A problem family — different problems, same issues

theanswerisinafieldyou’veneverheardof

20 problems across 10 fields

These 20 problems sit at the boundaries between fields. Climate models can't predict ice sheet collapse because climate modelers and ice sheet modelers use numerical frameworks that don't fit together. Autonomous vehicles need formal verification, computer vision, and AI decision-making, and those fields use different mathematical languages. The knowledge exists inside separate disciplines. Progress depends on shared language, methods, and incentives across them.

The pieces of the solution exist in different disciplines that haven't learned to talk to each other. Funding inside one field will not solve a problem that sits between fields.

Ways this family shows up

Joining the natural sciences. Disciplines that study life from different angles need shared frameworks
Joining mathematical guarantees. Safety-critical systems need guarantees combined from mathematical foundations that don't fit together
Joining physical models. Physical systems that span several scales or kinds of physics need integrated models

The 20 problems in this family

no proof the robot will behaveit fell between the crackshigh

millions of years of r&d, going extinctmeasured the wrong thinghigh

same circuit, different organism, different outputtested in the wrong worldhigh

the genome isn't the blueprintit fell between the crackshigh

also in the theory hasn’t been invented yet

will they adapt or collapse, nobody knowsit fell between the crackshigh

also in the model was never trained on this, the theory hasn’t been invented yet

an alphabet no one can readit fell between the crackshigh

trusted in parts, trusted by no oneit fell between the cracksmedium

safe alone, dangerous togetherit fell between the crackshigh

big ai, small datait fell between the cracksmedium

also in the model was never trained on this

a mirror with no reflectionit fell between the cracksmedium

disasters that multiply, models that don'tit fell between the crackshigh

also in the model was never trained on this

the ice model and the climate model won't mergetested in the wrong worldhigh

prospecting by luck in the clean energy ageit fell between the crackshigh

atoms to engineering, the middle is missingit fell between the crackshigh

confident predictions, no error barsit fell between the crackshigh

also in the theory hasn’t been invented yet

from atoms to buildings, the math breaksit fell between the crackshigh

also in the theory hasn’t been invented yet

brains rewired by a changed worldmeasured the wrong thinghigh

also in the theory hasn’t been invented yet

chiplets run hot and nobody can model whytested in the wrong worldhigh

the crash the car never trained forit fell between the crackshigh

fire models stop where buildings startit fell between the crackshigh

also in the model was never trained on this

Confidence: high = from a primary expert source (Tier 1) · medium = from an analyst, conference, or community source (Tier 2 or 3) · needs sourcing = flagged until we find a better source · the dot's size is its tier; a dashed dot needs sourcing

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