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, Josh Kerbel of the National Intelligence University discusses the need for anticipatory intelligence. He contrasts the relatively simple historical national environment with today’s complex world. Josh explains why the traditional mindset of containment, which The West deployed to counter the Soviet agenda during the Cold War, is inappropriate today. Traditional analysis tools and linear problem solving are likewise inadequate for understanding complex, emergent dynamics. Resources: IPA Members Only Social and Live Podcast Recording Phoenix Challenge Conference (last week of April 2022) Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #47 Yaneer Bar-Yam on Complex Systems and the War on Ideals #14 BDJ on Threatcasting #32 Greg Treverton on Intelligence Global Trends and Technopolitics National Security Language Is Stuck in the Cold War by Josh Kerbel Our 'cold war' frame distorts more than just our view of China by Josh Kerbel National Intelligence University Dark sky tourism is on the rise across the U.S. Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-85 Guest Bio: Josh Kerbel is a member of the research faculty at the National Intelligence University where he explores the increasingly complex security environment and the associated intelligence challenges. Prior to joining NIU, he held senior analytical positions at DIA, ODNI (including the NIC), the Navy staff, CIA, and ONI. His writings on the intersections of government (especially intelligence) and complexity have been published in Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, Studies in Intelligence, Slate, The National Interest, The Hill, War on the Rocks, Defense One, Parameters, and other outlets. Mr. Kerbel has degrees from the George Washington University and the London School of Economics as well as professional certifications from the Naval War College and the Naval Postgraduate School. More recently he was a post-graduate fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The views expressed here are his alone. 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, Suzanne Spaulding from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) explains why she thinks malign influence and disinformation are national security threats. She also discusses the Foreign Malign Influence Center, various United States authorities, and civics. Resources: IPA Members Only Social and Live Podcast Recording Phoenix Challenge Conference (last week of April 2022) Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #32 Treverton on Intelligence Global Trends and Technopolitics US delays intelligence center targeting foreign influence Beyond the Ballot Report Swedish Psychological Defence Agency Civics Secures Democracy Act Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-84 Guest Bio: Suzanne Spaulding is senior adviser for homeland security and director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Suzanne has served in a variety of influential national security roles within the Intelligence Community, the Department of Homeland Security, and within the United States Congress. Likewise, her private sector experience covers a wide-range of legal, risk, and security issues. Suzanne Spaulding is senior adviser for homeland security and director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She also served as a member of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Previously, she served as under secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where she led the National Protection and Programs Directorate, now called the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, managing a $3 billion budget and a workforce of 18,000, charged with strengthening cybersecurity and protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure, including election infrastructure. She led the transformation of budget, acquisition, analytic, and operational processes to bring greater agility and unity of effort to an organization that had experienced dramatic growth through acquisition of new entities and missions over several years. Throughout her career, Ms. Spaulding has advised CEOs, boards, and government policymakers on how to manage complex security risks across all industry sectors. At DHS, she led the development and implementation of national policies for strengthening the security and resilience of critical infrastructure against cyber and physical risks, including the National Infrastructure Protection Plan and key presidential directives and executive orders. She worked with industry to establish CEO-level coordinating councils in the electric and financial services sectors, chaired the federal government’s Aviation Cybersecurity Initiative to identify and address key cyber vulnerabilities in the national aviation system, and worked with many foreign governments on critical infrastructure and cybersecurity, including negotiating agreements with China and Israel. Ms. Spaulding also led security regulation of the chemical industry, biometrics and identity management, emergency communications, and the Federal Protective Service. As a member of the board of directors for the First Responder Network Authority, Ms. Spaulding helped oversee the complex and unprecedented effort to deploy the first nation-wide broadband network for public safety. She is currently on the board of directors for Defending Digital Campaigns and for Girl Security, and advisory boards for Nozomi Networks, Splunk, MITRE, Harvard University’s Defending Digital Democracy project, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and the Technology Law and Security Program at American University. She is a member of the Homeland Security Experts Group, sits on the council of executives for the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at Auburn University, and is on the faculty of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Following the attacks of 9/11, Ms. Spaulding worked with key critical infrastructure sectors as they reviewed their security posture and advised the CEOs of the Business Roundtable. In 2002, she was appointed by Governor Mark Warner of Virginia to the Secure Commonwealth Panel to advise the governor and the legislature regarding preparedness issues. She was managing partner of the Harbour Group, a principal in the Bingham Consulting Group, and of counsel to Bingham McCutchen LLP. Ms. Spaulding has served in Republican and Democratic administrations and on both sides of the aisle in Congress. She was general counsel for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and minority staff director for the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She also spent six years at the Central Intelligence Agency, where she was assistant general counsel and legal adviser to the director’s Nonproliferation Center. She was a member of the CSIS Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency, which developed a bipartisan national cybersecurity strategy in advance of the 2008 election; executive director of the National Commission on Terrorism and the Commission to Assess the Organization of the Federal Government to Combat the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction; and a consultant on the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. She is former chair of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Law and National Security, founder of the Cybersecurity Legal Task Force, and was a member of Harvard University’s Long-Term Legal Strategy Project for Preserving Security and Democratic Freedoms in the War on Terror. 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. 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. Here is the story Joseph shared towards the end of the discussion:  Max Zeller’s dream. A psychoanalyst living in California, Zeller had become troubled by his work after World War II, for he worked with relatively few individuals while the world remained in turmoil. So he went to Europe to meet with Jung and had this dream: “A temple of vast dimensions was in the process of being built. As far as I could see—ahead, behind, right and left—there were incredible numbers of people building on gigantic pillars. I, too, was building on a pillar. The whole building process was in its very first beginnings, but the foundation was already there, the rest of the building was starting to go up, and I and many others were working on it. Jung said, ‘Ja, you know, that is the temple we all build on. We don’t know the people because, believe me, they build in India and China and in Russia and all over the world…You know how long it will take until it is built?’ And when Max Zeller asked how long, Jung said, ‘About six hundred years.’ Max Zeller ended by saying, ‘That is what happens in our work…We see it every day…Each person works on his own pillar, until one day the temple will be built.’” 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 Power of Myth PBS Series with Joseph Campbell Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-83 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. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

John DeRosa and Alex del Castillo discuss measuring effectiveness of operations in the information environment. They cover visualizing the information environment, cloud computing, innovation culture, and future capabilities. Topics include horizonal and vertical contextual understanding, agnostic baselines, target audience definition, predictive analytics, narrative intelligence, and meme analysis.

