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
Unlike infectious diseases, cancer arises from a person's own cells mutating, making a universal vaccine far more complex to design. Progress exists for a few cancer types, but a broadly effective approach remains unsolved.
health-biology
global-unspecified
infectious-disease
cancer
effective
vaccine
types
don
have
unlike
infectious
diseases
arises
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
way
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Artificial lighting confuses migration patterns, hunting behavior, and reproduction cycles in many nocturnal species, yet city lighting keeps expanding with growth. A widely adopted, wildlife-friendly lighting standard remains missing.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
nocturnal
lighting
haven
solved
prevent
light
pollution
disrupting
wildlife
growing
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Cooling saves lives during extreme heat, but most air conditioners rely on energy sources and refrigerants that contribute to climate change. A low-emission cooling solution accessible to poorer regions remains urgently needed.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
climate-change
air
poorer
regions
yet
make
conditioning
widely
available
hot
worsening
whether
philosophy-ethics
heat
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rivers often flow through multiple countries, and disputes over how much water each country can use remain a persistent source of tension. A widely accepted, fair sharing framework remains unbuilt in many major river basins.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
fair
water
countries
river
don
have
way
manage
rights
between
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Older buildings often waste huge amounts of energy through poor insulation and outdated systems, but retrofitting them is usually expensive and disruptive. Cheaper retrofit solutions could unlock major emissions reductions from existing infrastructure.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
retrofit
buildings
energy
haven
found
affordable
way
old
efficient
older
systems
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Poor farming practices and deforestation are wearing away fertile topsoil faster than nature can rebuild it, threatening long-term food production. A scalable solution to reverse this trend remains unresolved globally.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
deforestation
yet
stop
soil
erosion
steadily
reducing
farmland
productivity
worldwide
poor
philosophy-ethics
whether
way
mathematics-logic
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Algae blooms can quickly poison drinking water sources, sometimes going undetected until people or animals get sick. Faster, cheaper detection methods could prevent this from becoming a public health crisis.
health-biology
global-unspecified
public-health
algae
blooms
water
don
have
reliable
affordable
way
detect
toxic
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As electric vehicles become more common, so will the used batteries, most of which still lack an efficient, complete recycling process. Solving this prevents a looming new wave of battery waste.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
electric
batteries
haven
solved
make
vehicle
fully
recyclable
end
life
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
recycling
waste
open
United States, North America
Wave energy is abundant and largely untapped, but current technology to harness it reliably and affordably lags far behind wind and solar. Cracking this could add a major renewable source to the global energy mix.
climate-environment
north-america
united-states
energy
wave
don
have
efficient
way
convert
ocean
usable
electricity
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Bees and other pollinators face combined pressure from pesticides, habitat loss, and disease, and addressing just one threat rarely solves the overall decline. A comprehensive solution addressing all major threats together remains unbuilt.
health-biology
global-unspecified
threats
face
haven
found
way
protect
pollinator
populations
multiple
once
philosophy-ethics
whether
prevent
determine
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many products marketed as biodegradable still break down into tiny plastic particles that persist in the environment for years. A truly safe, fully compostable packaging material remains elusive at scale.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
packaging
fully
yet
build
materials
decompose
safely
leaving
microplastics
behind
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
health-biology
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
In hot, dry climates, a significant portion of irrigation water is lost to evaporation before it ever reaches crop roots. Affordable ways to reduce this loss could ease water stress in agriculture-heavy dry regions.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
water
dry
lost
evaporation
regions
don
have
cheap
technology
capture
whether
philosophy-ethics
urban
determine
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Chemicals and fertilizers seep into groundwater supplies over years, often going unnoticed until wells become unsafe to drink from. Preventing this contamination before it happens remains far harder than detecting it afterward.
local-regional
global-unspecified
groundwater
contamination
haven
solved
prevent
industrial
agricultural
runoff
chemicals
fertilizers
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
resolved
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Wetlands filter water and protect against flooding, but restoring one once it's been drained or built over is far harder than protecting it in the first place. Better restoration techniques remain limited and expensive.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
have
wetlands
been
don
reliable
way
restore
destroyed
development
filter
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Manufacturing solar panels currently involves energy-intensive processes and some toxic materials, undercutting part of their environmental benefit. A cleaner production process would make solar energy's benefits more complete.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
solar
make
production
haven
found
way
panel
itself
fully
environmentally
mathematics-logic
whether
philosophy-ethics
local
open
United States, North America
Farms produce enormous amounts of leftover plant material that mostly gets burned or discarded rather than turned into usable energy. Affordable, small-scale conversion technology could turn this waste into a valuable resource.
climate-environment
north-america
united-states
technology
waste
energy
don
have
widely
available
convert
agricultural
clean
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Raising cattle and other livestock produces a significant share of global methane emissions, yet meat remains a major part of diets worldwide. A lower-emission farming method that doesn't require giving up meat entirely remains unsolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
livestock
emissions
haven
solved
farm
contributing
heavily
greenhouse
gas
meat
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
way
determine
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Plastic waste in the ocean is well documented, but pinpointing exact sources at a granular level remains difficult, making targeted prevention harder. Better tracking could focus cleanup and policy efforts where they matter most.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
ocean
plastic
yet
track
pollution
accurately
enough
know
exactly
coming
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
waste
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some island nations face the real possibility of becoming uninhabitable within decades due to sea level rise. Cheap, effective coastal protection or relocation planning remains urgently unsolved for these communities.
health-biology
global-unspecified
island
nations
haven
found
affordable
way
protect
low-lying
being
submerged
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
communities
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Coding education often depends on expensive devices, reliable internet, and trained teachers, none of which are guaranteed in poorer school systems. Closing this gap could open technology careers to far more young people.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
coding
haven
found
scalable
way
teach
basic
skills
students
under-resourced
whether
philosophy-ethics
systems
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
