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, Sebastian Bae discusses games in a national security context. Games help leaders understand decisions and consequences in a synthetic environment. Sebastian also describes his newest game, Malign, which is designed in collaboration with NATO’s Hybrid Center of Excellence for college students, foreign service officers, and policy makers to better understand the power of misinformation and malign influence. Research Questions:  Sebastian suggests to an interested student investigate how we measure or assess educational progress relative to gaming? How does the synthetic experience of games change depending upon the medium being used, for example: table top versus digital versus AR versus VR, etc. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #140 Tom Ferris on Cognitive Ergonomics Sebastian’s Georgetown Page Sebastian’s CNA Page NATO’s Hybrid Center of Excellence Game: Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific Emily Yoder's YouTube presentation on Malign Georgetown University Wargaming Society Leeroy Jenkins Youtube You Said This Would Be Fun: What makes a game good and how to make a good game by Jeff Warrender On Operations: Operational Art and Military Disciplines by B. A. Friedman Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-146 Guest Bio:  Sebastian J. Bae’s work principally focuses on wargaming, emerging technologies, the future of warfare, and strategy and doctrine for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. In addition to his work at CNA, Bae serves as an adjunct assistant professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University, where he teaches a graduate course on designing educational wargames. He has taught similar courses at the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He is also the faculty advisor to the Georgetown University Wargaming Society, the co-chair of the Military Operations Research Society Wargaming Community of Practice, and a nonresident fellow at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity.  Before joining CNA, he served six years in the Marine Corps infantry, leaving as a sergeant. He deployed to Iraq in 2009. Bae received a Master of Arts in security studies from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in peace and conflict studies from the University of California, Berkeley. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Chris Whitlock and Frank Strickland discuss the importance of AI Education for Leaders. Drawing upon three decades of leading hundreds of advanced analytics and AI programs and projects in government and industry, Chris and Frank address the primary variable in the talent deficit – large numbers of qualified AI leaders. Whether you are a senior or mid-level leader who lacks hands-on experience with AI, or an AI practitioner who lacks leadership experience, Frank and Chris unpack the dynamics between AI programs, projects, people, and technology.  Research Questions:  Chris Whitlock suggests a question related to Large Language Models (LLM); how will LLMs perform with contemporary data feeds, novel, emergent topics? For example: intelligence summarizations? Frank Strickland believes that simulation technologies are ascendant and should be studied more. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #129 Eliot Jardines on Open Source Intelligence Ai Leaders https://aileaders.mykajabi.com Winning the National Security AI Competition: A Practical Guide for Government and Industry Leaders by Chris Whitlock and Frank Strickland Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology by Chris Miller T-Minus AI: Humanity's Countdown to Artificial Intelligence and the New Pursuit of Global Power by Michael Kanaan and Braden Wright Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-145 Guest Bio:  Frank Strickland enlisted in the Marine Corps, graduating as the Honor Man of my platoon. During his 22 years of government service, he helped lead innovations including: evaluating and transitioning to production the nation’s first long endurance unmanned aerial system; delivering intelligence to the tactical edge using narrow and wide-band technologies; and agile prototyping of big data analytics. The Director of Central Intelligence awarded him the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement in recognition of these accomplishments. He was the National Reconnaissance Office’s (NRO) Legislative Director, and a member of CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service, where he received the NRO’s Medals of Distinguished and Superior Service. In the private sector he co-founded Edge Consulting and helped lead Edge's growth resulting in an acquisition by IBM. As a partner in IBM and subsequently Deloitte, he led large practices providing AI and analytics solutions and services to national security clients including innovations in massive scale property graphs and agent-based simulation.  