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, IPA founding board member, Dr. Rand Waltzman, returns to the Cognitive Crucible to discuss the Metaverse and his popular Disinformation 101 series. Our wide ranging discussion covers cognitive challenges related to immersive virtual reality environments, sensor technology, emerging influence methods, cognitive behavioral therapy, affective computing, and kayfabe.

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #83 Joseph Lee on Jung and Archetypes
  • #47 Yaneer Bar-Yam on Complex Systems and the War on Ideals
  • #90 Dave Acosta on Informationally Disadvantaged
  • #64 Greg Radabaugh on Informational Power
  • #82 John DeRosa and Alex Del Castillo on Measuring Effectiveness of Operations in the Information Environment
  • #81 Cassandra Brooker on the Effectiveness of Influence Activities
  • #69 Matt Venhaus on ARLIS & the Cognitive Security Proving Ground
  • #38 Lori Reynolds on Operations in the Information Environment
  • #75 Todd Manyx on the MCIOC
  • #1 Rand Waltzman on Cognitive Security
• Rand Waltzmans' Disinformation 101 Series
• GPT-3
• New Age Bullshit Generator
• The Humbugs of the World: An Account of Humbugs, Delusions, Impositions, Quackeries, Deceits and Deceivers Generally, in All Ages by Phineas Taylor Barnum
• Kayfabe
• WHAT SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT WOULD IMPROVE EVERYBODY'S COGNITIVE TOOLKIT: Kayfabe by Eric R. Weinstein
• Affective Computing

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-100

Guest Bio:

Dr. Waltzman has 35 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 formerly Deputy Chief Technology Officer and a Senior Information Scientist at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, CA. Prior to joining RAND, he was the acting Chief Technology Officer of the Software Engineering Institute (Washington, DC) of Carnegie Mellon University. Before that he did a five-year tour as a Program Manager in the Information Innovation Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where he created and managed the Social Media in Strategic Communications (SMISC) program and the Anomaly Detection at Multiple Scales (ADAMS) insider threat detection program. Dr. Waltzman joined DARPA from Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (LM-ATL), where he served as Chief Scientist for the Applied Sciences Laboratory that specializes in advanced software techniques and the computational physics of materials. Prior to LM-ATL he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, where he taught and performed research in applications of Artificial Intelligence technology to a variety of problem areas including digital entertainment, automated reasoning and decision support and cyber threat detection. He has also held research positions at the University of Maryland, Teknowledge Corporation (the first commercial Artificial Intelligence company in the world where he started in 1983), and the Applied Physics Laboratory of the University of Washington. Dr. Waltzman serves as Advisory Board Member of GLOBSEC HADES initiative. 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 [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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 bonus episode, Col. Brian Russell discusses Gladiator School, which is the official podcast of II MEF Information Group. Gladiator School places you and the experts into the arena. Whether you're a Marine, member of the DoD or a civilian, Gladiator School has something for you.

Resources:

• Here's where you can listen to or watch Gladiator School
  • Apple/iTunes
  • Spotify
  • YouTube
• Also mentioned:
  • MCPD-7 Learning

Guest Bio:

Colonel Brian Russell is the commanding officer of II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group (II MIG) in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He commissioned as a Marine Corps Officer in December 1995 from North Carolina State University. Upon completion of basic officer training he went on to become a field artillery officer. 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.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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, Amb. Roger Carstens discusses the United States hostage recovery enterprise and how his office helps bring U.S. citizens home. After explaining the legislative landscape, Roger explains the differences between kidnapping, wrongful detention, and hostage scenario, as well as engagement with state compared to non-state actors. Roger also discusses today's media landscape, weaponization of the international rules-based system, geopolitical dynamics, maneuver warfare, and a tech research agenda.

Resources:

• Amb. Roger Carstens, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA)
• Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell
• National Security Council
• FACT SHEET: U.S. Government Hostage Policy
• Presidential Policy Directive 30 (PPD 30)
• Executive Order -- Hostage Recovery Activities
• Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act
• We Want to Negotiate: The Secret World of Kidnapping, Hostages and Ransom by Joel Simon
• Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison - Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out by Jason Rezaian
• The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-99

Guest Bio:

Roger D. Carstens is the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) at the U.S. Department of State. Mr. Carstens was the former Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the U.S. Department of State, where he oversaw the Bureau's work in Near Eastern Affairs, Western Hemisphere Affairs, and the Office of Security and Human Rights. Previously, he served in Amman, Jordan, as the Country Director for a U.S.-based INGO that provided humanitarian assistance and stability support to Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons. Prior positions include Senior Civilian Advisor on the Commander's Advisory and Assistance Team (CAAT) in Afghanistan; Project Director for an INGO based in Somalia; Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security; and Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Mr. Carstens is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served in Special Forces and the 1st Ranger Battalion. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and holds master's degrees from the U.S. Naval War College and St. John's College.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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 Arun Seraphin discusses his 20+ years as a Professional Staff Member on the staff of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. He describes differences between the US Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the way Congress thinks about and evaluates national security emerging tech. Arun shares he communicates as a "connector" between emerging technology thought leaders in industry and academia and Congressional leaders. Finally, he describes NDIA's Emerging Technologies Institute and how he continues connecting people and technology.

