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
Microplastics have been found nearly everywhere scientists have looked, including soil and tap water, yet no affordable removal method exists at scale. This leaves an existing, growing contamination problem largely unaddressed.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
have
microplastics
soil
water
don
cost-effective
way
remove
already
present
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Most food waste in large cities still ends up in landfills producing methane, despite composting being a relatively simple, well-understood solution. Scaling this to city-wide adoption remains logistically unresolved in most places.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
composting
waste
large
cities
haven
solved
make
organic
recycling
standard
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
International agreements to reduce deforestation often rely on inconsistent or delayed data, making enforcement difficult. Better real-time tracking could hold countries and companies accountable for logging commitments.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
deforestation
agreements
yet
track
tree
cover
loss
accurately
enough
enforce
whether
philosophy-ethics
society-governance
determine
technology-computing
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rising seas and stronger storms are eroding coastlines faster than in the past, threatening homes and infrastructure built near the water. Affordable, effective protection methods remain limited outside of wealthy coastal areas.
health-biology
global-unspecified
affordable
coastal
don
have
way
prevent
erosion
steadily
consuming
beaches
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
agreed
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Overgrazing and development have degraded vast grassland ecosystems worldwide, and restoration efforts remain small compared to the scale of the damage. A more scalable restoration method could recover important habitat and carbon storage.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
scalable
degraded
haven
found
way
restore
grasslands
once
supported
diverse
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
don
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Current wearables track surface-level signals like heart rate well, but measuring things like blood chemistry non-invasively remains far less reliable. Solving this could make preventive healthcare monitoring dramatically more accessible.
science-space
global-unspecified
yet
build
wearable
devices
accurately
monitor
internal
health
markers
invasive
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
mathematics-logic
technology-computing
health-biology
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Digital voting could make elections more accessible, but concerns about tampering and verification have kept most systems limited to smaller-scale trials. A fully trusted, secure digital voting system remains unbuilt at national scale.
society-governance
global-unspecified
digital
voting
have
trusted
don
universally
method
prevents
both
fraud
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
resolved
determine
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Data centers powering cloud services consume enormous amounts of electricity and water for cooling, and demand keeps climbing with AI adoption. A genuinely sustainable path for this growth remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
cloud
sustainable
growth
haven
found
way
make
computing
environmentally
its
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Self-driving systems handle most driving scenarios well, but rare, unusual situations still trip them up in ways human drivers might handle intuitively. Closing this reliability gap remains essential before full autonomy becomes truly safe.
society-governance
global-unspecified
safe
human
yet
guarantee
autonomous
vehicles
will
make
same
decisions
systems
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Assistive technology has improved, but truly seamless, affordable control of phones, computers, and home devices for people with paralysis remains out of reach for many. Progress here could dramatically improve daily independence.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
affordable
technology
people
paralysis
control
devices
don
have
lets
everyday
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Medical research benefits enormously from large shared datasets, but combining that with true patient privacy protection remains technically and legally unresolved. Better methods could unlock research without compromising individual privacy.
health-biology
global-unspecified
research
haven
solved
keep
personal
health
data
both
useful
completely
mathematics-logic
philosophy-ethics
whether
technology-computing
resolved
systems
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Voice assistants often misinterpret complex or ambiguous requests, especially involving sarcasm, local dialects, or multi-step instructions. Bridging this understanding gap remains a persistent limitation of current systems.
society-governance
global-unspecified
voice
assistants
yet
make
understand
context
nuance
well
human
listener
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
systems
haven
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Manipulated or duplicated images occasionally slip through peer review, sometimes undermining trust in published research long after the fact. Better automated verification tools remain underdeveloped for scientific publishing.
local-regional
global-unspecified
scientific
images
don
have
dependable
way
verify
authenticity
data
publication
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Detecting a planet in a habitable zone is only a first step, and current tools can't yet confirm whether conditions there truly support advanced life. Refining this picture would sharpen the search for life beyond Earth.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
life
picture
don
have
complete
exoplanets
might
actually
capable
supporting
whether
resolved
determine
know
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A large enough solar storm could damage transformers and electronics across entire continents, and current models can't precisely predict which systems would fail. Better modeling could guide smarter infrastructure protection investment.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
infrastructure
haven
solved
accurately
model
long-term
effects
geomagnetic
storms
modern
systems
whether
technology-computing
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
society-governance
open
United States, North America
Almost all current reusable rocket technology is built for missions close to Earth, while deep space missions still rely on expensive, largely disposable hardware. Extending reusability further out could reshape space exploration economics.
science-space
north-america
united-states
reusable
earth
yet
build
affordable
spacecraft
capable
routine
trips
beyond
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
space
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Evidence suggests Mars once had liquid water, a key ingredient for life, but no mission has yet found conclusive proof of past or present microbes. Answering this remains one of planetary science's biggest open questions.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
mars
life
don
know
certain
whether
ever
hosted
hosts
any
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
possible
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Precious samples brought back from the Moon or asteroids need to remain scientifically useful for generations of future researchers. Long-term sample preservation technology hasn't fully caught up with mission ambitions.
science-space
global-unspecified
samples
haven
found
way
store
scientific
space
missions
any
risk
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Ocean currents regulate weather and temperature worldwide, and small changes could have outsized global effects. Current climate models still can't predict these shifts with the precision policymakers need.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
climate-change
predict
climate
ocean
currents
yet
exactly
change
will
alter
over
society-governance
governance
building
whether
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Astronauts on extended missions lose bone density and muscle mass faster than doctors can fully explain or prevent. Understanding this better is essential before any mission lasting years, like a trip to Mars.
health-biology
global-unspecified
understanding
don
have
full
human
body
adapts
fails
adapt
long-term
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
haven
