Abstract
brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills
Reads the manuscript and notebooks to generate a structured abstract.
Pursue the best possible version of a system, API, or abstraction, develop the vision through dialectic, and work backward to make it real.
Custom licenceAuto-check passed
Install Rethink
$ npx skills add EpicenterHQ/epicenter --skill rethink -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install EpicenterHQ/epicenter rethink --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/rethink .claude/skills/rethink && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "rethink" agent skill from https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter/tree/main/.agents/skills/rethink into .claude/skills/rethink/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rethink", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter/tree/main/.agents/skills/rethinkType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add EpicenterHQ/epicenter --skill rethink -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install EpicenterHQ/epicenter rethink --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/rethink .agents/skills/rethink && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "rethink" agent skill from https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter/tree/main/.agents/skills/rethink into .agents/skills/rethink/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rethink", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add EpicenterHQ/epicenter --skill rethink -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install EpicenterHQ/epicenter rethink --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/rethink .cursor/skills/rethink && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "rethink" agent skill from https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter/tree/main/.agents/skills/rethink into .cursor/skills/rethink/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rethink", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter.git --path .agents/skills/rethink--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add EpicenterHQ/epicenter --skill rethink -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install EpicenterHQ/epicenter rethink --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/rethink .gemini/skills/rethink && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "rethink" agent skill from https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter/tree/main/.agents/skills/rethink into .gemini/skills/rethink/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rethink", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install EpicenterHQ/epicenter rethinkInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add EpicenterHQ/epicenter --skill rethink -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/rethink .github/skills/rethink && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "rethink" agent skill from https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter/tree/main/.agents/skills/rethink into .github/skills/rethink/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rethink", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add EpicenterHQ/epicenter --skill rethink -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install EpicenterHQ/epicenter rethink --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/rethink .opencode/skills/rethink && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "rethink" agent skill from https://github.com/EpicenterHQ/epicenter/tree/main/.agents/skills/rethink into .opencode/skills/rethink/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "rethink", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
rethink- GitHub stars
- 4.8k
- Token cost
- ~925 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 487 words
- Files
- 4 (incl. references)
- Skills in repo
- 65
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- Custom licence
At a glance
Pursue the best possible version of a system, API, or abstraction, develop the vision through dialectic, and work backward to make it real.
- The user asks for greenfield thinking
- SKILL.md covers Pursue the vision, Work backward from the… and Close against the vision
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
- Radical options
What it does
Rethink is an agent skill from EpicenterHQ/epicenter. Pursue the best possible version of a system, API, or abstraction, develop the vision through dialectic, and work backward to make it real. Use when the user asks for greenfield thinking, radical options, a clean break, first-principles design, or says the current abstraction feels wrong.
Its SKILL.md is about 930 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 4 other files, including reference files (for example `references/clean-breaks.md`, `references/greenfield.md` and `references/radical-options.md`).
The repository describes itself as: Open-source, local-first apps.
When your agent uses it
- The user asks for greenfield thinking
- Radical options
- First-principles design
- Says the current abstraction feels wrong
Example prompts
- “/rethink”
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 5b4bb69. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Rethink loads about 925 tokens when it runs, and up to ~2.5k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 74 tokens; SKILL.md has 487 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
Its licence (Custom licence) doesn't allow us to republish the file, so here is its outline and opening line. It has 487 words (~925 tokens).
“Pursue the best possible version of what this could be. Suspend inherited constraints long enough to discover the strongest shape: question the boundaries, assumptions, and promises that make the current system feel inevitable.”
- name
- rethink
Files
SKILL.md and 3 other files (references) in .agents/skills/rethink of EpicenterHQ/epicenter.
- SKILL.md
- references/clean-breaks.md
- references/greenfield.md
- references/radical-options.md
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 5b4bb69
Compare with similar skills
Rethink next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rethink this skillEpicenterHQ/epicenter | 4.8k | — | ~925 | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| Abstractbrycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills | 4.5k | — | ~495 | Automated safety check: Notes | Custom licence | |
| Rethinkagenticnotetaking/arscontexta | 3.5k | — | ~7.1k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Photo Abstract EditorialZzzLc0405/photo-abstract-editorial | 5.9k | — | ~815 | Automated safety check: Pass | Proprietary | |
| Econ Abstract Writingbrycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills | 4.5k | — | ~3k | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| Account AbstractionNethereum/Nethereum | 2.3k | — | ~1.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
Similar skills
Rethink
agenticnotetaking/arscontexta
Challenge system assumptions against accumulated evidence. An agent skill from agenticnotetaking/arscontexta.
Photo Abstract Editorial
ZzzLc0405/photo-abstract-editorial
Creates one vertical editorial image from an uploaded photo, keeping the photo untouched and adding an abstract panel and short English title derived from it.
Econ Abstract Writing
brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills
Guide for writing the abstract of an academic economics paper.
Account Abstraction
Nethereum/Nethereum
Help users implement ERC-4337 Account Abstraction with Nethereum — send UserOperations, use smart accounts, route contract calls through a bundler, enable gasless transactions, or work with AA in…
Graphical Abstract Wizard
aipoch/medical-research-skills
Generate graphical abstract layout recommendations based on paper abstracts.
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Write and maintain repository guidance across AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, and .agents/skills.
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Assign Claude Code a read-only investigation, recommendation, or finished text draft.
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Cohesion Over Testability
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Collapse test-shaped production boundaries while preserving behavior and coverage.
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Questions about Rethink
What does Rethink do?
Pursue the best possible version of a system, API, or abstraction, develop the vision through dialectic, and work backward to make it real. Rethink is an agent skill from EpicenterHQ/epicenter. Pursue the best possible version of a system, API, or abstraction, develop the vision through dialectic, and work backward to make it real.
When should I use Rethink?
Rethink fits situations like: the user asks for greenfield thinking; radical options; first-principles design; says the current abstraction feels wrong.
How do I install Rethink in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add EpicenterHQ/epicenter --skill rethink -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/rethink in EpicenterHQ/epicenter) into .claude/skills/rethink in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Rethink in Codex?
Run `npx skills add EpicenterHQ/epicenter --skill rethink -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/rethink in EpicenterHQ/epicenter) into .agents/skills/rethink in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Rethink in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add EpicenterHQ/epicenter --skill rethink -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/rethink, .gemini/skills/rethink, .github/skills/rethink and .opencode/skills/rethink in your project.
What does Rethink need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Rethink is instructions for the agent only.
Does Rethink access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Rethink safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Rethink use?
Rethink has a licence file (the repository's licence) that doesn't match a standard licence. Read it on GitHub before reusing the skill.
How many tokens does Rethink use?
About 925 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 1.5k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
What are the alternatives to Rethink?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Rethink: Abstract (brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills, 4.5k stars), Rethink (agenticnotetaking/arscontexta, 3.5k stars), Photo Abstract Editorial (ZzzLc0405/photo-abstract-editorial, 5.9k stars) and Econ Abstract Writing (brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills, 4.5k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Rethink?
EpicenterHQ (a GitHub organization) maintains it in EpicenterHQ/epicenter, which has 4,821 GitHub stars. The repository holds 65 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 8, 2026.
Source: EpicenterHQ/epicenter on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.