Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even mild traumatic brain injuries can cause lasting cognitive effects that current treatments struggle to fully reverse. A better understanding of brain recovery mechanisms could open new treatment paths.
health-biology
global-unspecified
brain
reverse
cognitive
traumatic
don
have
reliable
way
decline
caused
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A significant share of patients with depression don't respond adequately to standard treatments, and doctors currently have limited ability to predict who will respond to which approach. Better personalized treatment matching remains an open challenge.
health-biology
global-unspecified
depression
treatment
patients
haven
solved
responds
well
some
but
not
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
way
resolved
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Glaucoma often causes irreversible vision loss before it's diagnosed, since early stages typically have no noticeable symptoms. Better early detection and prevention methods remain a pressing unmet need in eye care.
health-biology
global-unspecified
have
glaucoma
vision
loss
don
effective
way
prevent
progression
occurs
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Effective treatments for hepatitis B exist, but cost and access remain out of reach for many of the hundreds of millions of people living with the infection globally, particularly in lower-income regions. Closing this access gap remains unresolved.
health-biology
global-unspecified
hepatitis
don
have
scalable
affordable
treatment
available
everyone
infected
worldwide
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
way
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The same virus or bacteria can cause mild illness in most people while triggering severe, sometimes life-threatening complications in others, and we still don't fully understand why. This gap makes predicting and preventing severe outcomes difficult.
health-biology
global-unspecified
people
severe
complications
haven
solved
some
develop
common
infections
recover
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Current treatments for multiple sclerosis can reduce the frequency and severity of flare-ups but can't stop or reverse the underlying immune attack on the nervous system. A true cure remains an unmet goal after decades of research.
health-biology
global-unspecified
cure
multiple
sclerosis
yet
only
slow
its
progression
current
treatments
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
resolved
don
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
By the time visible symptoms of Parkinson's appear, significant neurological damage has usually already occurred, limiting how much treatment can help. Detecting the disease years earlier could open the door to more effective intervention.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
parkinson
disease
symptoms
appear
don
have
reliable
way
detect
physical
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
health-biology
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Existing treatments for hair loss can slow the process for some people but rarely reverse it completely, and the underlying biology of hair follicle loss isn't fully understood. A true prevention or reversal method remains undiscovered.
health-biology
global-unspecified
hair
loss
don
have
effective
way
prevent
caused
genetic
hormonal
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Kidney disease often advances silently for years before symptoms appear, and by the time it's caught, treatment options are limited mainly to slowing further decline. Catching and reversing it earlier remains an open medical challenge.
health-biology
global-unspecified
kidney
disease
don
have
reliable
way
prevent
progression
chronic
its
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Drug-resistant tuberculosis requires longer, more expensive, and more toxic treatment regimens that many patients in affected regions simply can't access or complete. This keeps a preventable disease deadly in the parts of the world least equipped to fight it.
health-biology
global-unspecified
tuberculosis
treatment
don
have
affordable
widely
available
strains
resistant
standard
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Patients sometimes continue to experience pain months or years after the original injury has healed, suggesting the nervous system itself has changed in ways doctors don't fully understand. Solving this could transform treatment for chronic pain conditions.
health-biology
global-unspecified
pain
has
fully
chronic
sometimes
injury
healed
yet
explain
persists
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Lung cancer screening guidelines are generally built around smoking history, but a meaningful share of cases occur in people who never smoked at all and often go undetected until later stages. Better screening approaches for this group remain underdeveloped.
health-biology
global-unspecified
lung
cancer
people
never
smoked
don
have
scalable
way
detect
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Despite strict hygiene protocols, patients still frequently contract infections during hospital stays that they didn't have when they arrived. Closing this gap could save both lives and enormous healthcare costs.
health-biology
global-unspecified
have
infections
don
fully
effective
way
prevent
hospital-acquired
despite
strict
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many new parents experience postpartum depression that goes undiagnosed or untreated for months, affecting both their wellbeing and their infant's early development. Faster detection and more accessible treatment remain unmet needs.
health-biology
global-unspecified
postpartum
depression
yet
reliably
treat
causes
lasting
harm
new
parents
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
haven
determine
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A large share of pregnancy loss has no clearly identifiable cause, leaving expecting parents without answers or ways to prevent it happening again. Understanding these unexplained cases remains a significant gap in reproductive medicine.
health-biology
global-unspecified
prevent
cases
cause
don
have
reliable
way
miscarriages
unknown
large
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Food allergies have been rising for reasons researchers still can't fully explain, and existing treatments mostly manage symptoms after exposure rather than removing the risk entirely. A true prevention or cure remains elusive.
health-biology
global-unspecified
fully
don
understand
some
people
develop
severe
allergic
reactions
foods
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
haven
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Ovarian cancer is often called a silent disease because symptoms don't appear until it has advanced significantly. Early detection tools remain far behind those available for other common cancers.
health-biology
global-unspecified
ovarian
cancer
early
haven
developed
reliable
way
detect
treatable
often
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
don
resolved
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Africa
Emerging gene therapies show promise but remain extremely expensive and inaccessible to the vast majority of people living with sickle cell disease worldwide, especially in Africa where it's most common. Making a real cure affordable and available remains unsolved.
health-biology
africa
global-unspecified
cure
sickle
cell
disease
available
don
have
scalable
patients
need
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Pancreatic cancer often shows no clear symptoms until it has already spread, making it one of the deadliest common cancers. An affordable early screening method could dramatically improve survival rates.
health-biology
global-unspecified
pancreatic
cancer
early
haven
found
way
detect
enough
treat
successfully
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Millions of people live with persistent, disabling fatigue that doctors struggle to diagnose clearly or treat effectively. The underlying biology remains poorly understood despite decades of patient reports.
health-biology
global-unspecified
fatigue
don
have
reliable
cure
chronic
syndrome
millions
people
live
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
way
agreed