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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4094Total
4094Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
AI models built in one country are used and can cause harm worldwide, yet no institution has the mandate to set or enforce shared rules. This leaves a fast-moving technology essentially ungoverned at the international level.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
artificial-intelligence
there
authority
real
power
regulate
cross-border
artificial
intelligence
systems
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
determine
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Voting power at bodies like the IMF still roughly reflects the economic order from decades ago, giving less voice to countries that now represent a huge share of the world's population. This mismatch fuels distrust in the fairness of global rule-making.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
countries
economic
developing
remain
underrepresented
institutions
set
rules
voting
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
have
determine
society-governance
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many global bodies depend heavily on voluntary contributions rather than fixed dues, letting big funders push their own priorities ahead of the institution's broader mission. This undermines the independence these institutions are supposed to have.
society-governance
global-unspecified
priorities
institutions
wealthy
donor
countries
quietly
steer
international
targeted
funding
conflict
public
post
whether
philosophy-ethics
climate-environment
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The World Health Organization has no power to investigate or verify outbreak reports if a country delays or downplays them for political reasons. This gap can turn a containable outbreak into a global pandemic.
health-biology
global-unspecified
health
emergencies
depend
countries
honestly
reporting
outbreaks
own
outbreak
whether
philosophy-ethics
society-governance
determine
remains
haven
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Treaties on climate, trade, and human rights rely on voluntary compliance, and countries that break them rarely face meaningful consequences. This makes international law more of a suggestion than a binding rule.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
international
agreements
have
real
way
force
country
keep
its
promises
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
don
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This means a single permanent member can stop global action on war, genocide, or humanitarian crises regardless of what the rest of the world wants. Reforming this without those same countries blocking the reform remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
countries
security
council
gives
five
veto
block
almost
anything
means
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Volunteer-collected data can expand research at a scale professional scientists alone couldn't achieve, but ensuring its accuracy and consistency remains an unresolved challenge for researchers who want to use it.
society-governance
global-unspecified
research
haven
solved
make
citizen
science
projects
reliable
enough
serious
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
technology-computing
way
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fake or looted artifacts sometimes enter the art market disguised as legitimate finds, and verification methods remain inconsistent across the industry. Better systems could protect both cultural heritage and honest collectors.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
artifacts
enter
don
have
reliable
way
verify
authenticity
historical
private
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some mathematical series behave predictably, while others sit in ambiguous territory where convergence is difficult to prove definitively. Fully resolving these cases remains an active area of mathematical research.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
series
haven
proven
exact
conditions
under
certain
infinite
converge
finite
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
know
possible
every
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many platforms subtly shape user decisions using personal data in ways users don't fully realize or understand. Where persuasion ends and manipulation begins remains a genuinely unsettled ethical line.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
don
ethical
personal
data
decisions
agree
whether
influence
people
explicit
resolved
determine
know
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
New technologies have always displaced some jobs while creating others, but there's no agreed threshold for how much short-term harm is an acceptable cost of long-term progress.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
progress
haven
found
shared
answer
technological
unemployment
society
willing
accept
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
know
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Genetic research sometimes uses samples collected from communities, particularly indigenous ones, without full ongoing consent or benefit sharing. What ethical obligations researchers owe these communities afterward remains unsettled.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
research
genetic
collected
don
agree
say
community
have
over
conducted
whether
determine
resolved
way
agreed
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Predictive policing tools can reflect and reinforce biases present in historical policing data, raising fairness concerns even when the tools reduce some crime. Whether their benefits ethically outweigh this risk remains contested.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
policing
tools
whether
predictive
historical
crime
data
haven
settled
ethical
resolved
mathematics-logic
know
possible
society-governance
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
If a machine intelligence ever matched or exceeded human reasoning, questions about its moral status and rights would become urgent very quickly. Philosophy currently has no settled framework ready for that possibility.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
moral
intelligence
ever
don
agree
consideration
given
future
artificial
general
whether
resolved
determine
know
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Modern supply chains are often optimized for efficiency over resilience, leaving them vulnerable when multiple regions face disruption at once. Rebalancing this trade-off remains an unresolved challenge for global trade.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
supply-chain
supply
chains
yet
ensure
resilient
enough
withstand
simultaneous
regional
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
determine
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Losing species and healthy ecosystems carries real economic consequences, from reduced crop pollination to fewer new medicines, but this cost rarely shows up clearly in economic decision-making. Building this into policy remains largely unresolved.
society-governance
global-unspecified
biodiversity
economic
cost
don
have
widely
accepted
way
price
true
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Credit products are sometimes marketed most aggressively to people least able to manage the resulting debt responsibly. Stronger protections that don't cut off access entirely remain a difficult, unresolved balance.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
debt
marketed
aggressively
people
haven
solved
prevent
excessive
consumer
being
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
mathematics-logic
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Developing countries often pay significantly higher interest rates for clean energy projects than wealthier nations, slowing their transition away from fossil fuels. Fairer, more accessible financing remains a major unresolved barrier.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
renewable-energy
energy
financing
accessible
countries
interest
rates
yet
make
renewable
poorer
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Wages in many countries have grown more slowly than housing, healthcare, and food costs over the past few decades, steadily eroding real purchasing power. Reversing this trend remains a central unresolved economic challenge.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
have
wages
don
reliable
way
ensure
fair
keep
pace
rising
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A small number of large companies control a significant share of the world's seed and agricultural input supply, raising concerns about farmer dependency and pricing power. More diverse, resilient supply structures remain underdeveloped.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
supply
seed
haven
found
way
prevent
excessive
market
concentration
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
