Weapons of Mass Disruption

Hosted by Dr. Tamara Schwartz

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Episodes

113

Latest episode

Aug 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

August 19, 2026Episode 1331 min

World Cup Disrupted! How AI is Changing Scouting in International Football

In this episode, Dr. Tamara Schwartz’s Emerging Technology students continue their WMD takeover. Have you ever wondered how the world’s top football clubs choose their next stars? In this episode, Cybersecurity Management major and passionate international football fan Rasheed Abogun explores how artificial intelligence and data analytics are transforming soccer scouting. From identifying promising talent to supporting decisions once driven primarily by the instincts of human scouts, Rasheed examines the technology, the process, and what AI could mean for the future of the beautiful game.

August 5, 2026Episode 1256 min

Hospitals Disrupted! Vital Vulnerabilities in Healthcare

In this episode of Weapons of Mass Disruption , Dr. Tamara Schwartz is joined by York College Cybersecurity Management major Jerod Bethea to examine the growing threat of cyberattacks on healthcare organizations. From ransomware that disrupts patient care to attacks that undermine trust in critical services, we explore why hospitals have become high-value targets and what these incidents reveal about the evolving intersection of emerging technology, cybersecurity, resilience, and public safety.

July 22, 2026Episode 1134 min

Democracy Disrupted! The Founding Fathers and the Age of AI

The founders built the American experiment on assumptions about human nature, liberty, consent, and self-government. But what happens when those assumptions collide with artificial intelligence, digital surveillance, algorithmic influence, and increasingly polarized politics? On this episode of WMD, Dr. Tamara Schwartz and Dr. Stephen Stern explore whether the philosophical foundations of the American republic remain sufficient for a world where technology can shape attention, influence beliefs, and increasingly mediate and even dictate the choices we make as citizens.

July 8, 2026Episode 1039 min

Monarchy Disrupted! Philosophies of the Founding Fathers

The American founding was more than a political revolution, it was a philosophical experiment about humans and power. On this episode of WMD, Dr. Tamara Schwartz welcomes back Dr. Stephen Stern to explore how thinkers such as John Locke, David Hume, and Adam Smith influenced the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the founders' understanding of liberty, power, and human nature.

June 24, 2026Episode 954 min

Nation State Disrupted! Israel as a Symbol

Dr. Tamara Schwartz welcomes back Dr. Stephen Stern, Associate Professor of Judaic Studies at Gettysburg College, for the second installment of their conversation on Israel, anti-Zionism, antisemitism, and the politics of power. Building on their previous discussion of the complex relationship between anti-Zionism and antisemitism and the unique moral expectations often placed upon Israel, this episode explores the role of narratives in shaping public perception of Israel as a symbol rather than simply a nation-state. Together, they examine where legitimate criticism of Israeli policy ends and broader questions of legitimacy, collective responsibility, and Jewish sovereignty begin.

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.