diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/observatory/ObservatoryStage.svelte b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/observatory/ObservatoryStage.svelte
index d7ea608..0c1fda4 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/observatory/ObservatoryStage.svelte
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/observatory/ObservatoryStage.svelte
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@
 		 *           provides all chrome (the main graph's field renderer).
 		 */
 		chrome?: 'full' | 'none';
+		/**
+		 * GPU picking: when provided, clicking a memory node in the field calls
+		 * back with its memory id (the host opens its inspector panel).
+		 */
+		onpick?: (memoryId: string) => void;
 	}
 
 	let {
@@ -68,9 +73,22 @@
 		ondemochange,
 		onexit,
 		embedded = false,
-		chrome = 'full'
+		chrome = 'full',
+		onpick
 	}: Props = $props();
 
+	// GPU picking — screen px → NDC → NodeRenderer.pickAt (one readback/click).
+	let canvasLayerEl: HTMLDivElement | null = $state(null);
+	async function handleFieldClick(e: MouseEvent) {
+		if (!onpick || !renderer || !canvasLayerEl) return;
+		const rect = canvasLayerEl.getBoundingClientRect();
+		if (rect.width === 0 || rect.height === 0) return;
+		const ndcX = ((e.clientX - rect.left) / rect.width) * 2 - 1;
+		const ndcY = -(((e.clientY - rect.top) / rect.height) * 2 - 1);
+		const hit = await renderer.pickAt(ndcX, ndcY);
+		if (hit) onpick(hit.id);
+	}
+
 	// Human labels for the switcher chips — short, mono, uppercase (visual DNA §7.3).
 	const DEMO_LABELS: Record<DemoMode, string> = {
 		'recall-path': 'RECALL',
@@ -266,8 +284,15 @@
 	class="{embedded ? 'absolute' : 'fixed'} inset-0 overflow-hidden bg-[#05060a]"
 	class:cursor-none={capture}
 >
-	<!-- Canvas layer (z-index 0) — the living memory field -->
-	<div class="absolute inset-0 z-0">
+	<!-- Canvas layer (z-index 0) — the living memory field. When the host
+	     passes onpick, clicks GPU-pick the memory under the cursor. -->
+	<!-- svelte-ignore a11y_click_events_have_key_events, a11y_no_static_element_interactions -->
+	<div
+		bind:this={canvasLayerEl}
+		class="absolute inset-0 z-0"
+		class:cursor-crosshair={!!onpick && !capture}
+		onclick={handleFieldClick}
+	>
 		<ObservatoryCanvas
 			{demo}
 			{seed}
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/observatory/node-renderer.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/observatory/node-renderer.ts
index 0839688..e250dad 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/observatory/node-renderer.ts
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/observatory/node-renderer.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
  * written from the deterministic loop phase each frame (orbit), nodes draw
  * as instanced soft-glow sprites straight from the storage buffer.
  *
- * No GPU readback, no wall-clock state (spec §6).
+ * The RENDER LOOP does no GPU readback and holds no wall-clock state
+ * (spec §6 — deterministic frames). pickAt() is the one sanctioned,
+ * input-driven readback: click-frequency only, never per-frame.
  */
 
 import type { GraphResponse } from '$types';
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ import {
 	buildNodeStateArray,
 	buildEdgeIndexArray
 } from './graph-upload';
-import type { ObservatoryGraph } from './types';
+import { FLOATS_PER_NODE, NODE_LANE, type ObservatoryGraph } from './types';
 import { renderNodesWGSL } from './shaders/render-nodes.wgsl';
 import { simulateWGSL } from './shaders/simulate.wgsl';
 import { renderPathWGSL } from './shaders/render-path.wgsl';
@@ -79,10 +81,15 @@ export class NodeRenderer implements FramePass {
 		this.nodeCount = nodeCount;
 
 		this.nodeBuffer?.destroy();
+		// COPY_SRC exists solely for pickAt()'s click-time readback.
 		this.nodeBuffer = device.createBuffer({
 			label: 'observatory-node-state',
 			size: Math.max(data.byteLength, 64),
-			usage: GPUBufferUsage.STORAGE | GPUBufferUsage.COPY_DST | GPUBufferUsage.VERTEX
+			usage:
+				GPUBufferUsage.STORAGE |
+				GPUBufferUsage.COPY_DST |
+				GPUBufferUsage.COPY_SRC |
+				GPUBufferUsage.VERTEX
 		});
 		device.queue.writeBuffer(this.nodeBuffer, 0, data.buffer as ArrayBuffer);
 
