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, after a couple war stories, US Air Force pilot MAJ Hasard Lee discusses how the F-35 is embedded with technology which tends to reduce operator cognitive load and maximize human sensemaking. Our conversation also touches upon "chair flying"--a mindfulness practice, human-machine interface, g-force effect on the human body, dehydration, along with other physical and mental training initiatives which may optimize for better peak performance. Theconversation concludes with a brief discussion about Air Force COL John Boyd and the OODA loop. Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-71 Guest Bio: US Air Force MAJ Hasard Lee who is both an F-16 and F-35 fighter pilot. In 2016, he was selected as the 'Top Instructor Pilot of the Year' for the Air Force's largest F-16 Combat Wing. In 2017, he returned from Afghanistan where his squadron dropped the most ordnance since the opening days of the war. He's flown 82 combat missions and has 4 Air Medals. He also has a popular youtube channel and is host of The Professionals Playbook podcast. 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, MGySgt William Hess discusses a variety of topics related to the information environment. MGySgt Hess is the Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Deputy Commandant for Information at the Headquarters of the United States Marine Corps. In this capacity, his opinions influence the way the Marine Corps navigates information and cognitive-related challenges. After he provides his national security assessment, he discusses how Russia's 2007 cyber attack on Estonia is informing the Marine Corps' capability build today, as well as talent and educational shifts which are happening within the Marine Corps. Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-71 Guest Bio: MGySgt William Hess, Senior Enlisted Advisor (SEA), for the Deputy Commandant for Information (DC I) at the Headquarters of the United States Marine Corps. He also holds a PhD in Information Technology with an emphasis in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity. Disclaimer--- William Hess graduated in 1998 from Widefield High School in Colorado Springs, CO. He underwent recruit training at 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Mike Company, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, CA. Upon graduation from Recruit Training and Marine Combat Training, he was assigned to Camp Johnson, for Basic Supply Clerk Course, 3043 MOS. In December of 1998, Private First Class Hess was assigned to 3rd Supply Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, Okinawa Japan. Serving as a Fiscal Clerk, Lance Corporal (LCpl) Hess aided in the consolidation of Supply and Maintenance Battalions to create the newly formed 3rd Material Readiness Battalion. In January of 2000, LCpl Hess was transferred to Marine Air Group-16 (MAG-16), 3rd Marine Air Wing. Within MAG-16, he served as a Consolidated Memorandum Record (CMR) Clerk. In June of 2000, LCpl Hess was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron (HQHQSQDN), Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, CA to perform the duties of a Marine Corps Instructor of Water Survival. During his time at the MCAS Miramar Training Tank, he was meritoriously promoted to the rank of Corporal (Cpl). In May of 2002, Cpl Hess received a lateral move to the 4066 MOS, and was promoted to the Rank of Sergeant (Sgt). Upon completion of the Entry Level Small Systems Computer Specialist Course he was assigned as the NCOIC of the Field Response Team, HQHQSQDN, MCAS Miramar, CA. In July of 2005, Sgt Hess was assigned to 2nd Marine Division and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Upon returning from deployment, he was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSgt). After returning to 2nd Marine Division he was assigned as the Data Plans Chief for II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) Forward in support of OIF. In June of 2008, SSgt Hess transferred to 7th Communications Battalion and was assigned as the Data Chief for the 31st MEU. In June of 2009, SSgt Hess transferred to Marine Corps Network Operations and Security Center, now the Marine Corps Cyber Operations Group, where he served as the Incident Manager for the Marine Corps. During this assignment, he was promoted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) and received a lateral move to the Information Assurance Technician MOS (0689). In June of 2011, GySgt was assigned to 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. From February to August of 2012, he was deployed with 1st Marine Division Forward in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In July of 2013, GySgt Hess was selected to receive the Information Assurance Scholarship Program to attend the Naval Post Graduate School. While in attendance at the Naval Post Graduate School, he was promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant (MSgt). In July of 2015, MSgt Hess was assigned as the Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge and Chief Instructor of the Cybersecurity Technician and Managers School House aboard 29 Palms California. During this assignment, MSgt Hess was responsible for training and certifying over 200 Cybersecurity Technicians, and ~50 Cybersecurity Managers. MSgt Hess was frocked to the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt) in August of 2017. In Sept of 2017, MGySgt Hess assumed his post at I MEF initially serving as the Cybersecurity Chief, and then transitioning into the Cyberspace Operations Chief with the advent of the 17xx Occupational Field. MGySgt Hess then transitioned to the MEF G-3 Fire and Effects Coordination Center (FECC) to assume the role of the Non-Kinetic Fires and Effects Chief, responsible for coordinating Operations Information Environment (OIE) effects into the Targeting Cycle. MGySgt Hess was selected from the Deputy Commandant of Information (DC I), Information Maneuver Division (IMD), Readiness Branch as the Cyberspace Operations Chief and Branch Chief to assume his current role as the DC I Senior Enlisted Advisor in June of 2021. MGySgt Hess's personal accomplishments and decorations include: The Meritorious Service Medal with one gold star, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with four gold stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars, a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Information Technology, a Master of Science degree in Cyber Systems and Operations with (6) NSA Certifications, and a PhD in Information Technology with an emphasis in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity. 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.

