Someone (who is not me) should do something: a wishlist of miscellaneous research or project ideas—free to a good home.
Research Ideas
A collection of research directions that seem promising but underexplored. Some are half-formed thoughts, others are more developed hypotheses waiting for the right moment or collaborator.
Cognitive Science
- The relationship between working memory capacity and creative output
- How linguistic structure influences mathematical reasoning across cultures
- The role of embodiment in abstract thinking
Technology & Society
- Decentralized reputation systems that resist gaming
- The long-term psychological effects of always-on connectivity
- Designing AI systems that enhance rather than replace human creativity
Behavioral Economics
- Why do people consistently underestimate compound effects?
- The psychology of risk assessment in unprecedented situations
- How social proof mechanisms can be designed to promote beneficial behaviors
Meta-Research
- What makes some research paradigms more productive than others?
- How do funding structures influence the types of questions that get asked?
- The role of interdisciplinary collaboration in breakthrough discoveries
Each idea here represents hours of thinking but years of potential work.