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, MAJ Cassandra Brooker presents her Master’s research report entitled: “The Effectiveness of Influence Activities in Information Warfare.” Cass asserts that Western democracies are already at war in the information domain and are being out-communicated by adversaries. In her study, she fuses three research disciplines: systems thinking, influence, and behavioural science to better understand mental models and enable a deeper understanding of influencing tactics. We discuss the notion of feedback loops, which are critical to understanding influence. Finally, Cass reviews two case studies–ISIS and the Hillary Clinton 2016 Presidential campaign. Resources: The Effectiveness of Influence Activities in Information Warfare by Cassandra Brooker Rand Paper: Systems Confrontation and System Destruction Warfare: How the Chinese People's Liberation Army Seeks to Wage Modern Warfare Systems Thinking For Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results by David Peter Stroh Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-81 Guest Bio: Major Cassandra Brooker is an Australian Intelligence Officer, who is currently posted to the Advanced Warfighting Evaluation Section developing future and emerging threat products in support of the Australian Army’s Aviation capability. Major Brooker was born in New Zealand and served two years in the Royal New Zealand Air Force before immigrating to Australia. She graduated from the Royal Military College in 2002 and has held a diverse range of postings throughout her career, including: developing aviation intelligence, collection and targeting capabilities; specialisations in remote-sensing and geospatial intelligence; campaign planning to defeat ISIS at the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command in Baghdad; and as the ADF’s first bilateral student to study at the Military Science Academy in Hanoi.  MAJ Brooker undertook a Masters of Research in 2019 at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra, on a Chief of Army’s Scholarship. Her thesis spanned three academic disciplines of: Systems Thinking, Influence Activities, and Cognitive Theory to investigate solutions for improving Australia’s influence effectiveness in information warfare. She also holds a Bachelor of Professional Studies (Peace Studies) from University of New England, a Master of Justice (Intelligence) from Queensland University of Technology, and a Graduate Diploma in Geographic Information Science from University of Queensland. 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, Hank Thomas of Strategic Cyber Ventures discusses his perspective on tech entrepreneurialism and how the national security organizations are engaging with the venture capital community.  Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #41 Ilves on the Estonian Perspective #16 Brown on Deception Technology Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-80 Guest Bio: Hank Thomas is a Washington D.C. based Venture Capital Investor, Founder, and CEO of Strategic Cyber Ventures (SCV). SCV invests in rapidly growing cybersecurity, privacy, and resiliency focused technology companies. The SCV team brings an expert, more modern venture capital experience to startup founders and the broader investment ecosystem, working every day to bridge the gap between emerging commercial technology and corporate and national security challenges. Hank is a former U.S. Army Intelligence Officer, and former Booz Allen Hamilton security consultant and executive. He leverages 24 years of experience to identify, invest in, and help mature differentiated technology companies. SCV’s portfolio currently has seven active investments. Hank serves as a member of the board of directors for cybersecurity technology companies Polarity, ID DataWeb, and TrapX Security, as well as on the advisory board of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Hank is also the Co-Founder of the SCVX Acquisition Corporation (NYSE:SCVX), a national security focused Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation (SPAC). 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. Brendan Mulvaney of the Air University’s China Aerospace Studies Institute discusses geo-political, cultural, military, and talent matters related to China. Our conversation also includes a review of CASI’s “In Their Own Words” series which is a series of translations that cover a wide range of topics related to the China Communist Party and People’s Liberation Army. Brendan gives his thoughts on one of these translations called: Lectures on Joint Campaign Information Operations. Other topics covered include: technical standards, talent, trust, technology acquisition and the OODA loop. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #74 Tabassi on NIST, Technology Standards, and Trust China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) CASI Wikipedia CASI's In Their Own Words Webpage In Their Own Words: Lectures on Joint Campaign Information Operations Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-79 Guest Bio: Dr. Brendan Mulvaney is the Director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute--part of the Air University. Prior to this position, Dr. Mulvaney was a US Marine Corps cobra pilot and Chinese language and cultural expert. Dr. Brendan Mulvaney is the Director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute. Dr. Mulvaney served as a Marine for a quarter of a century, where he flew more than 2000 hours as a AH-1W Cobra pilot, and was an Olmsted Scholar in Shanghai, China. He served at Camp Pendleton, CA; in China as an Olmsted Scholar at Fudan University, where he earned his Ph.D. in International Relations; in Iraq; in Washington D.C. as the inaugural Director of the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Red Team, and most recently at U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis where he was the Associate Chair for Languages and Cultures and taught Chinese language and culture. 