During this episode, Matt Venhuas discusses the Cognitive Security Proving Ground, which is an initiative he leads at the University of Maryland's Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS). After describing ARLIS' mission areas and how University Affiliated Research Centers fit into the larger United States national security ecosystem, Matt discusses various cognitive security topics--including the need for a Cognitive Security Proving Ground. His vision is a constellation of capabilities, ranges, and activities working in harmony to provide the best available reflection of human behavior and sociotechnical complexity for experimentation, testing, evaluation, and training to improve capabilities, enhance effectiveness, and reduce risk for operations in the information environment. Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-69 Guest Bio: Professor Matt Venhaus currently serves as the Mission Area Lead for Cognitive Security and Operations in the Information Environment at the University of Maryland's Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS). His primary research interest is in modeling the socio-technical complexity of the modern information environment to support meaningful training in the human domain of competition and conflict. Professor Venhaus has dedicated his entire professional life to influencing human behavior to achieve U.S. national security objectives. From tribal villages in sub-Saharan Africa, across Europe, throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, he sought to influence the attitudes, perceptions, and ultimately the behaviors of foreign audiences. In each endeavor, Professor Venhaus found that successful national security-related influence combines an empathetic understanding of the drivers of human decision-making with an appreciation for the enabling advantages of technology. Before joining ARLIS, Professor Venhaus was a Senior Advisor for Mission Integration and at the MITRE Corporation. He led, shaped, and managed MITRE's support to USCYBERCOM bydeveloping and overseeing the execution of cross-cutting technical strategies to increase MITRE's impact in advancing the effectiveness of cyber operations. He has a deep and abiding passion for the practical application of influence and persuasion in competition and conflict as technological advancements drive new realities in how people consume and process information. Professor Venhaus served over 28 years in the U.S. Army, primarily in persuasive communications (PSYOP). He designed, implemented, and managed multi-media campaigns on four continents across the full spectrum of peace and armed conflict. Professor Venhaus retired from the Army in 2014 after serving in the Pentagon as the principal staff advisor to the Secretary of Defense for information operations. His published works include a special report entitled "Why Youth Join al-Qaeda," which examined case studies of individuals who became foreign fighters to discern their behavioral motivations and seeks to establish a usable strategy to divert future generations from the path to extremism. He has also authored several classified reports on applying persuasive communications against malicious cyber actors and in the competition below the level of armed conflict. A 1987 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Professor Venhaus is a plank-holder in the PSYOP Regiment and a Life Member of the PSYOP Veterans Association. He has also been awarded a Master's Degree in International Relations from Troy University and Masters of Professional Studies in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University. Besides his duties at ARLIS, Professor Venhaus is the Executive Director of the Information Professionals Association. When the weather is not conducive to sailing with his wife of 28 years and their dog, he lives in Crownsville, Maryland. 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.