@@ -319,6 +326,77 @@ export class NodeRenderer implements FramePass {
 		return this.pathSteps;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Click picking — the ONE sanctioned GPU readback (input-driven, never
+	 * per-frame, so the render loop's determinism contract holds).
+	 *
+	 * Copies the live NodeState buffer (post force-sim positions) to a staging
+	 * buffer, reprojects every node through the SAME deterministic orbit camera
+	 * the current frame used (engine params: phase + canvas size), and returns
+	 * the nearest node whose projected disc contains the click.
+	 *
+	 * @param ndcX click x in NDC (-1..1, right = +)
+	 * @param ndcY click y in NDC (-1..1, up = +)
+	 */
+	async pickAt(ndcX: number, ndcY: number): Promise<{ index: number; id: string } | null> {
+		const device = this.engine.gpuDevice;
+		if (!device || !this.nodeBuffer || !this.graph || this.nodeCount === 0) return null;
+
+		const byteSize = this.nodeCount * FLOATS_PER_NODE * 4;
+		const staging = device.createBuffer({
+			label: 'observatory-pick-staging',
+			size: byteSize,
+			usage: GPUBufferUsage.COPY_DST | GPUBufferUsage.MAP_READ
+		});
+		const encoder = device.createCommandEncoder({ label: 'observatory-pick-copy' });
+		encoder.copyBufferToBuffer(this.nodeBuffer, 0, staging, 0, byteSize);
+		device.queue.submit([encoder.finish()]);
+		let data: Float32Array;
+		try {
+			await staging.mapAsync(GPUMapMode.READ);
+			data = new Float32Array(staging.getMappedRange().slice(0));
+		} catch {
+			staging.destroy();
+			return null;
+		}
+		staging.unmap();
+		staging.destroy();
+
+		// Same camera inputs the frame pass uses (compute() above).
+		const w = this.engine.params[6] || 1;
+		const h = this.engine.params[7] || 1;
+		const phase = this.engine.params[1];
+		const m = orbitCamera(phase, w / h, ORBIT_DISTANCE).viewProj; // column-major
+
+		// Projected-disc hit test: fovY 50° → f = 1/tan(25°); a node of world
+		// radius r at clip-w distance projects to ~r·f/w in NDC y. A small
+		// floor keeps faint distant nodes clickable; score <1.6 allows a
+		// forgiving halo around the disc; lowest score (closest relative to
+		// its disc) wins.
+		const f = 1 / Math.tan((50 * Math.PI) / 360);
+		let best = -1;
+		let bestScore = Infinity;
+		for (let i = 0; i < this.nodeCount; i++) {
+			const b = i * FLOATS_PER_NODE + NODE_LANE.posRadius;
+			const x = data[b];
+			const y = data[b + 1];
+			const z = data[b + 2];
+			const r = data[b + 3];
+			const cw = m[3] * x + m[7] * y + m[11] * z + m[15];
+			if (cw <= 0) continue; // behind the camera
+			const cx = (m[0] * x + m[4] * y + m[8] * z + m[12]) / cw;
+			const cy = (m[1] * x + m[5] * y + m[9] * z + m[13]) / cw;
+			const projR = Math.max((r * f) / cw, 0.012);
+			const score = Math.hypot(cx - ndcX, cy - ndcY) / projR;
+			if (score < 1.6 && score < bestScore) {
+				bestScore = score;
+				best = i;
+			}
+		}
+		if (best < 0) return null;
+		return { index: best, id: this.graph.nodes[best].id };
+	}
+
 	dispose(): void {
 		this.nodeBuffer?.destroy();
 		this.edgeBuffer?.destroy();
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/graph/+page.svelte b/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/graph/+page.svelte
index 18c5428..b518285 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/graph/+page.svelte
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/routes/(app)/graph/+page.svelte
@@ -318,7 +318,13 @@ disown</code>
 			     MAIN renderer: GPU force sim, HDR bloom, the recall wavefront
 			     sweeping the real graph on a 12s loop. Page chrome stays DOM. -->
 			<div class="absolute inset-0">
-				<ObservatoryStage embedded chrome="none" demo="recall-path" showSwitcher={false} />
+				<ObservatoryStage
+					embedded
+					chrome="none"
+					demo="recall-path"
+					showSwitcher={false}
+					onpick={onNodeSelect}
+				/>
 			</div>
 		{:else}
 			<Graph3D