Resources:

• NDIA Emerging Technologies Institute

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-98

Guest Bio:

Dr. Arun Seraphin is the Deputy Director of Emerging Technologies Institute (ETI) at National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). Before joining the ETI team, a Professional Staff Member on the staff of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. His areas of responsibility include acquisition policy, Pentagon management issues, Department of Defense's science and technology programs, information technology systems, technology transition issues, defense laboratories, Small Business Innovation Research program, manufacturing programs, and test and evaluation programs. As such he assists Senators in their oversight of DOD policies and programs, including in the authorization of budgets, civilian nominations, legislative initiatives, and hearings. He rejoined the committee staff in 2014, after previously serving there between 2001 and 2010. In 2009, he was named one of ten Defense "Staffers to Know" by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper.

From 2010 to 2014, Dr. Seraphin served as the Principal Assistant Director for National Security and International Affairs at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). During this time, he both led (in an Acting capacity) and served as the deputy director of the OSTP National Security and International Affairs division. His areas of responsibility included developing and implementing White House initiatives and policies in areas including defense research and engineering; weapons of mass destruction; defense manufacturing and industrial base; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; cybersecurity; and promoting innovation in government research and engineering organizations. He also led interagency groups on small business programs and on improving the quality of the Federal STEM workforce. He was on detail to OSTP from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where he was the Special Assistant for Policy Initiatives to the Director of DARPA.

Dr. Seraphin has also worked on the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science's Subcommittee on Research as a professional staff member. He began his work in Congress in the Office of Senator Joseph Lieberman as the 1999-2000 Materials Research Society – Optical Society of America Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. In these positions, he covered both civilian and defense research and development programs.

Between 1996 and 2000, Dr. Seraphin worked in the Science and Technology Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses, where his research included work on defense technology transition, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), export controls, technology forecasting, and international research cooperation. His work included detailed technical analyses supporting the DARPA MEMS program, the Army Science and Technology Master Plan, and the Military Critical Technologies Program. In 1996, Dr. Seraphin earned a Ph.D. in Electronic Materials from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he performed research on silicon nanotechnology. His research focused on the development of novel silicon nanostructures and tailoring their optical properties. He also holds bachelor's degrees in Political Science with a concentration in American Government and Engineering Science with a concentration in Materials Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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, Christina Nemr discusses counter-extremism, counter-disinformation, instability, and conflict. After reviewing why so many interventions for both extremism and disinformation tend to fall short, Christina mentions some tactics or approaches that show promise.

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #56 Bob Jones on Governance
  • #84 Suzanne Spaulding on Disinformation, the Foreign Malign Influence Center, and Civics
• Attitudinal Inoculation
• Integrative Complexity
• Civic Engagement
• The need for cognitive closure by Arie Kruglanski and Shira Fishman
• Integrative Complexity Interventions to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism by Christina Nemr and Sara Savage
• South Africa Vaccine Hesitancy Campaign

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-97

Guest Bio: Christina Nemr is a consultant and entrepreneur addressing challenges in the information environment that yield instability and conflict. She has worked on counter-extremism policy and programming for the past decade in collaboration with governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector, with increasing focus on mitigating the psychological and social factors that facilitate susceptibility to extremism and disinformation. She started her career as an advisor with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Counterterrorism, where she was a founding member of the countering violent extremism program. She has degrees in International Relations and Forensic Psychology.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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. Emma Briant discusses computational propaganda and her ongoing efforts to illuminate the magnitude of the problem. She reviews the findings of her recent research and gives examples with current events.

Resources:

• How Russia benefits from ill-informed social media policies by Dr. Emma L. Briant
• The Grim Consequences of a Misleading Study on Disinformation by Dr. Emma L. Briant
• Government efforts to counter propaganda risk undermining public trust by Dr. Emma L. Briant
• 'Afternoon Tea & Truth Biscuits' Emma's regular YouTube show discussing propaganda with the experts
• 'Propaganda & Counterterrorism: Strategies for Global Change' (by Emma Briant, Manchester University Press, 2015)
• 'Routledge Handbook on the Influence Industry' (co-Edited by Emma Briant & Vian Bakir, coming 2023)
• Book: 'Propaganda Machine: Inside Cambridge Analytica and the 'Bad Influence' Industry' (Forthcoming)
• Dr Emma Briant's Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/emmalbriant
• Website: www.emma-briant.co.uk
• Project page: www.propagandamachine.tech
• Twitter: @emmalbriant