During this episode, Andy Norman presents the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE) and his work on cognitive immunology, which studies the mind's resistance to bad ideas. After describing how the name of his organization was inspired by Circe, the goddess who helped Odysseus avoid the temptations of the siren's song, Andy discusses mental immunity, how epidemics of irrationality occur, and how present cultural conditions exacerbate the spread of bad ideas. Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-68 Guest Bio: Andy Norman is the author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind's immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He is also Founder of CIRCE, the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative. Andy Norman, PhD, is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, public radio, The BBC's Naked Scientist, and The Young Turks. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind's immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He likes to help people develop immunity to bad ideas. Andy directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University and is the founder of CIRCE, the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative. 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.

During this episode, Dr. Daniel Ragsdale of Two Six Technologies discusses Department of Defense (DoD) modernization priorities, research & engineering, science & technology, and acquisition and sustainment efforts. After describing the major components of DoD's Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering officer, Rags makes the case that DoD's "appetite for risk must be increased--flat out." He also provides his thoughts on measuring IO effectiveness attribution. Show Notes: https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-66 Guest Bio: Dr. Daniel Ragsdale is the Vice President and Architect at Two Six Technologies. Before this role, he was principal director for cyber in the Department of Defense's research and engineering office (USD R&E). He was also a Program Manager for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and he spent 30 years in uniform as an officer in the US Army. He also holds a PhD and Masters degree in Computer Science. He prefers to go by "Rags." Before joining DARPA, Colonel Ragsdale served 30 years in the U.S. Army in a variety of operational, R&D, and educational roles. His combat deployments included Operations Urgent Fury (Grenada), Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Iraqi Freedom (Iraq). Ragsdale served nearly 15 years at the United States Military Academy, West Point, in an array of teaching and research roles, which culminated in his service as Vice Dean for Education. His military career included combat deployments in support of Operations Urgent Fury, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. 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.

During this episode, Dr. Sean Guillory of Booz Allen Hamilton discusses various ways that cognitive neuroscience is being applied within industry and relates these applications to national security, as well. Our wide-ranging covers FMRI brain scanning, human-machine interface and human-machine teaming, automation, cognitive electronic warfare, robotic process automation, adversarial machine learning, and Grammar.ly for Disinformation. Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-64 Guest Bio: Sean Guillory attained his Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Dartmouth College where he primarily worked with neurosurgery patients to help improve the mapping for brain functions that were personally important to their lives. After taking that experience to help build up a start-up business incubator aimed at helping humanity (Fruition Tech Labs) and working on data science efforts to help catch online scammers (ConsumerAffairs), he focused on ways of utilizing his background to help with issues within Defense and National Security. At Booz Allen Hamilton, he works with the firm's various cognitive domain efforts utilizing automation, biometrics, and social science methodology to help solve our customers' concerns. 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.

"There is no peacetime in the information environment," according to Greg Radabaugh, who is the former Director of the Joint Information Operations Warfare Center (JIOWC). "Information rounds are being fired at us continually 24/7." While our forces do well at operations in the information environment (OIE) at the tactical and operational levels, Greg discusses the imperative for US leaders to focus on the strategic aspects of informational power (IP). After recapping the history and purpose of the JIOWC, Greg gives his perspective on the concept of informational power--a term coined by the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joe Dunford. A key factor in successfully applying IP is characterizing the IE in a manner that enables commanders to understand adversary actions in the IE and resulting decisions. Greg also discusses the new version of Joint Pub 3-13 (Information Operations) as well as the importance of Joint Doctrine, in general, as a definitional framework especially important for synchronizing activities across the DoD enterprise and among friends and allies. Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-64 Guest Bio: Greg Radabaugh was the Director of the Joint Information Operations Warfare Center (JIOWC) from 2012-2018. Currently, he leads Gray Bear Consulting providing a variety of consulting services related to informational power, information operations, and cognitive security policy. 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.

