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, Nick Loui of PeakMetrics discusses the evolution of the internet, challenges posed by fragmented platforms, and the importance of addressing misinformation. Nick explores the dynamics of social media, particularly TikTok, and the need for companies to proactively manage their online reputation. Our conversation also covered data processing challenges, sentiment analysis, and the significance of narrative in understanding online trends.

Recording Date: 10 Oct 2024

Research Question: Nick Loui suggests an interested student or researcher examine correlating earned media impact to outcome, which is challenged due to data privacy issues.

Resources:

• PeakMetrics
• Nick Loui on LinkedIn
• PeakMetrics narrative intelligence guide
• Harmony Labs
• Large Multimodal Models
• Okta Statement on LAPSUS$
• Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

Link to full show notes and resources

Guest Bio:

Nick Loui is the Co-Founder and CEO of PeakMetrics, a leading company specializing in AI-driven narrative threat intelligence. They assist organizations in various sectors by identifying and forecasting the evolution of adversarial messages online. As concerns about social media manipulation continue to rise alongside the proliferation of generative AI, PeakMetrics’ innovative approach has gained recognition and received awards such as the NSIN COVID-19 Disinformation Challenge and the BAE Fast Labs Partner of the Year. Their technology supports a diversity of complex issues, including crisis management, financial manipulation, and countering state-sponsored propaganda.

Prior to founding PeakMetrics, Nick served as the Chief Marketing Officer of an ad-tech startup. During his time, the startup expanded from its initial hire to a team of over 80 members and secured over $70M in funding. He began his career as an engineer and digital marketer, helping Ashton Kutcher become the first person to amass a million followers on Twitter. Nick has been featured by Forbes and garnered viral attention on HackerNews and TechCrunch for his creation of "Parrot.vc," a generative AI tool that humorously targeted the VC community. Nick has held leadership positions at NEXUS, a global community dedicated to bridging the gap between individuals of wealth and social entrepreneurship, and Out in Tech, a global non-profit that supports 50k LGBTQIA+ tech workers in 32 cities.

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, Genia Simkin discusses his firm’s Samizdat technology which makes it possible to bypass DNS blockades set up by autocratic regimes.

Recording Date: 5 Aug 2024

Research Question: Genia Simkin suggests as interested student examine OSINT practices. For example, would it be possible to get an accurate sense (census, poll, survey, etc.) of how various populations that live in fear of and under the repressive rule of governments like those in Russia, Iran, or China feel about their governments' various policies and other important geopolitical questions so as to better understand what kinds of propaganda that they're subjected to is effective and they're able to see past?

Resources:

• Samizdat Online makes it possible to bypass the DNS blockades set up by autocratic regimes. Through Samizdat Online, you will be able to access censored media from around the globe and share freely, without VPN.
• Samizdat = the clandestine copying and distribution of literature banned by the state, especially formerly in the communist countries of eastern Europe.
• Yevgeny Simkin Bulwark site
• Alfred North Whitehead Quote: “Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking of them.”
• I, Pencil: My Family Tree by Leonard E. Read
• Wayback Machine
• Fact Checks and Context for Wayback Machine Pages by Mark Graham
• I Love Russia: Reporting from a Lost Country by Elena Kostyuchenko, Bela Shayevich, Ilona Yazhbin Chavasse
• Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West by Catherine Belton

Link to full show notes and resources

Guest Bio:

Yevgeny (Genia) Simkin is a technologist, analyst, comedian, musician, and entrepreneur who fled with his family to the US from the former Soviet Union in 1978, during the mass Soviet Jewish exodus of the 70s.

Over the last 25 years, Simkin has developed a multitude of software products for the likes of CBS News, YouTube, USA Today, and, many other global media and tech companies. Additionally he's a regular contributor to The Bulwark and has intended but failed to find the time to write multiple insightful and arguably books on the ways in which humanity has failed to realize its potential.

Last year, after Russia invaded Ukraine, Yevgeny co-founded Samizdat Online, an anti-censorship media platform that uses unique IP to make it possible to bypass Internet blocking commonly practiced by autocratic regimes such as Putin’s.

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, Doug Abdiel "reverse-interviews" John Bicknell, the CEO|Founder of More Cowbell Unlimited 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
  • #47 Yaneer Bar-Yam on Complex Systems and the War on Ideals
  • #85 Josh Kerbel on Complexity and Anticipatory Intelligence
  • #148 Kalev Leetaru on GDELT
• More Cowbell Unlimited
• YouTube: More Cowbell SNL Skit
• The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on our Capacity for Processing Information by George A. Miller
• Maxwell's Demon and the Golden Apple: Global Discord in the New Millennium by Randall L. Schweller
• Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek

Link to full show notes and resources

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 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.