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.
Publicly citable
Every problem has a stable citation code for reference and discussion.
Filtered by relevance
Search by category, geography, status, and keywords.
Builder-oriented
Use the repository to find startup ideas, policy leads, and research agendas.
4094Total
4094Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
People often continue traditions or habits even when better alternatives clearly exist, and it's unclear whether familiarity alone provides any genuine moral justification for this preference. This unresolved question touches on the nature of rational choice itself.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
familiar
whether
better
alternatives
haven
figured
out
possible
fully
justify
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Emerging technologies might dramatically reduce suffering but also carry serious unknown risks, and it remains unresolved how to weigh potential benefit against potential harm. This tension underlies debates in bioethics and existential risk.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
have
technologies
reduce
suffering
don
resolved
way
determine
whether
humans
agreed
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some frameworks emphasize the intentions behind an act, while others focus purely on the actual consequences, leading to very different moral judgments in identical situations. This unresolved tension remains a foundational issue in ethical theory.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
act
intentions
don
know
whether
done
good
but
bad
outcome
resolved
haven
mathematics-logic
determine
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Protecting children's emotional wellbeing seems intuitively right, but doing so can also delay their ability to understand and navigate the real world accurately. This unresolved tension appears constantly in parenting and education.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
children
world
wellbeing
haven
resolved
whether
ethical
shield
difficult
truths
know
determine
mathematics-logic
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Decisions made today, like saving money or maintaining health, assume some obligation to a future self who may have very different preferences and values. This unresolved question touches on both personal identity and long-term ethical responsibility.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
have
obligation
future
don
agreed
way
determine
whether
humans
any
resolved
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Methane traps far more heat than carbon dioxide in the short term, yet nearly all climate technology focuses on capturing carbon dioxide instead. A cheap way to actively remove atmospheric methane could meaningfully slow near-term warming.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
methane
way
remove
don
have
affordable
already
accumulated
atmosphere
carbon
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
agreed
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Parts of the Greenland ice sheet may have already crossed tipping points where melting continues regardless of future emissions cuts. Understanding and potentially slowing this process remains one of climate science's most urgent unresolved challenges.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
greenland
ice
sheet
yet
stop
accelerating
melt
once
passes
certain
whether
philosophy-ethics
don
determine
way
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Sea walls and barriers can protect some areas but often shift flooding risk elsewhere or fail to address long-term relocation needs. A truly sustainable coastal adaptation strategy remains incomplete in most vulnerable regions.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
protect
coastal
sea
haven
found
way
cities
level
rise
displacing
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Deforestation and rising temperatures are pushing parts of the Amazon toward a state where it can no longer sustain itself as rainforest. Preventing this shift before it becomes irreversible remains an urgent, unresolved challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
deforestation
amazon
rainforest
don
have
scalable
way
prevent
crossing
tipping
point
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Vast amounts of carbon and methane are locked in frozen Arctic soil, and as it thaws, it could release gases faster than current climate models predict. Better prediction tools are needed to understand how much this will accelerate warming.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
predict
will
release
gases
reliably
quickly
permafrost
thaw
trapped
greenhouse
philosophy-ethics
whether
health-biology
climate
mathematics-logic
carbon
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Bee populations have declined sharply in many regions, partly due to pesticide exposure, threatening the pollination that much of global food production depends on. A farming approach that protects both crops and pollinators remains incomplete.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
pollinators
haven
solved
farm
pesticides
harm
like
bees
bee
populations
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
prevent
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Vast areas of farmland worldwide have been degraded by decades of intensive use, and restoring their fertility can take years even with the right techniques. Scaling this restoration affordably remains an unresolved agricultural challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
have
degraded
farmland
don
affordable
way
restore
back
healthy
productive
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Invasive plants and animals introduced by global trade and travel can outcompete native species, sometimes causing lasting ecological damage before anyone intervenes. Effective, scalable methods for controlling their spread remain incomplete.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
invasive
species
native
yet
stop
spreading
displacing
wildlife
ecosystems
plants
philosophy-ethics
whether
prevent
determine
have
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fertilizer and pesticide runoff from farms create dead zones in rivers and lakes where oxygen levels drop too low to support aquatic life. Preventing this runoff without harming farm productivity remains an unresolved environmental challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
runoff
haven
found
way
protect
freshwater
ecosystems
agricultural
pollution
scale
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
prevent
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Vast stretches of ocean lie beyond any single nation's jurisdiction, making it difficult to monitor and stop illegal fishing that depletes fish populations faster than they can recover. Closing this enforcement gap remains an unresolved challenge.
health-biology
global-unspecified
illegal
fishing
don
have
effective
system
track
reduce
international
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
way
agreed
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rising ocean temperatures trigger coral bleaching events that can kill reefs outright if heat stress lasts too long, and current interventions can only help a small fraction of affected reefs. Scaling protection to match the pace of warming remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
reefs
bleaching
coral
heat
yet
fully
prevent
death
during
marine
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many heavily polluted cities in lower-income regions still lack dense, affordable monitoring networks that could help residents and policymakers respond in real time. Closing this data gap remains a persistent public health and environmental challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
public-health
air-pollution
monitoring
affordable
polluted
cities
haven
solved
make
air
pollution
accurate
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Washing machines release countless tiny plastic fibers from synthetic fabrics into wastewater, and most filtration systems aren't designed to catch particles this small. This steady stream of microplastic pollution remains largely unaddressed at the source.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
plastic
systems
synthetic
don
have
way
prevent
microfibers
shedding
water
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some fish populations have been fished to the point of collapse, and even with strict conservation measures, recovery can take decades longer than demand is willing to wait. Balancing recovery with continued food needs remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
fish
populations
demand
yet
restore
collapsed
fast
enough
keep
pace
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
have
prevent
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Soil erodes far faster than it naturally regenerates in many farming regions, threatening long-term food production capacity. Reversing this imbalance at a global scale remains an unresolved agricultural and environmental challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
soil
haven
found
way
prevent
erosion
outpacing
natural
rate
formation
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
