Map of the Unknown
Map of the Unknown is a shared map of what we do not yet understand, and where discovery can begin. Here, unanswered questions, half-formed hypotheses, and early observations are first-class contributions: each one marks a place on the frontier of discovery.
Who can contribute — and how this differs from citizen science
Map of the Unknown welcomes contributors across all backgrounds and education levels — from field naturalists and amateur astronomers to theoretical physicists and humanities scholars. Unlike traditional citizen science platforms that only collect data, here your insights carry independent value and can lead to academic collaborations or commercial opportunities.
How Discovery Works: Seven Stages
We value the whole journey, not just the final answer — every contribution moves a thread one stage on.
Question
The research question or problem statement.
See an example
For example: “What if birdsong complexity correlates with local biodiversity information density?”
Hypothesis
Proposed explanations or theories.
See an example
For example: “Soundscape complexity indexes ecosystem information content.”
Data
Raw data, measurements, observations, collected evidence.
How Data and Simulation pair up
Runs parallel with Simulation — threads that have both are the strongest.
Simulation
Computational models, agent-based simulations, Monte Carlo runs.
How Data and Simulation pair up
Runs parallel with Data — having both is the gold standard.
Statistics
Statistical analysis results, hypothesis tests, p-values, confidence intervals, effect sizes.
Interpretation
What the data, statistics, or simulations mean — connecting empirical findings back to theory.
Insight
Higher-level synthesis, cross-domain connections, breakthrough ideas. Every step is credited and hashed.
Priority, Sealing and Credit
Every contribution is hashed and timestamped as you submit it — and publishing it is what establishes your credit priority.
How the automatic hash proves you had the idea
Every contribution is automatically timestamped and hashed with SHA-256 the moment you submit it. This creates an immutable, cryptographic proof that you had the idea at that exact time.
Sealing an idea you are not ready to share
For ideas you're not ready to share, use Seal & Reveal: submit a sealed contribution where only the hash is visible. When you're ready, reveal it — the timestamp proves you had the idea before anyone else saw it.
Credit Timestamps: Publishing Establishes Priority
Map of the Unknown follows the same principle as a patent's publication date: your credit priority is counted from the moment you make a contribution public — not from when you first wrote it, and not from when you sealed it. An idea kept private earns no claimable priority, which keeps people sharing openly rather than hoarding timestamps.
Seal — Proof of Existence
Sealing publishes your SHA-256 hash and timestamp while hiding the content. It proves “I already had this idea at this time” and can serve as supporting evidence in a dispute — but it does not establish credit priority on its own.
Publish — Credit Priority
Publishing makes the full content public and records your credit timestamp — the official time used to order priority. It is irreversible: once public, a contribution can never go back to private or shared.
A common path from private note to published claim
A common path: create privately → seal to lock in proof of existence → run your experiment → publish to claim credit and reveal the full story. Sealing is your insurance; publishing is your priority.
Graduated Visibility
You control who sees your contributions. Visibility only goes up, never down — once you share more broadly, you can't take it back.
Private
Only you can see it
Shared
Collaborators & people you share with
Public
Anyone on the internet
Sealed: public proof, hidden content
Contributions add a fourth option: Sealed — the content stays hidden while its SHA-256 hash and timestamp are public, proving you had the idea first without revealing it.
Community Covenant
Every member agrees to these principles when they join. This isn't a legal document — it's a shared commitment to how we work together.
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Every contribution is attributed and timestamped. Building on someone's work? Cite them.
Hash Before You Share
Your SHA-256 hash is your proof of priority. The system generates it automatically.
Good Faith Feedback
Critique ideas, not people. Method reviews and stat reviews strengthen the work.
Graduated Openness
Start private, share when ready. Respect others' visibility choices.
No Scooping
Using someone's sealed idea before they reveal it violates trust and community norms.
Report Violations
If you see covenant violations, report them. The community depends on collective enforcement.
No Credit Gaming
Don't create contributions solely to accumulate credits, or coordinate with others to inflate scores. Each contribution should represent genuine intellectual effort.
Honest Replication
If you attempt to replicate someone's work and fail, report the failure honestly. Concealing failed replications undermines integrity — failed replications earn equal credit.
AI Transparency
AI-generated suggestions and reviews are tools, not contributions. Don't present AI output as your own original work; AI-assisted content should be clearly marked.
Ready to Contribute?
Join a community where your questions matter as much as your answers — no lab coat required.