Chris Whitlock completed undergrad in Oxford – Oxford MS – and began service as an Army infantry officer, then military analyst at CIA. He spent the majority of his 40-year career providing advanced analytics, AI, and management consulting services primarily to national security clients in the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Department of State. He helped pioneer the rapid prototyping and integration of advanced algorithms with software applications starting in the early 1990s. In the past 10 years his work has emphasized machine learning and artificial intelligence applications. He led a large market offering in Deloitte Consulting focused on Mission Analytics and AI in addition to leading large programs for cabinet level departments. He co-founded an analytics company, Edge Consulting, personally leading the development of algorithmic approaches to quantify the value of intelligence. After an acquisition by IBM, he served as a Partner in IBM. If you notice parallels between Frank’s and his careers, we are twins who were separated at birth. We found each other in 1991 and have done some cool stuff since including our most recent venture, aiLeaders. 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, Nicholas Eberstadt of the American Enterprise Institute discusses demographic forces which have national security implications. Specifically, Nicholas recaps population dynamics which are unfolding in China, Russia, the United States, and the greater Middle East and broadly construed Islamic community. Research Question: Dr. Eberstadt believes interested students should investigate the paradox that exists between greater human population and the inflation-adjusted price of natural resources. What’s the answer to this paradox? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #138 Matthew Canham on Cognitive Security #76 Yuval Levin on the Constitution & Institutions Nicholas Eberstadt’s AEI Profile The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu and Ken Liu Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-144 Guest Bio: Nicholas Eberstadt holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he researches and writes extensively on demographics and economic development generally, and more specifically on international security in the Korean peninsula and Asia. Domestically, he focuses on poverty and social well-being. Dr. Eberstadt is also a senior adviser to the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR). His many books and monographs include “Poverty in China” (IDI, 1979); “The Tyranny of Numbers” (AEI Press, 1995); “The End of North Korea” (AEI Press, 1999); “The Poverty of the Poverty Rate” (AEI Press, 2008); and “Russia’s Peacetime Demographic Crisis” (NBR, 2010). His latest book is “Men Without Work: America’s Invisible Crisis” (Templeton Press, 2016). He has offered invited testimony before Congress on numerous occasions and has served as consultant or adviser for a variety of units within the US government. His appearances on radio and television range from NPR to CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” Mr. Eberstadt has a PhD in political economy and government, an MPA from the Kennedy School of Government, and an AB from Harvard University. In addition, he holds a master of science from the London School of Economics. In 2012, Mr. Eberstadt was awarded the prestigious Bradley Prize. 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, Conrad Dungca of the Naval Information Warfare Command Pacific (NIWC Pacific) discusses Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). Conrad discusses each component of ISR, and how ISR fits into information operations.  Research Question: Conrad suggests two research questions: 1) how has ISR evolved and what is ISR, and what is the right direction for ISR; 2) how has ISR impacted people and the world? Resources: Fleet Tactics And Naval Operations by Wayne Hughes and Robert Girrier The Myth of Artificial Intelligence: Why Computers Can’t Think the Way We Do by Erik J. Larson Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-143 Guest Bio: Conrad Dungca grew up in Los Angeles, CA.  He graduated with merit from the US Naval Academy earning a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering, with an emphasis in Communications and Computer Engineering in May 1991. Upon graduation, he was commissioned an Ensign as a Student Naval Aviator. He attended primary flight training in Corpus Christi, TX, and advanced rotary wing flight school in Florida, earning his Naval Aviation wings of gold in 1994.  His service in the Navy was primarily flying the H-46 Sea Knight helicopter.  