danielmiessler/Substrate

What it solves

Substrate is designed to combat fragmented discussions and the constant "reinventing of the wheel" when addressing global challenges. It provides a shared, structured foundation for documenting problems, tracking proven solutions, and linking them to authoritative data, ensuring that human progress is grounded in evidence rather than opinion.

How it works

The project implements an open-source framework consisting of 17+ knowledge components (such as Problems, Solutions, Arguments, and Claims) that are explicitly linked. It combines human contribution with AI analysis to create a connected knowledge graph.

Technically, it uses TypeScript and the Bun runtime to automate the fetching and transformation of data from authoritative sources (like the World Bank, CDC, and EPA). All data is stored in human-readable Markdown and CSV formats, making it accessible to both people and AI agents. It also employs a library science methodology to evaluate data sources across eight dimensions, including authority and accuracy.

Who it’s for

• Researchers and Analysts who need to track claims against authoritative data and evaluate the quality of arguments.
• OSINT Investigators looking to cross-reference public records and surface hidden connections between people, organizations, and policies.
• Public Accountability Advocates who want to verify political claims and monitor government spending against measured results.
• Community Contributors who wish to document societal problems and propose structured solutions.

Highlights

• Authoritative Data Integration: Includes 13+ data sources covering GDP, inflation, health, and environmental metrics.
• Human-AI Collaboration: Designed for dual consumption, allowing humans to document insights while AI scans for patterns and suggests relationships.
• Library Science Standards: Every data source is cataloged using an 8-dimension evaluation framework for transparency and reliability.
• Wellbeing Infrastructure: Specifically tracks indicators beyond GDP, such as financial stress, social isolation, and worker agency.