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The Cognitive Crucible

By: Information Professionals Association
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  • Summary

  • The Cognitive Crucible explores all aspects of our generational challenge: Cognitive Security. It is the only podcast dedicated to increasing interdisciplinary collaboration between information operations practitioners, scholars, and policy makers. Join the discussion forum each week with the Cognitive Crucible host, John Bicknell. Have a question or would like to suggest a topic go to: https://information-professionals.org/podcasts/cognitive-crucible.
    2023 Information Professionals Association
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Episodes
  • #196 Dave Troy on Threats to Democracy

    #196 Dave Troy on Threats to Democracy
    Jul 30 2024

    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, Dave Troy discusses threats to democracy. The related problems of disinformation, misinformation, and radicalization have been popularly misunderstood as technology or fact-checking problems, but this ignores the mechanism of action, which is the reconfiguration of social capital. By recasting these problems as one problem rooted in the reconfiguration of social capital and network topology, we can consider solutions that might maximize public health and favor democracy over fascism, even as the urgent need for stewarding human behavior may introduce ethical questions about what kinds of network configurations are ideal, and who might have the moral authority to oversee their pursuit.

    Recording Date: 25 June 2024

    Resources:

    • Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
      • #62 Jonathan Rauch on the Constitution of Knowledge
      • #76 Yuval Levin on the Constitution & Institutions
      • #110 Sean McFate on The New Rules of War
    • Dave Troy’s website
    • Clarence Streit
    • Work in Progress Article: Disinformation and its effects on social capital networks by Dave Troy
    • The Network State: How To Start a New Country by Balaji Srinivasan
    • Adventure Capitalism: A History of Libertarian Exit, from the Era of Decolonization to the Digital Age by Raymond Craib

    Link to full show notes and resources

    Guest Bio: Dave Troy is an investigative journalist focused on exposing threats to democracy. Based in Baltimore, his background as a technologist with an interest in studying online extremism affords him a unique perspective. His work has appeared at MoMA in New York, and he is a fellow with New America Foundation’s Future Frontlines. Dave writes regularly about information warfare, history, and politics. He is the host of the podcast Dave Troy Presents, and speaks regularly at conferences on disinformation, extremism, and information warfare. Contact information is available at davetroy.com.

    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.
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    48 mins
  • #195 Michael Zequeira on the Effects of Social Media on Military Recruiting

    #195 Michael Zequeira on the Effects of Social Media on Military Recruiting
    Jul 16 2024
    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, US Army Major Michael Zequeira discusses his Army Command and General Staff research entitled: the Effects of Social Media on Military Recruiting. More and more Americans receive information from social media. This work looks at the effects of social media’s rise on U.S. Army recruiting. The primary research question was “Is the increased reliance on social media for information negatively affecting the U.S. Army’s ability to recruit?” The secondary research questions were “What role do foreign mis, mal, and disinformation play in decreasing the propensity to serve in the Army of the United States population?” and “How do the negative effects of social media on mental health affect the Army’s ability to meet its’ recruiting goal?” The researcher answered these questions through a hermeneutics approach, analyzing existing research and correlating it to the past 10 years of recruiting trends. The researcher supplemented this by conducting open coding of videos on YouTube to assess the narratives portrayed based on various Army-related keywords. Based on this research, the increase in information speed of social media allows foreign adversaries to perpetuate mis, mal, and disinformation at speeds that decrease trust in the U.S. Government and Army. The well-documented negative effects of excessive social media use on mental health are decreasing the qualified youth available faster than any other discriminating factor. Recording Date: 20 Jun 2024 Research Question: Mike Zequeira suggests an interested student examine: For narrative/misinformation academic researchers, does the TikTok algorithm push content harmful to, or counter to, a positive US military outlook?For military researchers, how can Social Media feeds be integrated into the targeting cycle to enable real time/near real time targeting? Resources Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare by Thomas Rid LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media by Peter Singer My Share of the Task: A Memoir by Stanley McCrystal Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: Major Michael (Mike) Zequeira was born and raised in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area. He commissioned through the Officer Candidate School at Fort Moore in 2013 as a branch-detailed Military Intelligence Officer. MAJ Zequeira served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer and Battalion Logistics Officer in 1-68AR, in the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division in Ft. Carson, Colorado. Post graduation from the Military Intelligence Captain’s career course, he served as Brigade Assistant Intelligence Officer at 2nd IBCT, 10th Mountain Infantry Division, 2-14 Infantry Battalion Intelligence Officer, and Military Intelligence Company Commander for the 41st Brigade Engineer Battalion at Fort Drum, New York. He also served as the Headquarters, Headquarters Company Commander, and as an Operational Test Officer at the Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Testing Directorate at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. MAJ Zequeira is currently transitioning to his next assignment in the Division Intelligence section of 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell KY. MAJ Zequeira’s military education includes the North Georgia University/MCOE Mandarin Language Course, Airborne Course, Military Intelligence Officer Captains Career Course, Digital Intelligence Systems Master Gunners Course, Army Basic Space Cadre I & II, the CENTCOM Foreign Disclosure Officer Course, and the Information Advantage Scholars Program at the Resident Command and General Staff Officer Course at Fort Leavenworth, KS. His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and Economics from Anderson University (SC), a Master of Arts in International Security Studies from the University of Arizona, and a Master in Military Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Information Advantage from the Command and General Staff College. MAJ Zequeira’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (3), the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (2), NATO Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Rotational Forces Lithuanian Medal, Romanian Partner of Defense Medal 3rd Class, Order of the Gold Spur, Order of the Silver Spur, Combat Action Badge and the Parachutists Badge. He is also the winner of the CGSOC Class 24 Excellence in Information Warfare writing award. He is married to his wife Laura, who has her own career in finance and the couple shares a young son, Matthew, age 2. Mike and Laura are both avid sports fans of baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and both enjoy skiing. ...
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    43 mins
  • #194 Mike Hall on the Moral Imperative of Our Time