Alas, now an ancient prophesy has been fulfilled… Telemus said all these things would come to pass someday. — Homer's Odyssey During this episode, the Honorable Dr. Mike Vickers provides his thoughts on a wide range of strategic issues--all of which have connections with the information environment. Mike makes the case that America is like the cyclops in Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. Like the cyclops, the United States is being blinded and deceived by clever adversaries. Mike also discusses China, India, Estonian technology implementation, the authoritarian-democracy trade off, and international relations theory. He also gives a nuanced examination regarding "whole-of-nation" sloganeering. On one hand, Mike discourages simple phrases that might promote inadequate solutions; on the other, he does agree that we are at a point where we need to cohere around a national strategy and direct our instruments of power productively--including our citizenry. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #53 Watts on Domestic Extremism Three Dangerous Men: Russia, China, Iran and the Rise of Irregular Warfare by Seth Jones Telemus Group In-Q-Tel Applied Research Lab for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-63 Guest Bio: Dr. Michael G. Vickers is career as a special operator, CIA operations officer, national security policy maker and Intelligence Community leader spanned the last two decades of the Cold War through a decade and a half of our war with al-Qa'ida, its allies and its offshoots – service that saw unprecedented senior tenure across Republican and Democratic administrations. Most recently, from 2011 to 2015, Dr. Vickers served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, exercising authority, direction and control over the National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, Defense Security Service, and the intelligence components of the Military Services and Combatant Commands. As the USD(I), he conceived and led a comprehensive transformation of defense intelligence capabilities, encompassing the signals intelligence system and overhead space architecture, penetrating and persistent remotely piloted aircraft, the Department's strategic human intelligence posture, its corps of all-source analysts, and its cyber operations forces. From 2007 to 2011, he served as the first and only Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations, Low-Intensity Conflict and Interdependent Capabilities. As the ASD SO/LIC&IC, Dr. Vickers was the "Service" Secretary for all Special Operations Forces, and had policy oversight of all of DoD's operational capabilities – strategic forces (nuclear forces, missile defense, space, cyber), conventional force transformation (air, ground and maritime), and Special Operations Forces. He conceived and led the largest expansion of Special Operations Forces in our nation's history, and oversaw several other major capability investments ranging from next generation long-range strike to undersea warfare to deter future great power war. Throughout his nearly decade-long service as a national security policy maker and Intelligence Community leader, Dr. Vickers was heavily involved in operations. He was a key operational strategist for the campaign to dismantle and defeat core al-Qa'ida, and played a major policy and planning role in the operation that killed Usama bin Ladin. He oversaw counterterrorism operations in multiple countries and a wide range of other operations, from the surge of forces in Afghanistan to sensitive intelligence collection operations, paramilitary support to opposition forces battling despotic regimes, operations against rogue state nuclear weapons and missile programs, and operations against drug cartels. During the nearly decade and a half that spanned the operational phase of his career, he served as a Special Forces weapons and engineer sergeant, as the commander of a classified counterterrorism unit, and as CIA operations officer. As a Special Forces solider and officer, he was trained to parachute behind Soviet lines with a "backpack" nuclear weapon, and led hostage rescue operations and sensitive intelligence collection operations. As a CIA officer, he played key roles in the invasion of Grenada, the US government's operational response to the Beirut bombings, and the covert effort to drive the Red Army out of Afghanistan. As the principal strategist for the multi-billion dollar Afghanistan covert action program – the largest and most successful covert action program in CIA's history – Dr. Vickers developed the winning strategy when very few thought it was possible to win. His contributions to the first war the Red Army had ever lost and US victory in the Cold War were chronicled in the film and New York Times best seller, Charlie Wilson's War. Dr. Vickers has received the nation's highest awards in the fields of intelligence and defense, including the Presidential National Security Medal and the OSS Society's William J. Donovan Award. He holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. from the University of Alabama. He has written a memoir of his career, to be published by Knopf Penguin Random House in 2022. He currently serves as an Executive Vice President at In-Q-Tel, a Principal with the Telemus Group, a senior advisor to the Boston Consulting Group, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and on several corporate, non-profit and government boards. 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.

