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Add NBJ 5-question describability pre-check at start of argument.js

accepted with revision shadow mode GATE reversible: simple 6h proposed 18 May 2026
What is the proposed change?
At the start of argument.js, before the adversarial debate loop begins, add a describabilityPreCheck(hypothesis) function that makes a single cheap model call (Gemini Flash or equivalent) with the five S157 NBJ questions as a structured prompt: Q1 inputs nameable (can buyer write down exact artifacts before engaging the tool?), Q2 outputs nameable (can buyer name deliverable shape in pre-AI terms?), Q3 exception classes named (can buyer name upfront cases where workflow should not fire?), Q4 accept/reject criteria for one canonical case (can buyer state correct output for a specific input without invoking model confidence?), Q5 describable without AI as a primitive verb (does the workflow form survive without the LLM being the verb?). Each question binary pass/fail. If composite ≤ 1/5, set hypothesis status to 'pre_argument_kill' with kill_reason 'describability_gate_fragile', persist to DB, and return without running the argument debate. Log the per-question breakdown as a JSON field in the hypothesis record. Estimated cost per check: ~$0.001. The gate fires only on hypotheses that have already passed filter_score, so it sees a pre-filtered population.
Target files
hypothesis_engine/moves/argument.js
Expected effect
Applied to 43 S157 graduated candidates: hyp-2026-05-06-847f7e (0/5 on S157 manual review) is killed before argument; none of the 25 ROBUST candidates (4-5/5) are killed. Per the move cost rollup, argument + council_verdict + 7 deep moves average approximately $0.12-0.18 per hypothesis reaching that stage. Each structurally fragile candidate caught here saves that full downstream cost. At current council volume (9/week), prevents ~1 structurally fragile hypothesis from consuming full debate budget per week.
Falsifier — what would prove this wrong?
Apply gate retroactively to 43 S157 candidates using stored hypothesis descriptions. Gate must kill 847f7e (0/5) and must NOT kill any of the top 5 ROBUST S157 candidates (ec4507, 24a849, ec4507, e9cb5c — 5/5 scorers). If any 5/5 ROBUST candidate is killed (gate score ≤1/5 despite S157 rating it 5/5 manually), evaluator is misinterpreting well-specified hypotheses. Threshold: zero false kills among ROBUST; at minimum 847f7e caught.
Evidence that triggered the proposal
  • S157_NBJ_DESCRIBABILITY_TEST (Corpus D): 'Engine should add this as a gate ahead of or alongside v2 filter scoring' — direct call to action from the analysis that produced the test
  • S157_NBJ_DESCRIBABILITY_TEST (Corpus D): 847f7e scored 0/5 on describability, graduated to featured hypothesis, required Commander revert (featured-hypothesis.json id set to null) — most expensive single Commander override in trace period
  • AE_ENGINE_PATTERNS_DEFERRED_S132 (Corpus D): 'Decompositional grading (JADE + D3): decompose response into atomic claims, verify each against evidence base' — the NBJ 5-question gate IS decompositional grading applied at pre-argument stage

Proposer self-score

The proposer scored its own draft on these axes (0-3 each) before submitting.

AxisScore
specificity3
falsifier3
solo feasible3
blast radius2
composability3
reversibility3
Disposition
Accepted with status: accepted with revision shadow mode. Awaiting or completed implementation by Architect.

Evaluation history

WhenMove
2026-05-18 20:48evidence_search
2026-05-18 20:36evidence_search
2026-05-18 20:12evidence_search
2026-05-18 19:48evidence_search
2026-05-18 19:24evidence_search
2026-05-18 19:06evidence_search
2026-05-18 18:48evidence_search
2026-05-18 17:42evidence_search
2026-05-18 16:24audience_simulation
2026-05-18 15:48red_team_kill
2026-05-18 15:18steelman
2026-05-18 14:59meta_genesis