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, Bill Wall discusses Accrete AI's comprehensive AI platform. The conversation explores the necessity for the U.S. to balance military focus with information strategies, diplomacy, and a deeper understanding of the populace to achieve success in modern conflicts. Recording Date: 9 Dec 2025 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #56 Bob Jones on Governance Accrete AI Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph by T.E. Lawrence The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media by P. W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio:  Bill Wall is the CEO and Co-Founder of Accrete AI Government, an enterprise AI company helping government entities rapidly capture and analyze massive amounts of siloed data, providing analysts with deep insights that enable faster decision-making. Bill has a unique background, combining elite military service and deep experience in the sales and implementation of innovative solutions that drive business transformation. In the private sector, Bill has built technology teams across various industries. His professional experience includes leadership roles at companies like EMC, Praescient Analytics, Boundless Geospatial, and Flywheel Data, where he focused on IT solutions, big data analytics, and geospatial software. Before entering the corporate world, Bill retired from the Army as a Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel after twenty-two years in service. During his military career, he founded a computer network operations organization within the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and deployed multiple times to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Yemen where he worked closely with the national intelligence community to transform the way intelligence was developed and shared. Academically trained in international relations, Bill holds a Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and a Master of Arts in International Relations and Latin American Studies from the University of Miami. Beyond his professional achievements, he has been married to Francesca for 30 years and is a father to two sons, sharing his home with two dogs and a cat. 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 [email protected]. 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. Josh "Bugsy" Segal recaps his recent observations from the Ukraine battlefield and concerns for Western governments which don't adapt quickly. Ukraine's rapid development of sophisticated, cost-effective domestic defense technology, including advanced counter-drone systems, is positioning the nation as a key arms supplier of the future. This innovation highlights a critical national security concern for the U.S., as expensive Western weapons have proven ineffective against Russian countermeasures, and the American defense industry is failing to incorporate vital battlefield insights. To maintain its global defense sector dominance, the U.S. must accept its current competitive disadvantage and immediately prioritize collaboration with Ukraine to integrate its effective, relevant technology. Recording Date: 12 Dec 2025 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #192 Josh "Bugsy" Segal on the American Maginot Line #219 Dr. Josh Segal on Are We Losing the War? Lethality, Deterrence, and Information Ukraine offers a roadmap for faster and cheaper battlefield innovation by Josh Segal Defense in depth Brave 1 Ukrainian Defense Innovation Fire Point Weapons Systems Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio:  Josh Segal holds a Ph.D. in Russian Studies from George Washington University and an MA in Russian Studies from Emory University and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Emory. He is a former negotiator on Chemical Weapons Convention and helped establish the OPCW,  and other treaties in the 1990s, became active duty Navy Info warfare and intel officer and served 27 years, finishing as Director of the Information Warfare Program and finally at US Special Operations Command. Current;y, he is a senior advisor to a number of Department of War leaders across Policy and the Services, recently returned from 11 speaking engagements in Europe and North America on Hybrid Warfare. 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 [email protected]. 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, Michael Lissack discusses Anticipatory Agents in Causal Bubbles–a unified theoretical framework that reconciles Quantum Bayesianism (QBism), Robert Rosen's theory of Anticipatory Systems, the causal bubbles interpretation of quantum mechanics, and pragmatic constructivism through Hans Vaihinger's philosophy of 'as if.' Recording Date: 2 Dec 2025 Research Question: Michael Lissack suggests an interested student or researcher examine how can the continuous process of asking "what gives this symbol, sign, or phrase meaning?" (synecdoche) against the background of the "information abyss" lead to a developed sense of understanding? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #7 Randy Rosin on Russia and Applied Cybernetics #72 Noah Komnick on Cybernetics and the Age of Complexity #47 Yaneer Bar-Yam on Complex Systems and the War on Ideals #85 Josh Kerbel on Complexity and Anticipatory Intelligence Anticipatoryagents.com Anticipatory Agents in Causal Bubbles: Reconciling Quantum Bayesianism, Rosen's Anticipatory Systems, and Pragmatic Constructivism by Michael Lissack WHAT SCIENTIFIC TERM OR CONCEPT OUGHT TO BE MORE WIDELY KNOWN? Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety by John Naughton Destruction and Creation by John Boyd (1976) W. R. Ashby, "Requisite variety and its implications for the control of complex systems," Cybernetica, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 83–99, 1958. Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: Michael Lissack, the founder and director of the Second Order Science Foundation, has dedicated his academic career to understanding how individuals and organizations can learn and adapt in a rapidly changing world. Lissack's work focuses on the intersection of cognition, communication, and technology, and he has developed innovative approaches to knowledge management, organizational learning, and leadership development. Lissack was the president of American Society for Cybernetics, founder of the Institute for the Study of Coherence and Emergence, and founding editor of the journal Emergence.  He has taught at several universities throughout the world, including Erasmus in the Netherlands and Tongji in Shanghai.  He holds a D.B.A. in complex systems from Brunel University and Henley Management College. 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 [email protected]. 