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
Future missions beyond low Earth orbit will expose crews to radiation, isolation, altered gravity, communication delays, and limited emergency care. The open problem is developing autonomous health systems that remain safe under unknown conditions. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
science-space
asia
india
missions
medical
psychological
support
long-duration
space
low-income
communities
limited
future
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
The problem of steadily rising food prices continues to affect hundreds of millions of people and undermines progress on multiple Sustainable Development Goals. Existing responses remain fragmented, under-resourced and poorly adapted to local contexts. A strong solution must operate effectively under severe constraints of skilled personnel, infrastructure, electricity and connectivity. It should define clear measurable outcomes, identify possible unintended harms, and demonstrate how the intervention can be sustained by local institutions long after initial funding ends.
steadily
rising
food
prices
building
other
Vehicles that dynamically alter destinations according to collective emotional signals create unpredictability for both passengers and city logistics. The challenge is balancing responsiveness with reliability so that mobility remains dependable for work, care, and emergency needs.
keeping
public
transport
routes
coherent
local-regional
Future progress on human development and planetary health depends on solving farmers unable to produce enough food. Conventional approaches have proven insufficient. The required intervention must integrate community knowledge, data and appropriate technology while remaining affordable, privacy-preserving and operable with minimal external support. Strong solutions will articulate measurable impact metrics, risk mitigation strategies, and a plan for sustained operation by local actors after the pilot phase.
proven
strategies
farmers
unable
produce
social-civic-problems
When dreams are scored, shared, and sold like social content, intimate mental experiences become competitive and commercial. The problem is protecting the private, non-instrumental nature of dreaming while still permitting voluntary creative or therapeutic uses.
dreams
regulating
ranking
monetisation
personal
health-biology
Future progress on human development and planetary health depends on solving prolonged and severe droughts. Conventional approaches have proven insufficient. The required intervention must integrate community knowledge, data and appropriate technology while remaining affordable, privacy-preserving and operable with minimal external support. Strong solutions will articulate measurable impact metrics, risk mitigation strategies, and a plan for sustained operation by local actors after the pilot phase.
prolonged
severe
droughts
developing
scalable
climate-environment
If drinking water carries detectable flavour differences linked to the political stance of the provider, basic hydration becomes a partisan signal. The challenge is maintaining truly neutral, safe water access independent of ideological branding or corporate affiliation.
water
neutral
political
affiliation
ensuring
mathematics-logic
Addressing floods that destroy homes and livelihoods is critical for achieving the 2030 Agenda. Current efforts fall short in scale, speed and equity, leaving the most vulnerable behind. Any viable solution must function in low-resource settings with limited specialists, transport, laboratory capacity and broadband. Proposals should specify quantifiable biological, social or environmental outcomes, openly discuss potential risks, and present a realistic pathway for long-term maintenance and local ownership beyond short research pilots.
floods
destroy
homes
livelihoods
2030
climate-environment
Statues that continuously change expression or posture according to live public sentiment risk turning monuments into unstable opinion mirrors. The problem is allowing cultural responsiveness without erasing the original historical record or creating permanent contention over every figure.
historical
public
statues
opinion
preserving
philosophy-ethics
Addressing more powerful and destructive storms is critical for achieving the 2030 Agenda. Current efforts fall short in scale, speed and equity, leaving the most vulnerable behind. Any viable solution must function in low-resource settings with limited specialists, transport, laboratory capacity and broadband. Proposals should specify quantifiable biological, social or environmental outcomes, openly discuss potential risks, and present a realistic pathway for long-term maintenance and local ownership beyond short research pilots.
powerful
destructive
storms
2030
establishing
mathematics-logic
The ability to permanently remove selected people from one’s sensory field can protect against harm but also enable complete social erasure and polarisation. The challenge is setting limits and accountability so that muting remains a last resort rather than a default social tool.
social
sensory
muting
preventing
isolation
health-biology
rising sea levels threatening coastal populations remains one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Systems currently in place are inadequate for the scale and complexity of the problem. A successful approach must work where resources are scarcest and demonstrate clear, measurable results. It should identify possible harms, respect local agency, and show how the solution can be maintained and expanded by the communities it is meant to serve.
rising
sea
levels
threatening
coastal
other
Urban platforms that reposition based on market indicators create unpredictable geography, disrupt supply chains, and separate communities. The problem is coordinating mobility, infrastructure continuity, and resident rights when the ground itself moves for financial reasons.
platforms
stabilizing
floating
cities
whose
economics-resources
Future progress on human development and planetary health depends on solving rapid melting of polar ice sheets and glaciers. Conventional approaches have proven insufficient. The required intervention must integrate community knowledge, data and appropriate technology while remaining affordable, privacy-preserving and operable with minimal external support. Strong solutions will articulate measurable impact metrics, risk mitigation strategies, and a plan for sustained operation by local actors after the pilot phase.
rapid
melting
polar
ice
sheets
social-civic-problems
Smart textiles that adapt to and then lock in a wearer’s patterns can limit self-expression and create unwanted permanence. The challenge is designing garments that learn usefully without removing the wearer’s ability to change appearance or discard unwanted adaptations.
change
restoring
personal
agency
when
technology-computing
Future progress on human development and planetary health depends on solving continued rise in global average temperatures. Conventional approaches have proven insufficient. The required intervention must integrate community knowledge, data and appropriate technology while remaining affordable, privacy-preserving and operable with minimal external support. Strong solutions will articulate measurable impact metrics, risk mitigation strategies, and a plan for sustained operation by local actors after the pilot phase.
continued
rise
global
average
temperatures
social-civic-problems
Windows that show personalized or algorithmically chosen realities fracture the common visual environment. The problem is preserving enough shared external reference for coordination, safety, and social cohesion while still allowing beneficial personalization.
different
shared
windows
ensuring
reality
technology-computing
growing risk of mass species extinction remains one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Systems currently in place are inadequate for the scale and complexity of the problem. A successful approach must work where resources are scarcest and demonstrate clear, measurable results. It should identify possible harms, respect local agency, and show how the solution can be maintained and expanded by the communities it is meant to serve.
growing
risk
mass
species
extinction
other
Spoken words may leave lasting sonic residues audible only to selected listeners, creating hidden layers of communication and potential surveillance. The challenge is controlling persistence, access, and erasure of these echoes so they do not undermine privacy or create invisible social hierarchies.
audible
echoes
only
managing
permanent
health-biology
Addressing widespread destruction of wildlife habitats is critical for achieving the 2030 Agenda. Current efforts fall short in scale, speed and equity, leaving the most vulnerable behind. Any viable solution must function in low-resource settings with limited specialists, transport, laboratory capacity and broadband. Proposals should specify quantifiable biological, social or environmental outcomes, openly discuss potential risks, and present a realistic pathway for long-term maintenance and local ownership beyond short research pilots.
widespread
destruction
wildlife
habitats
2030
mathematics-logic