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. In this crossover episode of the Phoenix Cast and Cognitive Crucible, John Bicknell is joined by John Schreiner, Kyle Moschetto and Rich Vaccariello. The podcast hosts discuss why they started their respective casts, how they view competition, the key take-aways of their casts, the top must listen episodes, and the other podcasts they listen to. Cognitive Crucible show notes page https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-78 Links and Resources: MCDP 1-4 Competing Phoenix Cast Episodes Mentioned: Nate Fick SolarWinds Reaction Gene Kim Cognitive Crucible Episodes Mentioned: #24 Davis on Modern Warfare, Teamwork, and Commercial Cognitive Security #38 Reynolds on Operations in the Information Environment #63 Vickers on IO and the Cyclops Books, Movie, and Other Podcast Suggestions: Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths Hackers (1995 Movie) Unlocking Us Podcast with Brene Brown Life-Changing Inventions in Literature with Dr. Angus Fletcher The New Rules of Leadership with Abby Wambach EconTalk Podcast with Russ Roberts Hard Core History Podcast with Dan Carlin  Net Assessment Podcast DarkHorse Podcast with Dr Bret Weinstein and Dr. Heather Heying Watch “Ron's Gone Wrong” movie with your children.

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. Paul Lopata of the Laboratory for Physical Sciences in College Park Maryland discusses the origins of quantum mechanics including philosophical underpinnings and a recap of the famous double-slit experiment which prompted physicists to start thinking about light as having both wave and particle properties. Paul connects quantum theory and cognitive security using words and concepts like trust, probabilistic reasoning, and making decisions with limited information, and in the presence of risk. He also describes advances in quantum computing and cryptography, prime numbers, Shor’s algorithm, and NP-hard problems.  Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #74 Tabassi on NIST, Technology Standards, and Trust Laboratory for Physical Sciences YouTube videos: Quantum explainer The Quantum Experiment that Broke Reality Shor’s algorithm For information regarding Reviving and Modernizing Automated Celestial Navigation, search for: "USAF-19-PEO-BM-6.G" DHS guidance on mitigation to new cryptographic standards RAND report for preparing for new cryptographic standards NIST website on their new standards competition National Quantum Coordination Office NSA Cybersecurity Directorate Publications NSA Cybersecurity Quantum IEEE Spectrum: PROTECTING GPS FROM SPOOFERS IS CRITICAL TO THE FUTURE OF NAVIGATION Where Time Comes From: The time that ends up on your smartphone—and that synchronizes GPS, military operations, financial transactions, and internet communications—originates in a set of atomic clocks on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Dr. Demetrios Matsakis, Chief Scientist for USNO's Time Services, gives a tour. The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard Lincoln in the Telegraph Office: Recollections of the United States Military Telegraph Corps During the Civil War by David Homer Bates Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-77 Guest Bio: Dr. Paul Lopata is a quantum research scientist at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences in College Park Maryland. Previously, Paul served as the Principal Director for Quantum Science in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering where he focused on quantum technology modernization. He was also Executive Secretary for the Defense Science Board’s Task Force on Applications of Quantum 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, Dr. Yuval Levin of the American Enterprise Institute discusses foundational concepts contained within the United States Constitution and institutions, in general. He also gives his opinions regarding strengths and weaknesses of the Constitution and interactions with institutions. In closing, Yuval makes the case for why it is important for information professionals to study the Constitution and institutional dynamics. Resources: Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville On Thinking Institutionally by Hugh Heclo Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-76 Guest Bio: Yuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He also holds the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy. The founding and current editor of National Affairs, he is also a senior editor of The New Atlantis and a contributing editor to National Review. Dr. Levin and scholars in the Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies research division study the foundations of self-government and the future of law, regulation, and constitutionalism. They also explore the state of American social, political, and civic life, while focusing on the preconditions necessary for family, community, and country to flourish. Dr. Levin served as a member of the White House domestic policy staff under President George W. Bush. He was also executive director of the President’s Council on Bioethics and a congressional staffer at the member, committee, and leadership levels. In addition to being interviewed frequently on radio and television, Dr. Levin has published essays and articles in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Commentary. He is the author of several books on political theory and public policy, most recently “A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream” (Basic Books). He holds an MA and PhD from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago. 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.