FootnoteMap

FootnoteMap is a web app (with optional mobile companion) that turns the history of science into an explorable network: papers, books, instruments, people, institutions, and debates connected by citations and influence. Users can search a concept (e.g., “germ theory”), then view a timeline plus a graph showing key nodes, turning points, and “forgotten” contributors. It includes short, sourced summaries and primary-source links (DOIs, archive scans, museum collections) so it’s not just trivia. An AI layer helps generate plain-language overviews and compare competing narratives, but every claim is tied to citations and confidence levels. Realistically, the MVP should focus on a few well-covered domains (physics, biology, computing) where metadata is accessible; trying to cover all of science history at once will fail.