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
Fertility treatments like IVF help many people conceive, but success rates still drop significantly with age due to biological factors that current medicine can't fully reverse. Understanding and addressing this decline remains incomplete.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
fertility
age
current
treatments
haven
solved
declines
ways
only
partially
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
resolved
determine
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Patients sometimes continue to experience pain months or years after the original injury has healed, suggesting the nervous system itself has changed in ways doctors don't fully understand. Solving this could transform treatment for chronic pain conditions.
health-biology
global-unspecified
pain
has
fully
chronic
sometimes
injury
healed
yet
explain
persists
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A large share of pregnancy loss has no clearly identifiable cause, leaving expecting parents without answers or ways to prevent it happening again. Understanding these unexplained cases remains a significant gap in reproductive medicine.
health-biology
global-unspecified
prevent
cases
cause
don
have
reliable
way
miscarriages
unknown
large
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Food allergies have been rising for reasons researchers still can't fully explain, and existing treatments mostly manage symptoms after exposure rather than removing the risk entirely. A true prevention or cure remains elusive.
health-biology
global-unspecified
fully
don
understand
some
people
develop
severe
allergic
reactions
foods
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
haven
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Conditions like long COVID and chronic Lyme disease affect some patients severely while others recover fully from the same initial infection. Understanding this difference could unlock treatments for currently unexplained chronic illness.
health-biology
global-unspecified
chronic
some
illness
others
haven
solved
infections
turn
long-term
certain
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
fully
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The immune system destroys insulin-producing cells for reasons we don't fully understand, forcing patients into decades of careful daily management. A real cure would end this instead of just controlling it.
health-biology
global-unspecified
don
cure
management
have
type
diabetes
only
lifelong
insulin
immune
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
way
agreed
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
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
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
Many platforms subtly shape user decisions using personal data in ways users don't fully realize or understand. Where persuasion ends and manipulation begins remains a genuinely unsettled ethical line.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
don
ethical
personal
data
decisions
agree
whether
influence
people
explicit
resolved
determine
know
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Government budgets are often too complex or poorly communicated for the average citizen to meaningfully track or understand. Better transparency tools could improve both trust and accountability in public spending.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
understand
spending
haven
solved
make
budgeting
processes
transparent
enough
whether
philosophy-ethics
public
resolved
mathematics-logic
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rates of some cancers are rising among people under fifty for reasons researchers don't yet fully understand, spanning diet, environment, and other unknown factors. Identifying the cause is a necessary first step toward prevention.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
yet
fully
cancers
explain
certain
becoming
common
younger
adults
rates
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
health-biology
haven
resolved
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
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
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Infertility affects a significant share of couples trying to conceive, and treatments like IVF don't work for everyone or every cause. A deeper understanding of underlying causes could open new, more effective treatment paths.
health-biology
global-unspecified
infertility
yet
cure
forms
affecting
both
men
women
affects
significant
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
way
don
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Food allergy rates have been rising for decades, and the exact reasons behind this trend remain only partially understood. Understanding the cause could help prevent, not just manage, this growing health issue.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
food
yet
stop
allergies
becoming
common
children
worldwide
allergy
rates
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
way
determine
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A small number of people show natural resistance to certain infections or conditions, and understanding why could reveal entirely new treatment approaches. This resistance remains only partially understood at a genetic level.
health-biology
global-unspecified
people
haven
solved
some
naturally
resistant
diseases
affect
nearly
everyone
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This period, known as cosmic inflation, is widely accepted as a concept but the exact physical mechanism driving it remains unproven. Confirming it would close a major gap in our understanding of the universe's first moments.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
universe
don
have
full
model
explaining
early
expanded
faster
expected
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
way
agreed