His other Navy tours included: Tutoring inner city high school students as a Navy Upward Bound Mentor at UCSD,  Engineer duty at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, Assistant Operations Officer at the Joint US Military Advisory Group in the Philippines, Navy Recruiting Duty in San Diego, Officer In Charge of a Counter IED Unmanned Aerial Vehicle detachment in support of Operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom, and Commanding Officer for two Navy Reserve Units supporting NAVAIR in the rapid research and development of naval aviation systems. Conrad Dungca served over 30 years in the US Navy, retiring at the rank of Navy Captain.  He is currently working at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pac) as the Lead Systems Engineer of the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Department supporting the engineering processes of over 180 department projects.  Prior to Conrad’s assignment to the ISR Department, he was involved with multiple communications related projects in NIWC Pac’s Communications and Networks Department, focusing mostly with the Navy afloat and ashore communications architectures and systems. 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, Brian Murphy discusses issues surrounding ethics related to foreign disinformation–including difficult tradeoffs related to freedom and security. Research Question: Brian believes that we need more clearer criteria for what is disinformation and misinformation. There are no adequate definitions and there is too much subjectivity in current definitions. For example, relevant to disinformation, what is the difference between legitimate statecraft and propaganda? Resources: Some of Brian’s Publications: Book release Spring 2023 Russian Disinformation in America and the U.S. Government’s Ethical Obligations to Respond, Springer Nature Publishing. The Impact of Social Media Conveyed Russian-Backed Disinformation in a Polarized America: An Examination of the Executive Branch’s Ethical Responsibility to Respond (Georgetown University) The US Needs a Center to Counter Foreign Malign Influence at Home - Defense One Ukraine's History Shows Where Russian Disinformation Can Take Hold (logically.ai) Making Sense of Russian Disinformation and Propaganda (logically.ai) “Decaying National Security: Understanding the Implications of Imagined Tribalism and its Connection to the Decay of Nationalism in a Radically Changed Information Context” - RUSI Journal | Royal United Services Institute. Chapter:  Introduction to T&S and Law Enforcement - Trust & Safety Professional Association (tspa.org) The Ever-Shrinking Worlds of National and Homeland Security by Brian Murphy Brian Murphy PhD Dissertation: THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA CONVEYED RUSSIAN-BACKED DISINFORMATION IN A POLARIZED AMERICA: AN EXAMINATION OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH’S ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPOND Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-142 Guest Bio: Since September 2021, Brian Murphy has been the Vice President of Strategic Operations for Logically.  In his role, he assisted in developing and implementing advanced Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence solutions to find harmful threat content at scale and across languages and platforms on social media.   Before joining Logically, Mr. Murphy served as both the Principal and Acting Under Security for Intelligence for the Department of Homeland Security (2018 to 2021).  In these roles, he served as the Chief Intelligence Officer, Chief Information Sharing Officer, and Chief Counterintelligence Officer for the department.  In this capacity, he provided intelligence leading to more than 250K personnel. Mr. Murphy led intelligence analysis, data integration, and program management for 22 component organizations within the department.  Mr. Murphy was a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for over 20 years.  While there, he performed duties from street agent up to roles as a national manager.  While in the senior executive service at the FBI, he served as the primary point of contact for federal, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism programs.  During his career, he served in New York, Afghanistan, Algeria, Tunisia, Niger, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Washington, DC.  Murphy began his federal service in 1994 as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.  He would later return to this role in 2004 after he was recalled to active duty for service in Iraq. Mr. Murphy’s academic credentials include a PhD from Georgetown University; Master of Arts in Islamic Studies from Columbia University; Bachelor of Arts in Government College of William and Mary.  He is a certified U.S. Intel Community Intelligence Officer and Joint Duty Certified and maintains a Top Secret clearance. 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.

