TechTree

TechTree is a source-backed map of human technology that shows what each technology depends on, what it unlocks, and what may come next.

Explore the graph · Trace a target · Browse the sorted view

Quick Start

TechTree requires Node.js 20+ and has no runtime package dependencies.

git clone https://github.com/yodakohl/techtree.git
cd techtree
npm start

Then open:

• Graph: http://127.0.0.1:3000/
• Target demo: http://127.0.0.1:3000/demo.html
• Sorted browser: http://127.0.0.1:3000/sorted.html

The local server binds to loopback and runs read-only by default.

Three Ways to Explore

View	Best for
Graph View	Exploring the full dependency network with search, era and field filters, and evidence for individual edges.
Demo View	Tracing the prerequisite stack behind a target technology and seeing likely downstream developments.
Sorted View	Scanning technologies compactly by era, field, branch, dependency depth, maturity, and roadmap status.

Key Capabilities

• Explore 1,658 validated technologies from Ancient through Future eras.
• Inspect typed dependency edges with confidence, evidence level, explanatory notes, and sources.
• Follow curated field lenses spanning computing, biology, energy, infrastructure, finance, spaceflight, manufacturing, and more.
• Open stable pages for individual technologies (tech/<id>.html) and fields (fields/<slug>.html).
• Use the validated JSON dataset or the read-only GET /api/tech-tree endpoint in research, education, and software projects.
• Catch missing prerequisites, cycles, chronology reversals, weak evidence, and stale semantic changes through automated checks.

Current data-quality snapshot

Quality Snapshot

Generated 2026-07-16 from the same dataset audit used by npm run accuracy:risks. This is a launch-quality trust snapshot for non-Future nodes, not proof of global accuracy.

Future-era technologies are forecast/roadmap nodes. They are structurally validated, but they are excluded from launch-quality source-check, placeholder-date, edge-source, source-fit, and source-URL gates.

Metric	Current
Technologies	1,658
Launch-quality scope (non-Future nodes)	1,420 / 1,658 (85.6%; 238 Future excluded)
Source-checked nodes	1,420 / 1,420 (100.0%)
Source-checked nodes with resolved chronology	1,420 / 1,420 (100.0%)
Source-checked nodes with unresolved chronology	0 / 1,420 (0.0%)
Source-checked nodes with strong-type node sources	1,304 / 1,420 (91.8%)
Source-checked nodes with located strong-type evidence	782 / 1,420 (55.1%)
Source-checked nodes using only weak/generic sources	0 / 1,420 (0.0%)
Nodes with node-level sources	1,420 / 1,420 (100.0%)
Nodes with located node-level evidence	850 / 1,420 (59.9%)
Dependency edges with edge-level sources	3,941 / 4,072 (96.8%)
Dependency edges with located evidence	1,083 / 4,072 (26.6%)
Era-default placeholder dates	0 / 1,420 (0.0%)

Manual remediation audits are tracked separately from headline accuracy metrics; see docs/QUALITY_SNAPSHOT.md.

Full generated snapshot: docs/QUALITY_SNAPSHOT.md.

Data and Contributions

Canonical records live in the era files under data/. Small, source-backed corrections are preferred over broad unsourced additions.

• Start with Contributing for editing, validation, and trusted local write-mode guidance.
• Use the One-Edge PR Guide or Edge Review Playbook for dependency corrections.
• See Data Coverage before filling gaps.
• Follow the Technology Expansion Runbook for larger, TSV-based additions.
• Submit a smaller source-locator contribution when a full data change is unnecessary.
• Automated maintainers can use the compact Agent Handoff.

Essential Commands

Command	Purpose
npm start	Start the local read-only server.
npm test	Run syntax, server, data-structure, and chronology checks.
npm run quality	Run evidence, receipt, invariant, metric, and public-site quality gates.
npm run coverage	Report coverage by era and technology branch.
npm run build:public	Generate stable technology and field pages.
npm run check:public	Verify generated public pages are complete and current.

License

TechTree is available under the MIT License.