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-96

Guest Bio: Dr. Emma L Briant is a scholar in political communication who researches contemporary propaganda and information warfare, its governance in an age of mass-surveillance and its implications for democracy, security, inequality and human rights. She is presently an Associate at the Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability at University of Cambridge and a Fellow at Central European University Center for Media, Data and Society. Dr Briant has a particular research focus on the actors behind influence operations and analyzed the coordination and increasing impacts of the digitalization of defense propaganda for her recent book Propaganda and Counter-Terrorism: Strategies for Global Change (Manchester University Press, 2015). Dr Briant's testimony was central in exposing Cambridge Analytica and its parent company SCL and continues to inform international inquiries and policymaking including the US Congress, UK Parliament, Canadian Parliament and European Parliament. She has advised politicians, NGO's and Big Tech companies on threats posed by the opaque digital influence industry, disinformation and contemporary influence operations. Dr Briant's first book was Bad News for Refugees, (Pluto Press, 2013, co-authored with Greg Philo and Pauline Donald), examined UK political and media discourse on migration prior to 'Brexit'. She served as advisor for a film for 'People You May Know', a recent Emmy-nominated documentary on Amazon Prime and previously, as Senior Researcher for Oscar-shortlisted Netflix film 'The Great Hack'. She is now finalizing her third book Propaganda Machine: Inside Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry and working on a fourth the co-edited Routledge Handbook on the Influence Industry with Vian Bakir, Bangor University, UK. Dr Briant also contributes journalism and op-eds to major outlets and is owner of Maven of Persuasion LLC a consultancy that advises and trains on disinformation threats and ethics in influence.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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, the Deputy Commandant for Information, Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy discussed the Marine Corps newest doctrinal pub: MCDP 8 Information. MCDP 8 is the Marine Corps' capstone service doctrine that describes the purpose and mechanics of the Information warfighting function. The Marine Corps information warfighting function is a framework that Marines use to plan and execute operations for the purpose of creating and exploiting information advantages in pursuit of mission objectives, in any warfighting domain.

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
• • #38 Lori Reynolds on Operations in the Information Environment
  • #70 William Hess on the Information Environment and Adapting the Military
  • #13 Brian Russell on Behind Enemy Lines
• Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Information
• ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INFORMATION MANEUVER 1700 OCCUPATIONAL FIELD
• 17XX Guide posted on the DC I Website for your reference
• Information as a Joint Function
• MARINE CORPS BULLETIN 5400 ESTABLISHMENT OF INFORMATION AS THE SEVENTH MARINE CORPS WARFIGHTING FUNCTION
• MCDP 8, Information: A new Marine Corps doctrine for the information warfighting function by Mr. Eric X. Schaner
• • https://mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/MCDP-8-Information.pdf

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-95

Guest Bio:

Lieutenant General Glavy was commissioned in May 1986 through the United States Naval Academy. Upon receiving his wings in September of 1988, he was selected to fly the CH-46 Sea Knight.

Assignments in the Operating Forces include: Weapons and Tactics Instructor and Embark Officer, HMM-261 (REIN); Aircraft Maintenance Officer, and Executive Officer, HMM-265 (REIN); Current Operations Officer, G-3, 1st MAW; Commanding Officer, HMM-265 (REIN); Commanding General, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, and Commanding General, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command.

Assignments in the Supporting Establishment include: Platoon Commander, Officer Candidate School; Operational Test Director, White House Liaison Officer, Presidential Command Pilot and Commanding Officer, HMX-1.

Headquarters and Staff Assignments: Plans, Policy and Operation, HQMC; Information Operations, Joint Staff J3; HQMC Aviation, Expeditionary Enablers Branch; Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation, Marine Corps Staff; Deputy Director of Current Operations, United States Cyber Command.

Military Education: The Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College and Marine Corps War College. Master's degrees in both Military Studies and Strategic Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

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, Lisa DeFalco discusses her 25-year journey in the business of communications analysis. Her firm's newest AI based technology, Anna, is transforming TPG into an industry leading customer experience technology firm. Their platform evaluates communication effectiveness on a series of over 300 identified communication behaviors. We discuss implications and applications of this technology.

Resources:

• TPG, Inc.
• Cognitive Crucible Episode #25 Alan Kelly on Mapping the Strategies of IO Actors
• Alan Kelly Obituary

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-94

Guest Bio:

Lisa DeFalco founded the Independent Quality Assurance market, starting both an industry and a movement with the phrase "this call may be monitored for quality assurance."

Opening TPG in 1996, Lisa has designed the methodology that the Fortune 500 uses to define a "good call." That methodology is in place among the largest corporations on the globe in 9 countries and 13 languages, and applied across 180 million interactions and growing.

