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
Even mild traumatic brain injuries can cause lasting cognitive effects that current treatments struggle to fully reverse. A better understanding of brain recovery mechanisms could open new treatment paths.
health-biology
global-unspecified
brain
reverse
cognitive
traumatic
don
have
reliable
way
decline
caused
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Glaucoma often causes irreversible vision loss before it's diagnosed, since early stages typically have no noticeable symptoms. Better early detection and prevention methods remain a pressing unmet need in eye care.
health-biology
global-unspecified
have
glaucoma
vision
loss
don
effective
way
prevent
progression
occurs
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Effective treatments for hepatitis B exist, but cost and access remain out of reach for many of the hundreds of millions of people living with the infection globally, particularly in lower-income regions. Closing this access gap remains unresolved.
health-biology
global-unspecified
hepatitis
don
have
scalable
affordable
treatment
available
everyone
infected
worldwide
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
way
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
By the time visible symptoms of Parkinson's appear, significant neurological damage has usually already occurred, limiting how much treatment can help. Detecting the disease years earlier could open the door to more effective intervention.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
parkinson
disease
symptoms
appear
don
have
reliable
way
detect
physical
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
health-biology
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Existing treatments for hair loss can slow the process for some people but rarely reverse it completely, and the underlying biology of hair follicle loss isn't fully understood. A true prevention or reversal method remains undiscovered.
health-biology
global-unspecified
hair
loss
don
have
effective
way
prevent
caused
genetic
hormonal
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Kidney disease often advances silently for years before symptoms appear, and by the time it's caught, treatment options are limited mainly to slowing further decline. Catching and reversing it earlier remains an open medical challenge.
health-biology
global-unspecified
kidney
disease
don
have
reliable
way
prevent
progression
chronic
its
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Drug-resistant tuberculosis requires longer, more expensive, and more toxic treatment regimens that many patients in affected regions simply can't access or complete. This keeps a preventable disease deadly in the parts of the world least equipped to fight it.
health-biology
global-unspecified
tuberculosis
treatment
don
have
affordable
widely
available
strains
resistant
standard
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Lung cancer screening guidelines are generally built around smoking history, but a meaningful share of cases occur in people who never smoked at all and often go undetected until later stages. Better screening approaches for this group remain underdeveloped.
health-biology
global-unspecified
lung
cancer
people
never
smoked
don
have
scalable
way
detect
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Despite strict hygiene protocols, patients still frequently contract infections during hospital stays that they didn't have when they arrived. Closing this gap could save both lives and enormous healthcare costs.
health-biology
global-unspecified
have
infections
don
fully
effective
way
prevent
hospital-acquired
despite
strict
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
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
Millions of people live with persistent, disabling fatigue that doctors struggle to diagnose clearly or treat effectively. The underlying biology remains poorly understood despite decades of patient reports.
health-biology
global-unspecified
fatigue
don
have
reliable
cure
chronic
syndrome
millions
people
live
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
way
agreed
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
Different countries have wildly different rules on what genetic research is permitted, creating a patchwork where risky experiments can simply move to wherever oversight is weakest. International cooperation on this remains far behind the pace of the science.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
have
research
institutions
consistent
framework
governing
ethics
safety
gene
whether
determine
resolved
don
mathematics-logic
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Mistakes in identity documents, tax records, or benefit eligibility can take months or years to fix, causing real harm in the meantime. A faster, more citizen-friendly correction process remains missing in most bureaucracies.
society-governance
global-unspecified
records
citizens
countries
have
simple
way
correct
errors
official
government
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
don
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
During emergencies, confusion over which agency is responsible for what can delay critical decisions when speed matters most. Clearer, pre-agreed emergency governance structures remain inconsistently established across different regions.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
responses
disasters
frequently
slowed
unclear
lines
authority
between
agencies
whether
philosophy-ethics
governance
health-biology
public
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some contested borders have remained unresolved for decades, occasionally flaring into conflict, without any agreed process forcing a final decision. This leaves both governance and everyday life uncertain for people living near these borders.
society-governance
global-unspecified
any
process
border
disputes
between
neighboring
countries
persist
generations
binding
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
don
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When election results are close or contested, some countries have no clear, agreed procedure for resolving the dispute short of prolonged conflict or unrest. This leaves democratic transitions vulnerable at exactly their most sensitive moment.
society-governance
global-unspecified
countries
clear
election
lack
legal
process
peacefully
transferring
power
disputed
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A country can be found in violation of international law and simply ignore the ruling with little real consequence, especially if it holds significant economic or military power. This selectively weakens the rule of law based on who is being judged.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
international
courts
have
reliable
way
enforce
own
rulings
against
powerful
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
don
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Treaties on climate, trade, and human rights rely on voluntary compliance, and countries that break them rarely face meaningful consequences. This makes international law more of a suggestion than a binding rule.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
international
agreements
have
real
way
force
country
keep
its
promises
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
don
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fake or looted artifacts sometimes enter the art market disguised as legitimate finds, and verification methods remain inconsistent across the industry. Better systems could protect both cultural heritage and honest collectors.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
artifacts
enter
don
have
reliable
way
verify
authenticity
historical
private
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
prevent