Not every gap is a scientific unknown
Before iCIDM creates a new Question Passport, it diagnoses why the system does not know.
Representation Unknown
Evidence is already present but the current representation/classifier fails to express it.
Action: CALIBRATE_REPRESENTATIONQuestion promotion: NO
Mixed Reality
Multiple objects/pathogens/causes legitimately coexist; forcing one label destroys structure.
Action: REPRESENT_MULTIPLICITYQuestion promotion: NO
Scope-Not-Applicable
The requested label is inappropriate for the object's scientific scope.
Action: REMOVE_FALSE_REQUIREMENTQuestion promotion: NO
Evidence-Insufficient
Available metadata/evidence cannot safely resolve the state.
Action: SEEK_MORE_EVIDENCEQuestion promotion: CONDITIONAL
Reality Unknown
After representation, scope and evidence checks, the underlying scientific question remains unresolved.
Action: CREATE_OR_LINK_QUESTION_PASSPORTQuestion promotion: YES
Operational consequence
U1 returns to Calibration Lab. U2 returns to representation design. U3 removes a false requirement. U4 goes to Evidence Navigator. U5 can enter the Unasked Question Observatory as a genuine candidate scientific question.
Reality Return
The loop is bidirectional: resolving U1–U4 improves the system's representation; resolving U5 may improve scientific knowledge itself. Both produce Lesson Passports and return to Memory.
RPE-CIDM-002 evidence → · Unasked Question Observatory → · Gap Calibration Lab → · Reality Return Queue →
U4 now looks beyond CIDM
Evidence-insufficient questions must search the global public evidence space before U5 promotion. A question resolved elsewhere becomes imported knowledge, not a new research project.