Throughout Lisa's 30 years in the contact center industry, she has served on the industry's trade association (American TeleServices Association/PACE) as its Board of Director Chairwoman. During her 12-year tenure as the Chairwoman and Board officer, she has met with governmental regulators and members of Congress to advocate the value of contact centers in support of American business communication with consumers. During her tenure, she formed the industry's Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) with the cooperation of industry and federal regulators to define compliant consumer protection standards for contact center communication, earning leadership recognition for federal and state regulatory compliance knowledge.

As the CEO of TPG, Inc., Lisa is the visionary behind TPG's products, delivery model, and the innovative path to incorporate its proprietary evaluation methods within AI technology, including their newest AI based technology Anna, transforming TPG into an industry leading CX technology firm.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

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, Captain Todd Huntley USN (ret.) shares his perspective on legal considerations related to information operations. Todd draws upon decades of operational law experience as a judge advocate for USSOCCOM and a senior legal advisor for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Threat Reduction and Arms Control.

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #63 Mike Vickers on IO and the Cyclops
  • #53 Clint Watts on Domestic Extremism
  • #84 Suzanne Spaulding on Disinformation, the Foreign Malign Influence Center, and Civics
  • #41 Toomas Ilves on the Estonian Perspective https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-41
• Controlling the Use of Force in Cyberspace: the Application of the Law of Armed Conflict During a Time of Fundamental Change in the Nature of Warfare by Todd Huntley
• Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare by Thomas Rid
• Nothing Is True and Everything is Possible by Peter Pomerantsev

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-93

Guest Bio: Todd Huntley is the Director of the National Security Law Program and a Lecturer in Law at Georgetown University Law Center. In addition to teaching, Todd develops curriculum as well as other educational and professional development programs for students focusing on National Security Law.

Todd is a retired Navy Captain and served as an active duty Judge Advocate for more than 23 years. Prior to joining Georgetown he was a Professor of National Security Law at The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School in Charlottesville. He previously served as the Directory of the Navy's National Security Law Division. While at the Pentagon he served as a Special Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Threat Reduction and Arms Control as well as a member of the Senior Review Group for a Joint Staff study on hybrid threats.

Todd has extensive operational law experience supporting the Special Operations community. He served as the Chief, Information Operations Law at US Special Operations Command and as the legal advisor to the Joint Military Information Support Command, as well as the SJA, Special Operations Command Central and Combined Forces Special Operations Command where he deployed to Qatar, Iraq, Yemen, and other locations in the Middle East. He also served as the legal advisor for US Special Operations Command, National Capital Region. Todd deployed to Afghanistan twice with a Joint Special Operations Task Force in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and has supported a Joint Special Operations Task Force conducting world-wide counter-terrorism missions. CAPT Huntley has a B.A. in International Affairs and a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati, as well as an M.A. in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

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, USAF Col Pat Williams discusses the weather, information operations, and how the 557th Wing predicts and influences behavior. After describing the mission and capabilities of the Air Force's only weather wing, Pat also discusses the 557th Wing's recent realignment as a subordinate unit of the 16th Air Force. He reviews several historical examples where weather played a critical role in military operations–including the very first tornado forecast. Then, he discusses how weather analyses are playing an increasing role in influence and decision-making at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels.

Resources:

• How weather is playing a role in information warfare
• USAF 557th Weather Wing
• Col Pat Williams Bio
• The First Operational Tornado Forecast Twenty Million to One
• "You are about to set a precedent." - Gen. Fred S. Borum
• The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History 1300-1850 by Brian M. Fagan
• Agent of Influence: How to Use Spy Skills to Persuade Anyone, Sell Anything, and Build a Successful Business by Jason Hansen
• Disinformation: Former Spy Chief Reveals Secret Strategies for Undermining Freedom, Attacking Religion, and Promoting Terrorism by Lt. Gen. Ion Mihai Pacepa, Ronald Rychlak
• Gen. Ian Pacepa

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-90

Guest Bio:

Colonel Patrick C. Williams is the Commander, 557th Weather Wing, Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha Nebraska. He leads more than 1,450 active duty and civil service personnel at 19 locations around the world providing centralized weather insights, products and services, including climatological and electromagnetic spectrum degradation forecasts, to Air Force, Space Force, Army, Joint Force, and other Department of Defense activities. The 557th Weather Wing executes worldwide weather operations to enable air and space superiority, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, rapid mobility, global strike, and command and control in support of all geographic and functional combatant commands.

Colonel Williams received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in May 1998. He became well versed in aviation, cyber, space, intelligence, and Army operations and held a wide variety of positions to include 2d Weather Group Commander, 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron Commander, command weather briefer, flight commander, staff officer for Air, Army, and Joint Staffs, program element monitor, executive officer and aide-de-camp. Colonel Williams served two combat tours in Iraq (as flight commander) and Afghanistan (as 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron Commander) respectively.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.