Cogimator – A Curated Directory of Unique Websites#
Cogimator.net is a carefully curated directory of websites that offer something more than just sleek design or trending buzz. It’s a collection of digital places created with passion — independent projects, experiments, and archives that challenge how we experience the web.
We don’t chase popularity. Instead, Cogimator focuses on originality, usefulness, creativity, and cognitive depth. You’ll find websites that are often overlooked by mainstream platforms — projects made by individuals, small teams, or devoted communities.
In short, it’s a curated directory of unique websites — assembled by hand, driven by curiosity.
We feature:
educational tools and visual simulations
cultural curiosities and digital micro-archives
experimental interfaces and interactive essays
artistic expressions and personal knowledge libraries
web-native projects that defy classification
Our mission is to:
support independent creators and timeless ideas
promote alternative knowledge sources
encourage slow exploration and digital curiosity
Most featured sites are:
non-commercial or ad-free
niche but high quality
thoughtfully crafted and often hand-coded
alive for years, yet virtually invisible to the average user
We believe in an internet that surprises, teaches, and inspires — a web that resists homogenization. If you’re tired of algorithms, top-10 lists, and over-optimized content, you’re in the right place.
🌐 Cogimator is where the unexpected web begins.
Every Noise at Once – explore the entire world of music on one sound map
Every Noise at Once is a vast interactive map of musical genres, generated from Spotify’s massive data trove. Hundreds of genres are plotted based on sonic similarity.
Click on any genre to hear an audio sample or dive into representative artists. The site allows you to discover not only mainstream styles but also obscure microgenres you’ve likely never heard of.
It’s a true voyage through the sonic universe – surprising, inspiring, and completely addictive. Perfect for music geeks and anyone curious about new sounds.
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Fourmilab – John Walker’s online laboratory
Fourmilab is a sprawling digital lab maintained since the 1990s by John Walker, founder of Autodesk and co-author of AutoCAD. It’s one of the web’s oldest personal knowledge hubs — offering simulations, articles, tools, and books that cover astronomy, cryptography, probability, artificial intelligence, spaceflight, and philosophical speculation.
Key areas include: – 🔭 real-time astronomical simulators like Your Sky, Earth & Moon Viewer, and orbital calculators
– 🔐 tools for encryption, random number generation, and fictional world building
– 📚 full e-books including The Hacker’s Diet and The Autodesk File
– 🧠 essays on technological singularity, digital autonomy, transhumanism, and future shock
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Gwern.net – a personal encyclopedia of research and speculation
Gwern.net is a personal, long-running research site by Gwern Branwen, an independent writer and self-taught researcher. The website gathers a vast collection of long-form essays, scientific explorations, experiments, and data analyses — spanning cognitive psychology, artificial intelligence, Bayesian inference, nootropics, digital preservation, literature generation, and more.
Since 2010, Gwern has been publishing rigorously documented articles, often including full datasets, code (typically in Python or R), and interactive elements. The tone is scholarly but accessible, blending speculative ideas with solid methodology. Many entries are live documents, continuously updated as new research emerges.
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Music for Programming – handcrafted ambient mixes for deep focus
Music for Programming is a remarkable series of ambient music mixes specifically designed to aid focus during demanding tasks like coding, writing, or research. Each of its 70+ episodes is carefully curated by Tim Heck, blending experimental soundscapes, field recordings, and modern ambient with subtle literary overtones. No ads, no autoplay, no distractions — just immersive sound in a stripped-down interface.
Started in 2009 and still going strong, the project stands out with its handcrafted approach and the absence of commercial intent. Many mixes are introduced with poetic, introspective descriptions and draw from a wide array of obscure and beautiful sonic sources.
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Ncase.me – interactive stories and educational simulations
Ncase.me is the personal website of independent creator Nicky Case, who crafts interactive simulations, explorable explanations, and narrative games designed to teach — and often challenge — how we think about the world. Through hand-drawn graphics and clever mechanics, each project turns abstract social or psychological ideas into intuitive, often emotional experiences.
Among the most notable projects are:
– 🔹 The Evolution of Trust – a powerful explainer on game theory and why trust breaks down;
– 🔹 We Become What We Behold – a short but searing exploration of media-driven polarization;
– 🔹 Coming Out Simulator – a raw and personal interactive narrative about identity and family;
– 🔹 Parable of the Polygons – a collaboration with Vi Hart on structural discrimination, expressed through geometry.
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Neal.fun – interactive experiments with scale, history, and curiosity
Neal.fun is a delightful corner of the internet filled with interactive, web-based experiments that blend education, curiosity, and playful design. Created by Neal Agarwal, the site features a growing collection of creative mini-projects – each with its own unique way of visualizing abstract or large-scale concepts.
Whether you want to simulate spending $100 billion like Jeff Bezos, explore the depths of the ocean, scroll through the entire timeline of Earth’s history, or rule the Roman Empire in a quirky decision-making game – Neal.fun offers it all. With intuitive navigation and smooth animations, each experience is self-contained yet surprisingly informative.
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Radio Garden – spin the globe and listen to live radio from around the world
Radio Garden is a captivating interactive experience that lets you explore live radio stations across the globe. Just spin the virtual 3D globe, click on any city, and instantly hear local radio broadcasts.
The project beautifully blends geography, culture, and sound — letting you discover the daily rhythm of places far away without ever leaving your room.
Perfect for radio enthusiasts, music lovers, and curious explorers who want to listen to the world.
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Sztuczna Inteligencja – Polish editorial portal about artificial intelligence
sztucznainteligencja.org.pl is a Polish editorial and educational portal fully devoted to the topic of artificial intelligence. Maintained by the OPI PIB (National Information Processing Institute), it stands out from mainstream tech blogs by offering deeply researched essays, expert interviews, social reflections, and ethical debates on the impact of AI.
The site delivers a public interest perspective on how artificial intelligence shapes our world – focusing not just on technology but on humanity, responsibility, and the future of work, privacy, and education.
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The Artifice – long‑form visual arts & media magazine
The Artifice is an independent, long‑form online magazine that publishes deeply thoughtful and collaboratively produced essays on a wide spectrum of visual arts and media. Launched in October 2009 by Misagh Alami, the platform is maintained by a global community of volunteer writers and editors who contribute content on topics ranging from film, TV, games, anime, manga, comics, to writing craft and media fandom. Articles undergo internal peer‑review by fellow contributors – a model that ensures high-quality, thoughtful, and polished pieces that stand apart from both academic journals and casual blogs :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
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Zoom Earth – watch near real-time satellite imagery of Earth
Zoom Earth is an interactive satellite map that displays near real-time weather data from NASA, NOAA, and Blue Marble. View global cloud formations, track hurricanes and typhoons, follow wildfires, and explore ocean temperature anomalies – all in one interface.
With frequent updates and high visual fidelity, it’s a must-have for weather enthusiasts, travelers, educators, and curious explorers of our living planet.
🔗 zoom.earth
