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
Agencies tasked with overseeing complex fields like AI or cybersecurity sometimes have few employees who deeply understand the technology they're regulating. This expertise gap can lead to rules that are either too vague or poorly targeted.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
cybersecurity
agencies
technology
expertise
government
dealing
regulation
often
lack
staff
real
philosophy-ethics
whether
society-governance
haven
african
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
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 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
Money can be moved through jurisdictions with looser financial oversight, effectively laundering funds before they re-enter stricter financial systems elsewhere. Coordinated global standards remain incomplete and unevenly enforced.
society-governance
global-unspecified
laundering
anti-money
rules
differ
between
countries
criminals
exploit
weakest
links
systems
technology-computing
across
oversight
public
financial
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Sanctions meant to pressure governments or individuals can be undermined by countries or companies willing to look the other way for financial benefit. Without stronger enforcement, sanctions can end up symbolic rather than effective.
society-governance
global-unspecified
sanctions
individuals
companies
international
inconsistently
enforced
letting
some
targeted
quietly
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
have
determine
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
People who qualify for visas or residency under existing rules can still wait years due to processing backlogs and understaffed agencies. This delay affects not just applicants but the families and employers depending on them.
society-governance
global-unspecified
applicants
years
delay
immigration
systems
wealthy
countries
complex
enough
even
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
mathematics-logic
lack
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Zoning meetings and planning hearings are frequently held at inconvenient times with minimal outreach, meaning decisions affecting entire neighborhoods get made with only a handful of residents aware. Broader participation methods remain underused.
local-regional
global-unspecified
participation
planning
decisions
residents
public
city
often
limited
processes
don
society-governance
evidence
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Surveys in numerous countries show steadily falling trust in courts, legislatures, and civil services, even as living standards in some of those places have improved. Understanding and reversing this erosion remains a central unsolved governance challenge.
society-governance
global-unspecified
trust
public
government
institutions
has
been
declining
democracies
decades
surveys
whether
philosophy-ethics
data
services
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Talented people are sometimes drawn toward higher-paying private sector jobs instead of public service, leaving government roles filled by less experienced staff. This talent gap quietly undermines the quality of policy and services citizens receive.
society-governance
global-unspecified
public
sector
wages
countries
too
low
attract
skilled
workers
needed
services
governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
social-civic-problems
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Citizens sometimes wait weeks for paperwork that should take minutes, because the underlying government systems processing it were built decades ago and never modernized. This directly affects public trust in whether government can function at all.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
systems
public
countries
outdated
basic
services
slow
error-prone
citizens
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
institutions
across
trust
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Once elected, officials often make major decisions with limited mechanisms for ongoing public feedback until the next vote, sometimes years away. Tools for continuous citizen input remain underdeveloped almost everywhere.
society-governance
global-unspecified
input
decisions
citizens
democracies
have
little
formal
made
between
election
whether
philosophy-ethics
evidence
resolved
public
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
False claims about candidates or voting processes can spread across social media faster than officials can issue corrections, especially close to election day. This growing speed gap threatens the integrity of public understanding during critical voting periods.
society-governance
global-unspecified
during
election
officials
disinformation
campaigns
elections
outpacing
ability
respond
voting
whether
philosophy-ethics
fiscal
austerity
technology-computing
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Complicated issues like constitutional changes or international agreements are occasionally put to a simple yes or no vote, even though the details matter enormously and most voters can't research them fully in advance. This risks major decisions being made on incomplete understanding.
society-governance
global-unspecified
referendums
sometimes
bypass
careful
deliberation
deeply
complex
policy
questions
complicated
decisions
evidence
local
communities
philosophy-ethics
whether
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fewer people are voting even in countries with a long history of democratic participation, suggesting something deeper than simple apathy is at play. Understanding and reversing this trend remains an open challenge for democratic governance.
society-governance
global-unspecified
voter
turnout
keeps
declining
established
democracies
despite
decades
civic
education
whether
philosophy-ethics
democratic
climate-environment
resolved
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
National governments sometimes pass laws requiring local services without providing the money to pay for them, leaving local governments to either cut corners or raise taxes. This mismatch between responsibility and resources undermines local governance everywhere it happens.
society-governance
global-unspecified
governments
local
national
regions
lack
funding
deliver
responsibilities
handed
down
economics-resources
african
recovery
africa
systems
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some UN peacekeeping operations have run for so long that local governments and populations start questioning whether they're actually achieving anything anymore. Without clear exit criteria, missions risk becoming permanent without ever solving the underlying conflict.
society-governance
global-unspecified
peacekeeping
missions
clear
often
kept
place
decades
plan
end
some
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
have
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Voting power at bodies like the IMF still roughly reflects the economic order from decades ago, giving less voice to countries that now represent a huge share of the world's population. This mismatch fuels distrust in the fairness of global rule-making.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
countries
economic
developing
remain
underrepresented
institutions
set
rules
voting
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
have
determine
society-governance
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many global bodies depend heavily on voluntary contributions rather than fixed dues, letting big funders push their own priorities ahead of the institution's broader mission. This undermines the independence these institutions are supposed to have.
society-governance
global-unspecified
priorities
institutions
wealthy
donor
countries
quietly
steer
international
targeted
funding
conflict
public
post
whether
philosophy-ethics
climate-environment
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some mathematical series behave predictably, while others sit in ambiguous territory where convergence is difficult to prove definitively. Fully resolving these cases remains an active area of mathematical research.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
series
haven
proven
exact
conditions
under
certain
infinite
converge
finite
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
know
possible
every