    #194 Mike Hall on the Moral Imperative of Our Time
    Jul 2 2024
    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. Wayne “Mike” Hall discusses his latest capstone book: the Moral Imperative of Our Time-Purposeful Intellectual Growth. According to Mike, America’s intellect is sharply declining; he implores national security leaders to address this problem immediately by: 1) improving individual learning, 2) promoting organizational learning, and 3) encouraging intellectual mentoring. Satisfying these callings is the moral imperative. Mike also discusses other important themes such as: will, incorporating information and cognition as warfighting domains, how to think in today's fight, non-linearity and complex systems, anticipation compared to prediction, and the importance of initial conditions, and unity of effort. Research Question: Mike Hall suggests interested students examine: How does this fit into DOTMLPF?How do we get politicians to understand Clausewitz? Recording Date: 21 June 2024 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #47 Yaneer Bar-Yam on Complex Systems and the War on Ideals #72 Noah Komnick on Cybernetics and the Age of Complexity Mike Hall’s website Chinese Military Targeting Future Wars And Fighting The Five Cognitive Battles The Moral Imperative of Our Time-Purposeful Intellectual Growth: Developing and Using the Human Mind To Outthink America's Enemies and To Stay Abreast of Changing Technologies by Ed D Wayne Michael Hall Whispers from the Arrow of Time: Essays from an Evolving Mind on How to Think about National Security in the Information Age by Wayne Michael Hall Stray Voltage: War in the Information Age by Wayne Michael Hall Intelligence Analysis: How to Think in Complex Environments by Wayne Michael Hall and Gary Citrenbaum The Power of Will in International Conflict: How to Think Critically in Complex Environments by Wayne Michael Hall and Patrick M. Hughes Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: Wayne Michael “Mike” Hall, Brigadier General, US Army (Retired), is a career U.S. Army intelligence officer with over 50 years of experience in intelligence operations. In the Army, Brigadier General Hall served in four infantry divisions: 2d, 1 st , 4 th , and 82d. He commanded intelligence units at the company (337 th ASA Company), battalion (313 th MI Bn, 82d Airborne Division), and brigade (501 st MI Brigade in the Republic of Korea). BG Hall was an infantry battalion S-2 in the 1 st Infantry Division, an infantry brigade S-2 while in Korea in the 2d Infantry Division, and an infantry brigade S-2 in the 1 st Infantry Division. He was the G-2 of the 82d Airborne Division, and as a general officer, the J-2 US Forces Korea. After retiring from the Army in 1999, he worked with military and private corporations providing consulting services in intelligence-related matters for more than 12 years. He also created a two-week intensive seminar for intelligence analysts and collections specialists, centering on his book Intelligence Analysis: How to Think in Complex Environments. Brigadier General Hall led the strenuous two-week seminars from 2008-2014 and helped ~1250 intelligence analysts and collection people learn “how to think” in complex environments. Brigadier General Hall has written six books: Stray Voltage War in the Information Age (2003); Intelligence Analysis How to Think in Complex Environments(2009); Intelligence Collection How to Plan and Execute Intelligence Collection in Complex Environments (2012); The Power of Will in International Conflict (2018); Whispers From the Arrow of Time (2023); and The Moral Imperative of Our Time—Purposeful Intellectual Growth. Brigadier General Hall holds a BS from the University of Nebraska, an MS from Kansas State University, an MMAS from the US Army CGSC, and an EdD from The George Washington University. Brigadier General Hall is a graduate of the US Army’s Command and General Staff College, School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), and the National War College. Brigadier General Hall is a Senior Parachutist and a Ranger School graduate from the US Army’s Ranger School, February 1973. Brigadier General Hall lives with his wife near Denton Texas. 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 ...
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    1 hr and 10 mins
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Security for the mind.

There is so much great information here. This is the future of humanity.

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