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, George Pullen discusses the space economy through a national security lens. Along the way, he answers some basic economic questions like: what is an economy, and what is GDP and why does it matter? Research Question: George Pullen believes the following questions should be studies more: How does space-based solar power plays into our energy future? What are the impacts of economic activities happening in and around space ports? How does blockchain fit into the space economy? Resources: George Pullen’s MilkyWayEconomy Website https://www.milkywayeconomy.com/ Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space by Namrata Goswami and Peter Garretson The United States Space Force: Space, Grand Strategy, and U.S. National Security by Lamont C. Colucci Tailoring Deterrence for China in Space by Krista Langeland, Derek Grossman Spacepower Ascendant: Space Development Theory and a New Space Strategy by Joshua Carlson Blockchain and the Space Economy by George Pullen Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-141 Guest Bio:  Prof. George Pullen is a free-market economist, who for the last decade has been refining his economic philosophies as a Senior Economist at the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission in Washington, DC. Previous to that he worked as a trader, portfolio manager, and banker. He is driven by a curiosity and passion for convergence, connecting people and ideas across diverse disciplines and finding new questions that need answers. He is the author and co-author of six books on economic topics related to deep tech and a Partner and Chief Economist for MilkyWayEconomy. - Forecasting and Strategy for the 5th Industrial Revolution of the Space Economy. 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. Tom Ferris discusses his fascinating research related to cognitive ergonomics. Research Questions: Tom thinks the following questions need additional study: Human sensing and cognitive insights obtrusive physiology; making inferences during human studies; finding ways of measuring workload, stress and emotional workload in humans. Design for what we know about humans; sensing and detecting emotional states and having machines respond accordingly; control science and getting machines to work better based upon human cognitive sensing. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #71 Hasard Lee on the F-35 and Cognitive Load Tom Ferris The Design Of Everyday Things by Don Norman IPA Monthly Brown Bag Meetings Calling Authors & Thought Leaders: LLMs and GPT-3 IPA Blog Submission Guidelines Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-140 Guest Bio:  Dr. Thomas Ferris is an Associate Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University. Dr. Ferris' research interests are in human factors and cognitive ergonomics, and can be described as the study of cognition in human-machine engineered systems. His primary focus involves human information processing and design to support attention and interruption management. In particular, he investigates novel interface design techniques, employing alternative display modalities such as the sense of touch. Other research interests include human error, decision making under time pressure and human-automation interaction. He has interest and experience in applying his research to the domains of medicine (anesthesiology), military operations (command and control, UV control and operations), aviation (cockpit automation and air traffic control) and ground transportation. 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.

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. Austin Branch and Andy Whiskeyman, both professors of the practice at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS), discuss the recent Phoenix Challenge Conference which was held in London from Feb 27th to Mar 3rd 2023. The Conference was meant to bring together: Academia, Industry, and Government. Those three communities are vital to success in the information field. The first two days were plenary sessions meant to orient the group and ensure common focus for the day three working groups. The day three working groups were split into three: Industry/Government: creating a forum for dialog and creating shared solutions. Academia: preparation for the Academic Phoenix Challenge. Creating an environment to harness academic excellence in support of common obstacles and opportunities. Government session: Integrated deterrence, Narrative, Assessment. These were all the initial working groups designed to create the initial conditions for future success. These themes will continue throughout the year. Conference outputs will work to develop solutions, recommendations, etc. for key leaders in Government (in the information field, specifically OIOP (OSD), and for Head MSE (MoD). Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-139 Guest Bio:  Austin Branch is Professor of the Practice at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS). Andy Whiskeyman is Professor of the Practice at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security; Associate Professor at the College of Information and Cyberspace at National Defense University, and a non-resident fellow at Joint Special Operations University 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. Matthew Canham discusses the importance of cognitive security, and his neurosecurity framework. Research Question: Are there a finite and discoverable set of Principles of Influence for AI analogous to the Principles of Influence in humans? (Reference: Dr. Robert Cialdini’s Seven Principles of Influence in Humans which form the basis of (most) social engineering attacks: Reciprocity, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, Commitment & Consistency, Scarcity, Unity) Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #113 Jeff Engstrom on Chinese Systems Warfare #135 Dave Maxwell on North Korea and Influence Operations #110 Sean McFate on The New Rules of War Matthew’s personal website Cognitive Security: Exploring the Human Layer w/ Dr. Matthew Canham | CSI Talks #1 https://youtu.be/OGmvoj5Dj_A Unrestricted Warfare: China’s Master Plan to Destroy America by Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui AntiFragile, 2014, Nassim Nicholas Taleb Unrestricted Warfare: China's Master Plan to Destroy America, 2015, Qiao Liang & Wang Xiangsui War Without Rules: China's Playbook for Global Domination, 2022, Robert Spalding The New Rules of War: How America Can Win--Against Russia, China, and Other Threats, 2020, Sean McFate The Weaponisation of Everything: A Field Guide to the New Way of War, 2022, Mark Galeotti The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age, 1997, James Dale Davidson & Lord William Rees-Mogg The Network State: How To Start a New Country, 2022, Balaji Srinivasan What Technology Wants, 2010, by Kevin Kelly Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion, 2021, Robert B Cialdini PhD Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade, 2016, Robert Cialdini Ph.D. Security risks of ChatGPT and other AI text generators Paul Wagenseil January 17, 2023 Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-138 Guest Bio: Dr. Matthew Canham is a security consultant and researcher dedicated to understanding and addressing the human element in cybersecurity. His research focuses on human susceptibility to mis-dis-mal (MDM) information operations and remote online social engineering attacks. He is also the host of the Cognitive Security Institute, an organization which holds monthly online meetings to discuss topics in cognitive security. You may watch past presentations here: https://www.youtube.com/@cognitivesecurityinstitute579/videos 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, Vic Garcia and Mike Berger of Peraton give a deep dive into IO-related challenges facing the United States and allied nations, plus dynamics between the intelligence and the operations communities, and the importance and current state of IO assessments. Research Question:  Vic Garcia suggests: How are the Chinese leveraging the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in order to build influence across the globe? What are the implications on US foreign policy? [Expanding off of the question above] Mike Berger asserts: What are examples of strategic competitor (Chinese and Russian) efforts to build influence* in different information environments across the globe? How successful have they been in these efforts, and what challenges do they present to US national interests? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #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 #115 Russ Burgos on Information Supply, Demand, and Effect #129 Eliot Jardines on Open Source Intelligence Axis of Disinformation: Propaganda from Iran, Russia, and China on COVID-19 by Andrew Whiskeyman, Michael Berger The Hundred-Year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower by Michael Pillsbury and Malcolm Hillgartner Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences by Alexander George and Andrew Bennett (2004). Like War: The Weaponization of Social Media by P.W. Singer and Emerson Brooking (2018). Intelligence Support for Operations in the Information Environment, by RAND—authors include Michael Schwille, Anthony Atler, Jonathan, Welch, Christopher Paul, Richard C. Baffa (2020). Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-137 Guest Bio:  Colonel (Ret) Vic Garcia culminated his 30-year Army career after having served as the J39 Information Operations Division Chief at two separate combatant commands: U.S. Special Operations Command (2016-20) and U.S. Central Command (2013-16). During his tenure at SOCOM he oversaw the creation of the Joint MISO Web-operations Center (JMWC), and helped lead organizational change for the PSYOP, Civil Affairs, Cyber and Space communities within the SOF enterprise. Prior to this, while at CENTCOM, Vic led the command’s IO efforts against ISIS/Daesh propaganda, leading to improved web operations including development of a team directly supporting JSOC. Vic served in a variety of infantry and PSYOP assignments, including command of information warfare task forces in Iraq for Multi-National Forces -Iraq, and in Qatar for Special Operations Command – Central. He also saw service in Kandahar, Afghanistan as an infantry deputy Brigade commander; and as a MIST Team leader supporting Joint Task Force Liberia, created to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in that country. His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (2 awards), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Ranger Tab, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and others. His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point; a Master of Science in International Relations from Troy University; and a Master’s of Science in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. Vic currently works for Peraton supporting information warfighting capability development. Dr. Mike Berger is Chief of Research for the Information Warfare organizational unit (OU) in Peraton’s Cyber Mission Sector. In this capacity, he serves as the lead for analysis and assessments for the Operational Planning, Implementation, and Assessment Services (OPIAS) contract—the largest information warfare support contract in the US Government (USG). Dr. Berger oversees primary source research, personnel, and operational assessments supporting information operations (IO) / irregular warfare (IW) activities across OPIAS’s supported Geographic Combatant Commands (GCCs) and USG agencies. Through the course of his work, Dr. Berger has established and successfully managed the most expansive foreign audience opinion research portfolio in the Department of Defense, including over 700,000 survey interviews, 600 focus groups, and 2,000 elite interviews in a variety of sensitive locations across the globe. A central focus of his research includes illuminating the current challenges faced by America and its partners in the information environment. Dr. Berger holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland, United Kingdom). He enjoys establishing new research projects, leveraging new technologies to enhance data analysis, and developing operational assessment teams in support of forward deployed warfighters. 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.