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
Access to affordable business loans is heavily skewed toward people who already have assets or established credit, locking out many capable entrepreneurs. A fairer lending system remains an unresolved economic gap.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
business
lending
entrepreneurs
credit
yet
make
small
fair
accessible
existing
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
don
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Trade deals can boost overall economic growth while still leaving specific groups of workers worse off, often in the same country. A consistent, fair way to support those workers remains politically unresolved.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
fair
way
trade
don
have
compensate
people
whose
jobs
eliminated
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Local elections often receive far less security attention than national ones, despite being just as vulnerable to disinformation campaigns. Extending stronger protections down to the local level remains incomplete.
society-governance
global-unspecified
local
elections
disinformation
haven
solved
protect
spread
foreign
domestic
actors
might
mathematics-logic
economics-resources
science-space
workers
turn
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Indigenous land rights are frequently overridden by governments or corporations pursuing resource extraction or development. Meaningful, enforceable control over ancestral land remains unresolved in many countries.
society-governance
global-unspecified
land
indigenous
meaningful
control
over
haven
solved
give
communities
decisions
philosophy-ethics
whether
climate-environment
mathematics-logic
economics-resources
technology-computing
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
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
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Sending money internationally is often slow, expensive, or restricted depending on where you live, despite living in a supposedly connected digital economy. A truly borderless payment system remains unbuilt.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
digital
payment
don
have
interoperable
systems
work
equally
well
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
resolved
determine
way
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
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Every kilogram of fuel launched from Earth adds enormous cost to a mission. Producing fuel on-site from ice or soil could make deep space missions dramatically more affordable.
science-space
global-unspecified
fuel
haven
found
cheap
way
produce
rocket
local
resources
moon
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
climate-environment
make
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Simple geometric fairness questions like this remain surprisingly open for many classes of shapes, especially in three or more dimensions. Solving them has practical relevance to resource division and computational geometry.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
haven
proven
whether
possible
always
divide
any
shape
equal-area
pieces
know
resolved
philosophy-ethics
every
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fair division problems become extremely complex once individual preferences differ, and general efficient solutions for many people remain incompletely understood. This connects mathematics to real-world negotiation and resource allocation.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
number
people
preferences
haven
proven
whether
always
possible
divide
cake
know
resolved
philosophy-ethics
every
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Game theory has solved many two-player scenarios completely, but multiplayer games with shifting alliances and incomplete information remain far less understood in full generality. This unresolved question has real implications for economics and political strategy.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
strategy
multiplayer
games
don
know
whether
every
possible
complex
reduced
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
mathematics-logic
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Economic models often assume equilibrium is reachable under certain conditions, but proving this holds true across every possible complex real-world scenario remains mathematically incomplete. This connects pure mathematics directly to economic theory.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
every
possible
mathematically
equilibrium
haven
resolved
whether
strategy
resource-limited
economy
mathematics-logic
know
philosophy-ethics
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Scheduling problems appear throughout logistics and computing, and while efficient solutions exist for many specific cases, a fully general efficient method remains unresolved for the broader problem family. This unresolved question connects theoretical computer science with real-world efficiency.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
possible
efficient
fully
method
don
know
whether
guarantee
finding
best
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
haven
every
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many social systems implicitly reward productivity with greater respect or resources, yet most ethical traditions insist human worth shouldn't depend on usefulness alone. This unresolved tension underlies debates about disability, aging, and social value.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
worth
productivity
don
have
resolved
way
determine
whether
fair
base
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Competition can drive genuine excellence and innovation, but it also guarantees that some participants will predictably fail through no unique fault of their own. This unresolved tension underlies debates about fairness in education, employment, and markets.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
haven
resolved
whether
ethical
allow
competitive
systems
inevitably
produce
both
philosophy-ethics
know
mathematics-logic
determine
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rare catastrophic events can cause immense damage despite low probability, while everyday risks accumulate steadily but attract far less attention or resources. This unresolved tension complicates how societies and individuals should rationally allocate concern and resources.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
rare
catastrophic
risks
everyday
don
know
whether
possible
fully
justify
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Ethical frameworks that count future potential people equally can lead to counterintuitive conclusions about how we should prioritize resources today. This unresolved tension remains central to debates in population ethics and long-term policy planning.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
people
equally
future
don
know
whether
possible
justify
caring
hypothetical
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Focusing resources and attention on the most vulnerable can come at some cost to overall group efficiency or advancement, creating an unresolved tension between compassion and collective progress. This tension appears throughout education, healthcare, and social policy.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
group
vulnerable
progress
don
know
whether
ethical
prioritize
wellbeing
members
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Competitive and cooperative instincts can pull people in opposite directions, and it's unclear whether a person or system can genuinely embody both without one undermining the other. This unresolved tension appears throughout economics, sports, and interpersonal relationships.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
whether
haven
figured
out
possible
justify
treating
certain
forms
competitiveness
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
ethical