During this episode, Jonathan Rauch of the Brooking's Institute discusses his new book: The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth. The Constitution of Knowledge may be thought of as a distributed network with taproots in the same philosophical lineage as the Enlightenment and the United States Constitution. The Constitution of Knowledge keeps us anchored in reality, mediates social conflict, enables civil discourse, and turns disagreement into knowledge. Jonathan makes the case for why we need it and how it should be protected. Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-62 Guest Bio: Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution and a contributing writer of The Atlantic. Rauch is author of The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth (June 2021) and previously author of Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought (1993). Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institute and the author of eight books and many articles on public policy, culture, and government. He is a contributing writer of The Atlantic and recipient of the 2005 National Magazine Award, the magazine industry's equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. His many Brookings publications include the 2021 book The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, as well as the 2015 ebook Political Realism: How Hacks, Machines, Big Money, and Back-Room Deals Can Strengthen American Democracy. Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program and the author of eight books and many articles on public policy, culture, and government. He is a contributing writer of The Atlantic and recipient of the 2005 National Magazine Award, the magazine industry's equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. His many Brookings publications include the 2021 book The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, as well as the 2015 ebook Political Realism: How Hacks, Machines, Big Money, and Back-Room Deals Can Strengthen American Democracy. Other books include The Happiness Curve: Why Life Gets Better after 50 (2018) and Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America (2004). He has also authored research on political parties, marijuana legalization, LGBT rights and religious liberty, and more. Although much of his writing has been on public policy, he has also written on topics as widely varied as adultery, agriculture, economics, gay marriage, height discrimination, biological rhythms, number inflation, and animal rights. His multiple-award-winning column, "Social Studies," appeared from 1998 to 2010 in National Journal. Among the many other publications for which he has written are The New Republic, The Economist, Reason, Harper's, Fortune, Reader's Digest, U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, Slate, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Public Interest, The Advocate, The Daily, and others. In his 1994 book Demosclerosis—revised and republished in 2000 as Government's End: Why Washington Stopped Working—he argues that America's government is becoming gradually less flexible and effective with time, and suggests ways to treat the malady. His 1993 book Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought (published by the University of Chicago Press) defends free speech and robust criticism, even when it is racist or sexist and even when it hurts. In 1992 his book The Outnation: A Search for the Soul of Japan questioned the then-conventional wisdom that Japan was fundamentally different from the West. Rauch was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated in 1982 from Yale University. In addition to the National Magazine Award, his honors include the 2010 National Headliner Award, one of the industry's most venerable prizes. In 1996 he was awarded the Premio Napoli alla Stampa Estera for his coverage, in The Economist, of the European Parliament. In 2011 he won the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association prize for excellence in opinion writing. His articles appear in The Best Magazine Writing 2005 and The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2004 and 2007. He has appeared as a guest on many television and radio programs. He does not like shrimp. 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.

During this episode, MAJGEN Susan Coyle, Head of Information Warfare for the Australian Defence Force, discusses a variety of projects and whole-of-government challenges that she is confronting relative to information operations. After she recaps her primary role and the branches within her division, our discussion touches on the threat from China, broader gray zone competition in the Pacific region, labor considerations, and partnerships. Books and Other Web Links: LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media by Peter Singer The Return of Marco Polo's World: War, Strategy, and American Interests in the Twenty-first Century by Robert D. Kaplan The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age by David E. Sanger Let down by the golden promise of digital age by Paul Kelly Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-61 Guest Bio: Major General Coyle currently holds the appointment of Head of Information Warfare for the Australian Defence Force. Susan Coyle was born in Kyogle, NSW on 21 May 1970. After completing a Bachelor of Science degree at the Australian Defence Force Academy she graduated from the Royal Military College in 1992 into the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. She has worked at the tactical, operational and strategic level in a variety of command and staff appointments including Commander Joint Task Force 633, Commander 6th Brigade, inaugural Commander Task Group Afghanistan, and Commanding Officer 17th Signal Regiment. Major General Coyle has received a Distinguished Service Medal as the Deputy Commander JTF 636 / Commander Task Group Afghanistan on Operation SLIPPER / HIGHROAD, and a Conspicuous Service Cross as the Commanding Officer 17th Signal Regiment. She holds post-graduate qualifications in a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, a Master in Organisational Development and Strategic Human Resource Management from the University of New England, and a Master of Management in Defence Studies from the University of Canberra. 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.