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, COL Rob Thelan discusses the US Army's Information Warfare (IWAR) Branch. IWAR aims to integrate the IO (Information Operations) and PSYOP (Psychological Operations) communities into a unified, conventional force branch. Other topics include: U.S. lagging behind adversaries like China and Russia in IO funding and the need to break down "stovepiping" within the U.S. information operations community; the State Department's Global Engagement Center and filling the void with respect to mis/dis-information; and military public affairs evolution. Recording Date: 19 Nov 2025 Research Question: Rob Thelan suggests an interested student or researcher examine: Where else are we falling behind our adversaries and how do we make up ground – especially with respect to operations in the information environment? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #106 Mike Taylor on the Global Engagement Center Art of War by Sun Tzu  The Fire of the Dragon: China's New Cold War by Ian Williams Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio:  Colonel Robert M. Thelen is currently the chief of staff of the Department of the Army Strategic Operations Directorate (DAMO SO). Previously, he was the Department of State Senior Military Advisor to the Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Global Public Affairs office of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R/FIMI). Colonel Thelen completed a War College Fellowship at the Near East South Asia Strategic Studies Center at National Defense University. Prior to War College he was assigned to the Joint Staff J39 (Deputy Director for Global Operations DDGO) as Chief Special Activities Division (SAD). He was also assigned to the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) J39 Information Operations (IO) Division as the Chief of Special Activities.  He also served at the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) J39 Information Operations (IO) Division after earning a Master Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He previously served as the G7 Information Operations Officer for the Second Infantry Division, stationed at Camp Red Cloud, Republic of Korea. He was also assigned to Fort Hood's III Armored Corps as a G35 Future Operations IO Planner and deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 where he lead an international team of IO planners for the Future Operations G35 of the ISAF Joint Command (IJC).  Before joining III Armored Corps, COL Thelen served with the U.S. Army Forces Command's Operations Division Watch team where he was instrumental in establishing the IO section within the G-3/5/7. Colonel Thelen has had a long and diverse military career, bringing a plethora of military experience to the Department of State.  While still a junior in high school, he enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard as a photo journalist. Four years later, he attended Officer Candidate School and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant after graduating from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations. He then relocated to Washington, D.C., where he pursued a career with the federal government while continuing to serve in the Virginia Army National Guard's 29th Infantry Division as the Commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, as well as an aide-de-camp to the Commanding General. COL Thelen was transferred to Atlanta, Georgia where he joined the Georgia Army National Guard and the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. In 1997 he was mobilized, deployed and attached to the 1st Infantry Division 2-2 Infantry in Bosnia-Herzegovina, serving as the Task Force 2-2 Public Affairs Officer. He remained on active duty through the Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) program where he served in Stuttgart, Germany with the European Command J37 NATO Exercise Branch and performed Operations Center duties during the Kosovo Campaign. Following this assignment, he returned to Atlanta and served in the G-3/5/7 Training Division at the U.S. Army Forces Command and the Executive Officer to the 2-star senior Army National Guard Advisor. He was then selected to serve as the Battalion S3, Assistant Professor of Military Science (APMS) at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) ROTC program, and then as the Coordinator for the Georgia National Guard's State Partnership Program with the Former Soviet Republic of Georgia.  During this time he also commanded the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.  After command, he attended Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and was then assigned as the Brigade S3 Plans officer at the 48th Infantry Brigade.  COL Thelen was then assessed to active duty as an Information Operations officer and continues to serve. COL Thelen is married to Alexis (Layton-Moore) and has three children, Jake, Rachel and Robert, Jr. He has owned and operated a real estate investment firm and is an active member of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Association. 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 [email protected]. 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, Bob Thibadeau returns to the Cognitive Crucible and discusses the fundamentals of computational cognitive neuroscience and privacy.  He asserts that everyone should manage a million identities on an embodied chip, share these identities selectively, and change them frequently. Recording Date: 29 Sep 2025 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #5 Robert Thibadeau on Lies The Internet Court of Truth Robotaxies: Blackmail Comes of Age and the Need for Identity MegaChips (YouTube) Fiat Lies are Genocide on the Human Race (YouTube) Fiat Lies are Genocide on the Human Race (Medium) Flashy Crypto Chipped: A Storage OEM View (YouTube) Robert Thibadeau's Medium Site Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (Wikipedia) Heider and Simmel (1944) animation (YouTube) Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: Professor Bob Thibadeau has been affiliated with Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science since 1979. His expertise is in Cognitive Science, AI, and Machine Learning. Prof Thibadeau is one of the founding Directors of the Robotics Institute. And, he is author of the book "How to Get Your Lies Back: The Internet Court of Lies."  Watch his recent Liecourt.com or truthcourt.net trials at https://www.truthcourt.net/sponsor/thibadeau.  "Fiat Lies are Genocide on the Human Race"  is a brief summary of the book available on Medium.com. It is tried for its truthfulness off his TruthCourt.net sponsor page. or directly at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp-Q_Vqm7Eo. His "million identities to protect your privacy," also on Medium.com, is tried for its truthfulness at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyxTdFlmZY8. 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 [email protected]. 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.