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
Modern technology can track location, health, and behavior far more intimately than ever before, and there's no agreed line for when this crosses from useful into invasive.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
technology
haven
found
shared
ethical
standard
surveillance
allowed
know
modern
whether
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Decisions about resource use often weigh immediate economic gain against long-term environmental cost, and there's no settled ethical formula for how to balance the two fairly.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
environmental
against
economic
don
agree
weight
future
damage
carry
present-day
whether
resolved
determine
haven
know
agreed
Remittances sent to Indonesia from diaspora communities abroad are subject to high transfer fees, reducing the effective value delivered to recipient households who depend on this income.
economics-resources
asia
indonesia
reducing
transfer
diaspora
communities
remittance
costs
supporting
remittances
sent
remote
island
mountain
coastal
protection
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As gene editing technology advances, the line between preventing disease and choosing traits like appearance or intelligence becomes ethically blurry. Society hasn't agreed on where, if anywhere, that line should be firmly drawn.
health-biology
global-unspecified
traits
technology
haven
settled
whether
parents
allowed
select
non-medical
children
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some inequality is often seen as a natural result of differing effort or luck, but there's no agreed threshold for when it becomes unjust. Different political philosophies answer this question in fundamentally incompatible ways.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
answer
inequality
don
have
shared
economic
fair
society
tolerate
some
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some jurisdictions already use AI risk assessments to help judges decide sentences, raising concerns about fairness, bias, and accountability. Whether machines should have this level of influence over human freedom remains ethically unresolved.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
haven
agreed
ethical
make
final
decisions
criminal
sentencing
some
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
don
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Gig work can offer flexibility but often comes with unpredictable income swings that make financial planning difficult for workers. A system that offers more income stability without eliminating flexibility remains unresolved.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
income
gig
workers
yet
ensure
economy
have
predictable
stable
despite
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
informal
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Resources like fresh water, fertile soil, and certain minerals are being used faster than they can replenish, yet markets often don't price this depletion accurately. Building this cost into economic decision-making remains largely unresolved.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
don
economic
depletion
resources
have
system
properly
accounts
finite
natural
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Small businesses often struggle to access recovery funding quickly enough after disasters, leading to permanent closures that could have been prevented. Faster, more accessible recovery financing remains an unresolved gap.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
recovery
financing
quickly
small
businesses
haven
found
way
make
disaster
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
mathematics-logic
resolved
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
In many regions, a lack of real competition among providers allows companies to charge more than a competitive market would allow. Enforcing genuine competition in these industries remains a persistent regulatory challenge.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
industries
real
yet
prevent
monopolistic
pricing
few
competitors
like
internet
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
way
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
GDP growth doesn't capture things like wellbeing, environmental health, or inequality, yet it remains the default measure of a country's economic success. A broader, widely adopted alternative measure remains unsettled.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
mental-health
measure
widely
economic
gdp
growth
don
have
accepted
way
progress
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
High student debt loads are pushing back decisions like buying a home or starting a family for many young adults. Rebalancing the cost of education against its long-term benefits remains a persistent economic problem.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
student
debt
young
adults
haven
solved
prevent
excessive
loan
delaying
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
way
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Farmers, especially in developing countries, often receive a small fraction of the final retail price for their crops, while large intermediaries capture most of the value. A fairer supply chain structure remains largely unresolved.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
supply-chain
farmers
supply
large
yet
ensure
fair
compensation
chains
dominated
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
haven
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
High-interest, exploitative loans continue to target people with limited financial options, often trapping them in cycles of debt. Stronger, consistently enforced protections against this remain incomplete in many regions.
health-biology
global-unspecified
don
have
reliable
way
prevent
predatory
lending
practices
targeting
vulnerable
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Public transit systems that depend heavily on fares often struggle financially, leading to service cuts that push more people toward driving. A more sustainable funding model remains unresolved in many cities.
local-regional
global-unspecified
sustainable
public
transit
cities
haven
found
way
fund
relying
entirely
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
systems
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Migrant workers often pay steep fees to send money to family in their home countries, cutting into wages that are frequently already low. Cheaper remittance systems could meaningfully improve financial security for millions of families.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
migrant
workers
money
home
yet
make
cross-border
remittances
affordable
sending
economics-resources
haven
technology-computing
african
whether
informal
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As AI boosts productivity in many industries, the resulting financial gains tend to concentrate with business owners rather than being broadly shared. A fairer distribution mechanism remains a significant unresolved economic question.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
economic
productivity
gains
don
have
fair
way
distribute
benefits
ai-driven
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many well-paying, in-demand jobs don't require a four-year degree, yet vocational paths still often carry less social and economic status. Rebalancing this perception could ease both skills shortages and student debt burdens.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
vocational
degree
haven
solved
make
apprenticeship
training
valued
traditional
college
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
New, fast-growing markets often attract inexperienced investors right before major price crashes, leading to significant personal financial losses. Protecting newer investors without stifling innovation remains an unresolved balance.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
investors
markets
inexperienced
yet
prevent
speculative
bubbles
emerging
asset
like
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
haven
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Caregiving and household labor, disproportionately done by women, largely goes uncounted in standard economic measures like GDP. This makes an enormous amount of real economic contribution effectively invisible in policy decisions.
society-governance
global-unspecified
economic
labor
like
caregiving
don
have
consistent
way
value
unpaid
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
