Vision

The aha moment

Each of us have experienced some number of aha moments that have changed the course of our lives. Maybe it was a book, a conversation, or a post on social media that fired your synapses and unlocked something perhaps you didn't even know you were looking for. Whatever it was, you’re grateful to have found it – that perfect piece of information at just the right time that opened up a new world of possibilities for you.

These moments of insight, when information transforms into understanding, are what drive human progress. They’re why we read, why we research, and why we share what we know. Yet they're precious and rare, left to mere coincidence. But what if technology could make these moments of discovery not just possible, but probable?

The data isn’t working for us

Our internet lives generate endless data, but this data isn't working for us. It's extracted, commodified, and optimized for engagement metrics and advertising revenue — not for meaningful discovery or understanding. It’s the classic who works for whom: the human for the machine, or vice versa?

The platforms we use aren’t designed for sensemaking, or in other words connecting information in ways that create meaningful discoveries. They scatter our attention and isolate insights that should be connected. The digital trails we leave, our search queries, reposts, the connections we make between ideas in the comments section of Bluesky, are fragmented across platforms and formats rather than creating lasting trails for others to follow.

Data -> information -> knowledge -> wisdom

The promise of technology hasn't delivered on meaningful sensemaking. Better indexing and optimization of data can't replace human wisdom – we need a fundamentally different relationship with information.

Sensemaking is the process of transforming data into knowledge and wisdom. These are our key principles for sensemaking: what we believe it looks like when our digital trails actively support this new way of engaging with the internet:

Data as living trails. Data isn’t oil, meaning it’s not a resource to be extracted and sold. Instead, we should think of data as a living trail of human thought and discovery. Just like ants using pheromones to create collective paths, our digital footprints can generate important sparks of insight for other people, if properly preserved and shared, that is.

Scenius more than genius. "Ask not what's inside your head, but what your head is inside of." Our greatest breakthroughs come from rich ecosystems of thought, not isolated brilliance. Tools should amplify our collective intelligence rather than reinforcing the myth of the lone innovator.

User –> maker. We reject the passive role of "user" and embrace the active stance of "maker." Information should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) - tech can help us, but this also requires human intent and participation. We are sensemakers and co-creators of meaning, not consumers of content.

Governance matters. The tools we use to understand the world shape how we think. These tools should be owned by the communities that rely on them, not distant corporations with extractive business models. Community governance ensures technology serves its users first.

Designed for serendipity. The most profound insights often come through unexpected connections. Technology should expand possibilities for discovery, not narrow them to what algorithms predict we want. Serendipity can and should be designed for.

Cosmik: a movement for sensemaking

We believe that the most effective way to build this future is to create the infrastructure that allows these communities of knowledge makers to do what they do best: create, connect, and explore ideas together.

At Cosmik, we are building a cooperative for sensemaking. Our goal is to build a movement around shared values and the conviction that we can and need to collectively make meaning in new ways. This requires creating the organizational and technological foundation for a world where our digital trails create shared value, including:

• Open source technology that transforms how we navigate, curate, and connect information online
• A cooperative ownership model where researchers and curators have genuine agency
• Tools that make explicit the connections between ideas that currently remain hidden
• Infrastructure for collective wisdom in a world of information overload

Cosmik is a network of networks. We’re building a cooperative governance model that enables multiple, interconnected communities of knowledge to flourish. Our infrastructure allows thinkers and curators across disciplines to spin up their own sensemaking networks while maintaining connections to the broader ecosystem. In our world, this is how social media goes from platforms of content distribution to ecosystems of collective sensemaking.

Sensemaking for researchers

Our first network is built to serve the science and research community.

We would love for you to join the movement. Whether you're a researcher, a curator, or simply someone who believes in the power of collective knowledge, become part of building a future where the internet helps us make sense together.