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
High childcare costs push many parents, disproportionately mothers, out of the workforce entirely or into reduced hours. Making quality childcare broadly affordable remains an unresolved economic and social policy gap.
society-governance
global-unspecified
childcare
affordable
parents
workforce
yet
make
accessible
enough
support
working
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
mathematics-logic
technology-computing
climate-environment
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Workers and entire regional economies built around coal, oil, and gas face major disruption as the world shifts to cleaner energy. A fair, well-funded transition plan for these communities remains incomplete in most countries.
local-regional
global-unspecified
fair
transition
don
have
approach
managing
away
fossil
fuel
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
way
agreed
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
School funding tied to local property taxes in many places creates stark differences in educational quality based purely on geography. Equalizing this access remains a persistent, unresolved policy challenge in many countries.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
access
quality
yet
guarantee
equal
public
education
regardless
family
neighborhood
remains
whether
philosophy-ethics
african
low
economics-resources
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Regulators sometimes come from, or later move into, the very industries they oversee, raising ongoing concerns about impartiality. Structural solutions to this revolving door problem remain inconsistently applied.
health-biology
global-unspecified
regulators
industries
don
have
reliable
way
prevent
conflicts
interest
among
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Government budgets are often too complex or poorly communicated for the average citizen to meaningfully track or understand. Better transparency tools could improve both trust and accountability in public spending.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
understand
spending
haven
solved
make
budgeting
processes
transparent
enough
whether
philosophy-ethics
public
resolved
mathematics-logic
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Historical mistreatment and inconsistent messaging have left some communities more distrustful of public health guidance than others, undermining response to outbreaks and vaccination campaigns. Rebuilding this trust remains a slow, unresolved process.
health-biology
global-unspecified
public-health
vaccination
public
health
messaging
communities
yet
ensure
trusted
equally
all
historical
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rules protecting children online vary significantly by country and platform, leaving major gaps that put young users at risk. A more consistent global standard remains politically and technically difficult to establish.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
consistent
standard
protecting
children
online
don
have
international
different
platforms
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
way
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
False information about disaster response, shelters, or aid can spread rapidly during emergencies, sometimes putting lives at further risk. Faster, trusted communication channels during crises remain underdeveloped in many regions.
society-governance
global-unspecified
during
haven
found
way
prevent
misinformation
spreading
specifically
natural
disasters
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Public hearings and consultations are often required by law but sometimes function more as formalities than genuine two-way input processes. Making these processes truly meaningful remains an unresolved governance challenge.
society-governance
global-unspecified
public
consultations
input
yet
ensure
major
projects
genuinely
reflect
community
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
designing
services
institutions
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Facial recognition is being deployed in policing, retail, and public spaces with vastly different rules depending on location, raising serious privacy and bias concerns. Consistent, fair regulation remains largely unbuilt.
society-governance
global-unspecified
fair
consistent
facial
recognition
don
have
way
regulate
technology
governments
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rates of some cancers are rising among people under fifty for reasons researchers don't yet fully understand, spanning diet, environment, and other unknown factors. Identifying the cause is a necessary first step toward prevention.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
yet
fully
cancers
explain
certain
becoming
common
younger
adults
rates
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
health-biology
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Undiagnosed vision problems in children can quietly affect school performance for years before being caught. Early, affordable screening at scale remains unavailable in many school systems worldwide.
health-biology
global-unspecified
vision
children
affect
don
have
scalable
way
detect
treat
learning
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Antibiotics are widely used in livestock farming to prevent disease and promote growth, contributing significantly to antibiotic resistance in humans. Reducing this use without harming farmers' livelihoods remains a persistent unresolved challenge.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
prevent
antibiotics
resistance
haven
found
way
overuse
agriculture
accelerating
drug
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Dental problems can affect overall health significantly, yet dental care is often separated from general healthcare systems and priced out of reach for many. Closing this gap remains an overlooked but serious healthcare access issue.
health-biology
global-unspecified
care
dental
yet
general
make
affordable
accessible
same
degree
medical
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
mathematics-logic
access
remains
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A meaningful share of people who contracted COVID-19 continue experiencing fatigue, brain fog, or other symptoms long after recovery, with no reliably effective treatment yet available. This remains a significant and only partially understood health burden.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
effective
long
symptoms
don
have
way
treat
covid
persist
months
whether
determine
health-biology
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Air pollution contributes to respiratory and cardiovascular disease in millions of people living in polluted urban areas, and treatment only addresses symptoms, not exposure. Reducing the exposure itself remains the harder, unresolved half of the problem.
health-biology
global-unspecified
air-pollution
air
pollution
haven
solved
prevent
long-term
health
effects
densely
populated
whether
philosophy-ethics
climate-environment
mathematics-logic
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some slow-growing cancers are unlikely to ever threaten a patient's life, yet current diagnostics often can't tell them apart from dangerous ones. This leads to both overtreatment and, at times, dangerous undertreatment.
health-biology
global-unspecified
yet
cancers
reliably
distinguish
between
need
aggressive
treatment
those
never
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
fully
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Clothing production involves water use, chemical dyes, and labor spread across many countries, making its full environmental cost difficult to measure accurately. Without clear measurement, meaningful accountability remains difficult to enforce.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
supply-chain
measure
environmental
cost
its
full
don
have
reliable
way
true
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fertilizer runoff from farms feeds harmful algae blooms in nearby lakes, damaging drinking water and local ecosystems. Preventing this at the source remains cheaper than treating it after the fact, but adoption is still limited.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
lakes
nearby
haven
found
affordable
way
protect
freshwater
pollution
caused
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Mining for the metals used in batteries and electronics often destroys forests, rivers, and habitats that took centuries to form. Balancing resource needs with ecosystem protection remains a persistent unresolved tension.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
mining
yet
stop
operations
permanently
damaging
fragile
ecosystems
resource-rich
regions
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
mathematics-logic
prevent
haven
