Weapons of Mass Disruption

Hosted by Dr. Tamara Schwartz

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Episodes

107

Latest episode

May 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

We live in a VUCA world – volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous – where the only constant is change, complexity is growing, and all the ambiguity this creates is making us feel anxious and uncertain. The world is being disrupted over and over again, and the risks previously categorized as “unknown unknowns” have become commonplace. Everywhere we turn, Mount VUCA is in various stages of volcanic eruption. Join IQ4U’s Dr. Tamara Schwartz and her invited guests in this new podcast exploring the intersection of globalization, technology, business, ethics, and social change as we learn to live with Weapons of Mass Disruption.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 10, 2026Episode 848 min

American Judaism Disrupted! Israel, Power, and the Politics of Legitimacy

In this episode of WMD, Dr. Tamara Schwartz welcomes Professor of Judaic Studies, Dr. Stephen Stern for a thought-provoking conversation about Israel, anti-Zionism, antisemitism, and the deeper question of power itself. Together, they explore why Israel occupies such a uniquely symbolic role in modern political consciousness and how debates about the Jewish state have become intertwined with broader questions of morality, legitimacy, victimhood, nationalism, and identity. In an era of information warfare and competing realities, this episode challenges listeners to think critically about the stories societies tell about power, history, and legitimacy—and what those stories reveal about the modern world.

May 27, 2026Episode 71 hr 9 min

Classroom disrupted! AI calls for new pedagogies in the classroom.

The classroom is changing faster than most institutions can process. Large language models are no longer just tools students experiment with on the side—they are becoming cognitive companions that shape how students write, think, solve problems, and increasingly, how they evaluate themselves. Dr. Tamara Schwartz, does not often ruminate alone on this podcast, but in this episode of WMD, she will explore what is happening in the classroom, and her concerns about what happens when students begin trusting AI more than their own judgment.

May 6, 2026Episode 618 min

Outputs Disrupted! How Economics Shapes AI Outputs

Building on their ongoing conversation, Tamara Schwartz and Jena Jordahl examine how business models shape AI outputs, and why we often have little visibility into the incentives driving what we see. This episode explores the hidden relationship between economics, optimization, and meaning in AI systems.

April 22, 2026Episode 521 min

Off the Map: Charting Meaning Spaces

Building on their last conversation meaning and how we learn, Tamara Schwartz and Jena Jordahl explore how we begin to map meaning itself. Using Lewis and Clark as an analogy, this episode examines how meaning forms across layers, perspectives, and structured relationships, and what it takes to navigate a landscape that does not come with a map.

April 8, 2026Episode 418 min

Thinking Disrupted! Meaning Spaces & Re-learning How to Learn

Picking up where we left off in September, Tamara Schwartz is joined once again by Jena Jordahl of InfiniteIQ to explore the meaning of words vs. prediction of words that flow logically. We revisit math as a language of process, and we discuss what is at stake if we fail to shift from black box to white box AI.

March 25, 2026Episode 321 min

Disrupting the Black Box of AI

In the final episode of this three-part AI series, Dr. Tamara Schwartz and Jena Jordahl explore the language beneath artificial intelligence: mathematics itself. Moving beyond data provenance and intellectual lineage, they examine how math is not merely numbers, but a language of verbs and adverbs — a language of process, transformation, and production. When we understand mathematics as describing movement, relationships, and change, AI becomes less mysterious and more traceable. This reframing lays the groundwork for building “white box” AI systems that are transparent, explainable, and structurally understood rather than opaque black boxes. In an era of algorithmic decision-making and increasing VUCA, the ability to see and interpret the processes inside AI systems is foundational to trust, cognitive security, and responsible innovation.

March 11, 2026Episode 223 min

The King Databases Disrupted! Enter the Queen of Instances

In Episode 2 of our AI series, Dr. Tamara Schwartz continues her conversation with Jena Jordahl, founder of InfiniteIQ, by exploring the intellectual lineage that shaped her thinking. Jena reflects on mentorship from some of the most influential minds in artificial intelligence and cognitive science, including 1973 Turing Award recipient Charlie Bachman, pioneer of memory-based reasoning David Walz, and Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon and his theory of satisficing, and others. Charlie once called Jena the “Queen of Instances,” recognizing her mastery of real-world case intelligence. Herbert Simon challenged her to search for similarity in points of view rather than differences. This episode connects those lessons to production analysis, showing how perspective, pattern recognition, and cognitive discipline shape trustworthy AI systems in a volatile world.

February 25, 2026Episode 119 min

Data Analysis Disrupted! Production Analysis is critical!

In this first episode of our three-part AI series, Dr. Tamara Schwartz sits down with Jena Jordahl, founder of InfiniteIQ and one of the most advanced thinkers in artificial intelligence you’ve likely never heard of. Drawing on a professional partnership that began during the stand-up of US Cyber Command in 2008, they explore a critical distinction: data analysis versus production analysis. While data analysis focuses on patterns inside databases, production analysis examines the full value chain and data provenance — how information is generated, shaped, incentivized, and transformed before it ever reaches a model. In an era where AI scales decisions at machine speed, understanding the origin of data is no longer optional. It is foundational to cognitive security, strategic trust, and responsible innovation.

February 24, 20262 min

Welcome to Season 5 of WMD: Weapons of Mass Disruption - TEASER

Season 5 of Weapons of Mass Disruption launches at a moment of accelerating volatility. Recognized by Feedspot as a Top 10 Globalization Podcast, the show returns with sharper focus on the forces reshaping global power. We are operating in a permanent state of VUCA — volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity — driven by geopolitical instability, AI-accelerated decision cycles, emerging technology convergence, and information warfare that blurs truth and narrative. This is not just technological change. It is cognitive terrain. Join Dr. Tamara Schwartz as we follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, head off the map, and go canoeing in the mountains. Get ready to climb out, lace up your boots, and use your paddle as a walking stick.

January 14, 2026Episode 2013 min

Soldier Disrupted! Techno Thoughts: When Reality Gets Augmented

Augmented and virtual reality are no longer just for gaming—they’re shaping the future of military readiness. On this episode of WMD, Dr. Tamara Schwartz hands off the mic to YCP Cybersecurity Management major Thomas Burgess as he dives into how AR and VR are transforming defense operations, from hyper-realistic training environments to enhanced battlefield awareness. These immersive technologies are helping soldiers prepare for complex scenarios, rehearse missions in simulated warzones, and gain real-time data overlays in live combat. Thomas explores the strategic benefits of synthetic training environments, the integration of AR in heads-up displays, and how these tools are improving decision-making, coordination, and survivability.