About ORB
A subject becomes a place to explore.
ORB is a way to explore a subject through connected points. Explore connected ideas, change direction, and follow the questions that interest you.
Using the archive
Search titles, topics, and keywords, or filter by the formats available. Explore opens the interactive ORB. Listen opens the available audio; Watch opens its video or film study. Versions & sources shows the edition, origin details, and source repository.
You can read and explore at your own pace, with or without audio. Update dates describe the cataloged ORB edition; sources within each ORB carry its evidence and context.
Open the archive →The six directions
| ↑ Up | Broader context: the whole that contains this point. |
| ↓ Down | Finer detail: a part, mechanism, or piece of evidence. |
| ← Left / Right → | Related facets at a similar level of detail. |
| ↶ Backward | Origins, premises, or earlier stages of a thread. |
| Forward ↷ | Consequences, implications, or later stages. |
A guided route supplies a listening or reading order. The conceptual compass remains a separate way to navigate.
Try a forest example
The forest as a whole
Begin with one forest. Use a direction to change the question you ask about it.
An authored example. Each direction starts from Forest; it makes no AI calls.
Spiral Courses
Choose your spiral: follow the ideas, or step into the experience. Spiral Courses guide you through an ORB in a connected sequence, while the interactive ORB remains open for your own exploration.
ORB Learn — Spiral Audio Course
Follow a curious guide through the subject. Hear how the ideas connect through clear explanations, concrete examples and discoveries that build from one point to the next.
ORB Feel & Experience — Guided Audio Journey
Settle in and imagine yourself within the subject. Sensory detail and a gently guided perspective make space for relaxation, reflection and experiencing the connections.
Both modes draw on the ORB's information and sources. Explore opens the interactive ORB; Listen opens the published recording. Available courses and durations vary by ORB and edition.
Create your own ORB
The easiest way to create an ORB: enter a question in Star Navigator. No account, API key, file or prompt copying needed.
Create ORB — Open Star Navigator ↗
Explore the result, then choose Send orb to Orb Archive to share it publicly. New research uses a shared allowance.
Other ways to create an ORB
ORB Share uses its own JSON file format. For tagged ORB Fill text, use the Orb Studio copy-and-paste guide below.
Use your own AI and an ORB text file when you want more control over the content:
- Explore a topic. Copy the ORB prompt into your AI chat, then type
/orb your topic. Follow questions and check sources. - Create the file. In ORB Share, copy the authoring brief into that same chat. Ask for your exploration as an ORB File 1 named
your-topic.orb.txt. No HTML or plugin installation is needed. - Preview and save. Open the AI’s file in ORB Share. If it gives you text instead, copy the JSON inside its code block, choose Paste text → Check & open, then Save ORB file. If there are errors, copy them back to your AI and ask it to fix the file.
- Submit for review. Choose Prepare submission, check your title and public creator credit, then continue to GitHub. Sign in or create a GitHub account, attach the saved
.orb.txtto the issue description, and submit. Keep the issue link as your receipt. Previewing does not upload the file or publish it.
Basic ORB prompt
Copy a prompt into an AI chat and explore a topic through numbered branches.
Open the basic prompt ↗Full directional skill
Use the six-direction method for understanding, working on a task, and exploring patterns.
Open the skill site ↗From your AI chat to Orb Studio
With the ORB Fill skill installed in your AI assistant, edit the topic and point count below, then copy the request into your chat.
When the result is ready, use the Copy button on its complete ORB text block. Open Orb Studio, choose Paste ORB text, paste, then choose Check & open.
The result includes the point count, validation notes, Studio link, and a downloadable .orb.txt file. For a large result, use the Copy ORB text button in its HTML handoff.
Copy your ORB Fill result, open Studio, and paste to explore. You can also load the .orb.txt file.