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
Incumbent politicians in many countries can use public funds, staff, or platforms to boost their own re-election chances, giving them an unfair advantage over challengers. Clear, enforced separation between state resources and campaigning remains inconsistent.
society-governance
global-unspecified
state
resources
own
there
reliable
system
prevent
government
leaders
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
have
haven
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As AI-generated images, videos, and text become easier to produce, election laws in most places haven't caught up with rules for disclosure or restriction. This leaves a rapidly growing campaign tactic largely unregulated.
society-governance
global-unspecified
ai-generated
countries
have
clear
legal
framework
content
treated
political
campaigns
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
way
determine
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As some regions become less livable due to heat, drought, or flooding, governments often lack a clear, proactive plan for how internal migration should be managed. This leaves affected communities dealing with sudden, poorly supported relocation.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
migration
government
responses
climate
own
borders
remain
largely
unplanned
reactive
under
society-governance
pressure
african
relocation
systems
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rules about what political ads can say, who can run them, and how they must be disclosed vary enormously between countries and platforms. This inconsistency makes coordinated efforts to protect election integrity much harder.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
political
platforms
there
consistent
approach
regulating
advertising
social
media
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
countries
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Elected officials in some systems aren't required to publicly disclose investments or business ties that could influence their votes on related legislation. This leaves potential conflicts of interest largely invisible to voters.
society-governance
global-unspecified
parliaments
legislatures
lack
clear
rules
requiring
disclosure
lawmakers
financial
interests
philosophy-ethics
whether
have
resolved
public
don
open
United States, North America
Public spending or contract data is sometimes released in formats so disorganized or incomplete that meaningful analysis by journalists or citizens becomes impractical. True transparency requires usable data, not just published data.
society-governance
north-america
united-states
data
transparency
public
government
portals
countries
publish
technically
but
nearly
global-unspecified
systems
technology-computing
whether
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Conflict of interest rules exist in many places but are inconsistently enforced, letting officials benefit financially from decisions they themselves make. Stronger, consistently enforced rules remain missing in a large share of governments worldwide.
society-governance
global-unspecified
officials
there
reliable
way
prevent
government
public
office
personal
financial
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
have
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Population shifts toward cities or away from certain regions can leave old district boundaries badly mismatched with current populations, distorting how fairly votes translate into representation. Regularly updating these boundaries fairly remains politically contentious.
local-regional
global-unspecified
political
districts
drawn
decades
ago
sometimes
longer
reflect
people
actually
philosophy-ethics
whether
representation
have
determine
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Beyond voting for representatives, most citizens have no formal path to propose legislation themselves, leaving lawmaking almost entirely in the hands of elected officials and their staff. Direct citizen lawmaking tools remain underdeveloped in most democracies.
society-governance
global-unspecified
formal
citizens
propose
governments
lack
process
new
laws
directly
lawmaking
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
african
public
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some countries publish detailed defense budgets while others keep most military spending secret, making it hard to assess true security risks or hold leaders accountable for spending choices. Greater transparency remains politically resisted in many places.
society-governance
global-unspecified
spending
military
there
consistent
standard
transparent
governments
must
some
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
public
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When leadership changes, new appointees sometimes cancel or redirect projects started by their predecessors, wasting resources and delaying outcomes citizens were promised. Building continuity across political transitions remains structurally difficult.
society-governance
global-unspecified
political
appointees
projects
continuity
frequently
change
government
direction
often
long-term
public
building
data
trust
real
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
In systems with many competing parties, forming a stable governing coalition can require compromises so broad that clear, decisive policy becomes difficult to achieve. This instability can leave important issues unresolved for years.
society-governance
global-unspecified
parties
coalitions
smaller
political
often
struggle
govern
effectively
due
constant
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
systems
haven
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even when an agency is widely recognized as ineffective or wasteful, political and legal hurdles can keep it running largely unchanged for years. Faster institutional accountability mechanisms remain rare in most government systems.
society-governance
global-unspecified
legal
governments
often
lack
clear
fast
process
shutting
down
reforming
public
systems
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some high offices have strict term limits while others, sometimes in the same country, have none at all, allowing certain officials to accumulate power for decades. This inconsistency undermines the broader principle term limits are meant to protect.
society-governance
global-unspecified
term
limits
officials
power
judges
top
applied
inconsistently
entrenched
remains
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
haven
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
By the time bills are opened for public comment, the major provisions are frequently already settled behind closed doors, limiting how much public input can actually shape outcomes. Earlier, more meaningful participation remains rare in most legislative processes.
society-governance
global-unspecified
public
participation
already
drafting
new
laws
often
minimal
until
key
institutions
whether
consultation
philosophy-ethics
designing
local
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As more of daily life moves online, legal protections for things like personal data or digital speech remain undefined or inconsistent in many legal systems. This leaves citizens' rights online less clear than their rights offline.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
legal
rights
online
digital
like
countries
lack
frameworks
clearly
define
systems
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
corruption
resilient
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As more countries and private companies launch satellites, questions about interference, debris responsibility, and orbital rights have no clear, universally accepted governance system. This gap grows more urgent as space becomes more crowded.
science-space
global-unspecified
satellites
orbital
there
shared
framework
governing
controls
infrastructure
countries
whether
philosophy-ethics
have
determine
don
resolved
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Different countries have wildly different rules on what genetic research is permitted, creating a patchwork where risky experiments can simply move to wherever oversight is weakest. International cooperation on this remains far behind the pace of the science.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
have
research
institutions
consistent
framework
governing
ethics
safety
gene
whether
determine
resolved
don
mathematics-logic
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
International bodies can investigate and condemn abuses, but enforcement mechanisms are weak, especially against powerful countries that can block action through alliances or veto power. This leaves accountability inconsistent and often politically selective.
society-governance
global-unspecified
there
reliable
system
holding
governments
accountable
mass
human
rights
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
have
haven
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Warring factions sometimes restrict aid access as a tactic, leaving civilians without food, medicine, or shelter even when help is nearby and available. International governance has struggled to guarantee safe humanitarian access consistently.
society-governance
global-unspecified
humanitarian
aid
delivery
conflict
zones
often
blocked
delayed
same
parties
access
african
lack
low
remains
limited
