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.
4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fewer working-age people are supporting more retirees in many countries, straining pension systems built for a different population balance. Without reform, current retirement systems risk running out of money for future retirees.
society-governance
global-unspecified
retirement
haven
found
sustainable
way
fund
populations
age
worldwide
retirees
systems
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
resolved
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Despite regulation added after every major crash, financial systems keep finding new ways to become unstable. We still don't have a reliable way to prevent the next one before it happens.
society-governance
global-unspecified
financial
every
stop
markets
crashing
unpredictably
few
decades
despite
regulation
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
don
determine
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some countries and industries pay a real cost for carbon emissions, while others pay nothing, creating an uneven playing field that undermines climate goals. A consistent global carbon price remains politically and technically unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
carbon-emissions
carbon
price
emissions
don
have
fair
way
every
country
industry
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Wages in many cities haven't kept pace with housing costs, pushing homeownership and even renting out of reach for a growing share of workers. This is now a shared crisis across cities on almost every continent.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
cities
haven
housing
solved
make
affordable
major
worldwide
wages
kept
climate-environment
urban
whether
african
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Billions of dollars in foreign aid have flowed for decades, yet the gap between wealthy and poor nations remains wide. This suggests aid alone isn't the missing piece, and a better approach is still needed.
society-governance
global-unspecified
aid
gap
between
poor
nations
decades
close
wealth
rich
despite
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
have
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As automation and AI displace routine and increasingly cognitive labor, most economies still assume most people need traditional jobs to survive and find purpose. Without a credible alternative, mass automation risks instability rather than shared benefit.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
jobs
don
have
economic
model
ready
world
machines
automation
displace
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
International courts and diplomacy exist, but nations still frequently settle disputes through force when other methods fail or are ignored. A stronger, more trusted system for resolving conflicts peacefully remains unbuilt.
society-governance
global-unspecified
system
disputes
nations
don
have
fairly
resolves
between
resorting
war
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Most democratic input happens only at the ballot box, leaving years between elections where citizens have little formal say in major decisions. Better tools for ongoing public input could make governance more responsive.
society-governance
global-unspecified
citizens
decisions
between
elections
haven
solved
give
real
influence
over
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
public
determine
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Independent journalism is being restricted or shut down in many parts of the world, cutting off citizens from reliable information about their own governments. Protecting press freedom remains an unresolved struggle in much of the world.
society-governance
global-unspecified
press
governments
information
ensure
free
survives
countries
control
world
independent
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As more countries and private companies plan to mine the Moon and asteroids, there's still no clear, agreed system for who owns what. Without this, space could repeat the same resource conflicts we've had on Earth.
science-space
global-unspecified
space
don
have
working
model
governing
outer
its
resources
countries
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Large multinational companies can shift profits between countries to minimize taxes, leaving many nations without a fair share of revenue from businesses operating within their borders. A truly fair global tax system remains unresolved.
society-governance
global-unspecified
fair
tax
companies
haven
found
way
operate
everywhere
nowhere
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
mathematics-logic
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Criminal networks move money, goods, and people across borders quickly, while law enforcement cooperation between countries is often slow and limited. Closing this gap requires faster, more trusted international coordination.
society-governance
global-unspecified
borders
faster
law
enforcement
stop
organized
crime
operating
cooperate
criminal
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
have
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Personal and corporate data crosses borders constantly, but laws about who owns it and how it can be used vary wildly by country. This patchwork makes real data protection difficult to enforce globally.
society-governance
global-unspecified
data
owns
don
have
consistent
international
rules
controls
personal
corporate
technology-computing
whether
philosophy-ethics
systems
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rising demand keeps pushing housing costs higher in growing cities, pricing out the very workers those cities depend on. Making urban growth compatible with affordability remains an unresolved policy challenge nearly everywhere.
society-governance
global-unspecified
cities
haven
solved
make
affordable
live
grow
rising
demand
keeps
climate-environment
whether
urban
philosophy-ethics
african
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Foreign actors have repeatedly used social media and cyberattacks to influence elections in other countries, and defenses remain reactive rather than preventive. Protecting democratic processes requires staying ahead of these tactics, not catching up after the fact.
society-governance
global-unspecified
elections
foreign
fully
protect
interference
manipulation
actors
have
repeatedly
social
climate-environment
institutions
designing
democratic
high
disinformation
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As gene editing and synthetic biology become more accessible, so does the risk of these tools being misused, deliberately or accidentally. International cooperation on this has lagged far behind the pace of the science itself.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
don
have
framework
prevent
misuse
biological
research
gene
editing
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
way
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many prison systems focus on punishment over rehabilitation, and high reoffending rates suggest this approach often fails at its stated goal. A system genuinely built around rehabilitation could reduce crime and human cost.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
haven
found
way
make
prisons
rehabilitate
people
instead
just
punishing
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
systems
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Economic and political power increasingly concentrates in fewer hands, while regulation struggles to keep pace with how quickly this happens. Left unchecked, this threatens both economic fairness and democratic balance.
society-governance
global-unspecified
power
stop
wealth
concentrating
faster
laws
adapt
economic
political
increasingly
whether
philosophy-ethics
have
determine
resolved
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many large-scale policies are implemented based on assumptions rather than solid evidence, and by the time results come in, the damage or waste is already done. Better testing methods could save enormous public resources.
society-governance
global-unspecified
policies
don
have
reliable
way
measure
whether
government
actually
work
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Anti-corruption agencies themselves can become corrupted, and oversight bodies often lack real power to enforce accountability. Breaking this cycle requires structural solutions, not just stricter laws on paper.
society-governance
global-unspecified
haven
solved
reduce
corruption
institutions
meant
prevent
anti-corruption
agencies
themselves
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
public
resolved
lack
