The Cognitive Crucible

James Farwell, national security expert, discusses strategic communications and information warfare, comparing Russian and Chinese strategies. He highlights NIKE's successful marketing narratives. The podcast also covers the role of values in messaging and offers book recommendations on military strategy.

Prioritizing and funding cognitive and information-related capability is challenging. During this episode, Mark Mitchell recaps recent efforts within the Department of Defense as well as other United States government interagency efforts which have not reached their full potential. Bio: Mark Mitchell is a former senior executive in the Department of Defense who served most recently as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD(SO/LIC)). He is a highly decorated U.S. Army infantry and Special Forces combat veteran who served 28 years on active duty. He participated in multiple campaigns in the First Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2012, Colonel Mitchell served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the Senior Military Assistant to ASD(SO/LIC). His final assignment in uniform was on the National Security Council as the Director for Counterterrorism. Following his retirement from active duty, Mitchell worked as a business executive in the private sector. He also served as a National Security Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and non-resident fellow at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. He is also a board member and advisor to several non-profit organizations dedicated to serving veterans and their families, including Warriors Ethos, Gold Star Teen Adventures, the Global SOF Foundation, and Special Operations Survivors. See this link for show notes. See this link for more information about the Phoenix Challenge 2.0 Conference co-hosted by IPA and ARLIS. 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, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

What influence plays are being run against us? How do they work? And how are they countered or co-opted? During this episode, Alan Kelly discusses strategic communications and how his Taxonomy of Influence Strategies may be used to see past the messaging and into the motives of competitors. His recently published co-authored piece, "Decoding Crimea," contains a compelling case study that taps his taxonomy to expose the moves and methods of Vladimir Putin's IO playbook. Link to show notes and resources here. Bio: Alan Kelly is a strategist, author, lecturer, political analyst, and award-winning Silicon Valley entrepreneur. He is Founder and Principal of Playmaker Systems, LLC, a Bethesda MD-based strategy and analytics firm. Kelly's work is driven by a simple idea: That influence – like chemistry, biology and even music – can be decoded and managed through a standard system of unique units. He holds a MA in Communication Research from Stanford and a BA in Public Relations from USC. Follow him on Twitter at the handle @playmakeralan. 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. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

During this episode, John Davis draws on many decades of special operations, information operations and cyber-related experiences and passes along advice to today's military information professionals who are on the front lines of modern warfare. Since the mid-1980s, information operators have worked hard to gain trust within the Department of Defense, and today's cohort must maintain this trust. Furthermore, collaboration amongst allies, government agencies, and even commercial firms is more critical than ever before. Click here for full show notes & resources 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. 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. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

On behalf of IPA, thank you for being part of the community and listening to The Cognitive Crucible podcast. This episode recaps the book and other online material recommendations from the Cognitive Crucible guests so far. See the show notes page for links to these resources: Click here for full show notes & resources IPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and 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. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

During this episode, Dr. James Mulvenon of SOSI compares and contrasts Russian and Chinese information operations. After describing his robust team of linguists, James discusses collections efforts, sovereignty and the Chinese diaspora, and sharing of tactics, techniques, and procedures between Russia and China. Click here for full show notes & resources Bio: Dr. James Mulvenon is Director of Intelligence Integration for SOSi's Defense and Intelligence Group, where he has recruited and trained a team of more than forty-five Chinese, Russian, Korean, and Farsi linguist-analysts and ten cleared software developers performing collection, analysis, and operations support for US Government and corporate customers. A Chinese linguist by training, he is a leading international expert on Chinese cyber, technology transfer, espionage, and military issues. Dr. Mulvenon received his B.A. in China Studies from the University of Michigan, studied Communist Party History at Fudan University in Shanghai, and received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Mulvenon contributed multiple chapters to China's Quest for Foreign Technology: Beyond Espionage, which was published in September 2020. He is regularly invited to address senior government and commercial audiences on Chinese technology espionage and cyber topics, and his comments have appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other international media outlets. 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. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

During this episode, Pete Villano discusses US Congressional oversight and authorities. During his time as Professional Staff with the House Armed Services Committee from 2010 through 2020, Pete helped politicians and other governmental leaders grapple with new national security threats and the new era of great power competition. The conversation concludes with Pete describing the pace of technological change and making the case that the United States government must innovate faster. Click here for full show notes & resources Bio: Mr. Peter Villano works for Microsoft and is a director at the Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center in Washington, D.C. where he focuses on national security and emerging technology policy challenges. Prior to joining Microsoft, Pete served for more than a decade as a Professional Staff Member on the House Armed Services Committee, and advised Members of Congress on issues related to cyber operations and policy, information technologies, counterterrorism, special operations, Intelligence programs, and related interagency activities. He was the principal staff author of ground-breaking Artificial Intelligence legislation, including the creation of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, and was a recent recipient of the "Fed 100" Award for 2020 from Federal Computer Weekly for contributions in Information Technology and cyberwarfare. He has also served in senior staff positions at the U.S. State Department and is a former Naval Officer with service in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Yemen, leading specialized Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) or "Bomb Squad" teams. 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. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

During this episode, Dr. Chris Paul discusses his co-authored article, the Firehose of Falsehood. The discussion covers distinctive features of contemporary Russian Propaganda including, how it works, why it works, and psychological underpinnings. Dr. Paul provides numerous examples, discusses blind-spot bias, and talks about ways that we might mitigate disinformation. Click here for full show notes & resources Bio: Christopher Paul is a senior social scientist at the RAND Corporation and professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Prior to joining RAND full-time in July 2002, Paul worked as an adjunct at RAND for six years and was on the statistics faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Paul has written over a dozen monographs related to operations in the information environment. 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. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

During this episode, MAJ Ash Holzmann discusses psychological operations, the nature of propaganda, the philosophical underpinnings of propaganda, along with numerous historical examples. Click here for full show notes & resources MAJ Ash Holzmann is a horror writer, satirist, poet, artist, and Psychological Operations Officer in the U.S. Army Special Operations community. The opinions expressed by Ashley are his own and not representative of the Department of Defense or the United States Army. 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. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

During this episode, John Bicknell has a wide-ranging discussion with Tom Sear about his stunning piece on Xenowar--a fictionalized possible future rooted in philosophy, second order cybernetics, and state of the art digital weaponry. Xenowar provokes conversation about data stacks, sovereignty in the Digital Age, and new PTSD management techniques. (Note: During the episode, John Bicknell inaccurately referenced Joseph Campbell's most famous work; the correct reference (linked below) is The Hero with a Thousand Faces.) Click here for full show notes & resources Tom Sear is one of Australia's leading commentators, researchers and advisers on democratic resilience in an era of cyber conflict and social media manipulation. Tom has advised the Australian and New Zealand Governments along with the US Department of Defense on cyber security and social media manipulation, counter influence initiatives and digital literacy policy. His PhD concerns how to build tolerant national cultures in social media to defend pluralistic societies. Tom led grant-funded data analysis projects to analyze cross platform nation-state social media propaganda influence operations during the recent Australian Federal election. Tom is an advisor and cyber security practitioner to government and Industry. He is an experienced and DST grant funded researcher in global multi platform social media analysis including cross lingual work with WeChat. 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. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.