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.
Publicly citable
Every problem has a stable citation code for reference and discussion.
Filtered by relevance
Search by category, geography, status, and keywords.
Builder-oriented
Use the repository to find startup ideas, policy leads, and research agendas.
4094Total
4094Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Antarctica / Unspecified, Antarctica
Surface meltwater can destabilise shelves in complex ways. Field experiments and high-fidelity models are needed.
science-space
antarctica
antarctica-unspecified
not
fully
understand
thresholds
antarctic
ice-shelf
hydrofracture
surface
meltwater
destabilise
know
global-unspecified
matter
dark
actually
open
Antarctica / Unspecified, Antarctica
Voluntary guidelines vary, leading to uneven practice. Certification schemes and audit platforms could harmonise standards.
climate-environment
antarctica
antarctica-unspecified
standardising
safety
environmental
protocols
tour
operators
remains
voluntary
guidelines
vary
global-unspecified
african
across
quality
informal
open
Antarctica / Unspecified, Antarctica
Acoustic disturbance may affect whales, seals, and birds, but data are sparse. Acoustic monitoring networks and impact models can inform regulation.
climate-environment
antarctica
antarctica-unspecified
lack
detailed
mapping
noise
pollution
impacts
ships
aircraft
antarctic
fauna
global-unspecified
data
african
technology-computing
monitoring
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
People currently juggle dozens of separate logins and identity systems, each with different security and privacy standards. A single trusted, privacy-respecting identity system remains unbuilt at global scale.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
identity
don
have
universal
standard
digital
works
safely
every
country
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Data centers powering cloud services and AI models consume enormous and fast-growing amounts of electricity and water for cooling. Making this growth sustainable rather than simply larger remains a critical unsolved engineering challenge.
local-regional
global-unspecified
cloud
sustainable
haven
solved
make
computing
given
its
rapidly
growing
whether
climate-environment
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Researchers keep finding creative ways to bypass safety filters built into AI systems, and defenses often lag behind the newest bypass techniques. This cat-and-mouse dynamic remains unresolved despite constant patching.
society-governance
global-unspecified
fully
prevent
models
being
tricked
generating
harmful
content
clever
prompting
whether
philosophy-ethics
systems
mathematics-logic
resolved
haven
open
Honduras, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for education approaches that build the capacity of local institutions to manage climate risks creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
society-governance
north-america
honduras
approaches
risks
education
build
capacity
local
institutions
manage
climate
breakthrough
systems
solutions
climate-environment
governance
methods
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Passwords remain widely used despite being easy to steal or forget, and alternatives like biometrics or hardware keys haven't achieved universal, trusted adoption. A truly seamless and secure replacement remains unbuilt at global scale.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
haven
trusted
found
way
make
password-free
authentication
universally
available
passwords
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even advanced AI systems can confidently state things that violate obvious physical logic, like objects falling upward or liquids not filling containers. This gap shows current AI still lacks a genuine model of how the physical world works.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
physical
build
models
reason
reliably
basic
common
sense
even
advanced
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
resolved
systems
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Ransomware groups increasingly target hospitals, schools, and utilities precisely because the disruption pressures victims to pay quickly. Defenses have improved, but attackers are still winning often enough to make this an ongoing crisis.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
ransomware
hospitals
haven
solved
stop
attacks
crippling
infrastructure
groups
increasingly
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
mathematics-logic
make
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Qubits are extremely sensitive to their environment and lose their quantum state within fractions of a second, limiting what any quantum computer can currently do. Solving this instability is the main barrier between quantum computing's promise and its practical use.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
quantum-computing
quantum
yet
build
computers
stable
enough
run
useful
programs
scale
infrastructure
science-space
benchmarking
algorithms
against
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Modern AI models produce answers without a clear, checkable chain of reasoning, making it hard to know if a correct answer was reached for the right reasons. Verifiable reasoning is essential before AI can be trusted in high-stakes decisions.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
reasoning
don
have
systems
explain
way
humans
verify
modern
models
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
mathematics-logic
open
South America / Unspecified, South America
South American economies grow around 2% per year on average, below global trends, making poverty reduction and fiscal sustainability difficult. Scenario-modelling tools and inclusive industrial-policy platforms can help governments design more resilient growth strategies.
society-governance
south-america
south-america-unspecified
poverty-reduction
growth
latin
america
continues
experience
slow
volatile
economic
south
american
global-unspecified
economics-resources
african
urban
open
South America / Unspecified, South America
Income, wealth, and access to quality services are highly skewed, limiting social mobility and cohesion across the region. Data-driven social policy design and targeted redistribution mechanisms could help escape the inequality trap.
society-governance
south-america
south-america-unspecified
inequality
high
persistent
remains
defining
feature
south
america
social
income
global-unspecified
access
services
public
economics-resources
open
South America / Unspecified, South America
A large share of workers lack formal contracts, social protection, and stable incomes, undermining productivity and tax bases. Digital formalisation pathways and portable social-benefit platforms can improve inclusion.
economics-resources
south-america
south-america-unspecified
informal
employment
dominates
labour
markets
south
america
variant
focuses
data
technology-computing
african
digital
global-unspecified
europe
open
South America / Unspecified, South America
Citizens feel democracy is not delivering security or prosperity, driving support for radical solutions and coups. Civic-engagement platforms and institutional-performance dashboards can rebuild trust.
society-governance
south-america
south-america-unspecified
social
fragmentation
distrust
institutions
rising
south
american
countries
citizens
feel
public
trust
data
registries
governance
open
South America / Unspecified, South America
Organised crime, drug trafficking, and gangs erode daily life quality and impose large economic costs on South American societies. Integrated crime-data platforms and evidence-based policing tools could support safer communities.
social-civic-problems
south-america
south-america-unspecified
crime
violence
levels
remain
high
some
places
worsening
organised
drug
technology-computing
global-unspecified
society-governance
whether
south
open
South America / Unspecified, South America
Agriculture, hydropower, and urban water supplies are increasingly affected by changing rainfall and heat patterns. Climate-risk modelling and adaptation investment platforms can help prioritise responses.
climate-environment
south-america
south-america-unspecified
climate-change
climate
change
intensifying
droughts
extreme
weather
south
america
agriculture
hydropower
cities
urban
water
heat
open
South America / Unspecified, South America
Conservation pledges collide with pressures from agriculture, mining, and organised crime in biodiverse regions. Remote-sensing monitoring tools and community-based conservation finance can support enforcement.
climate-environment
south-america
south-america-unspecified
deforestation
habitat
loss
amazon
ecosystems
continue
conservation
pledges
collide
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
whether
prevent
way
have
open
South America / Unspecified, South America
Economic shocks and informality push more city dwellers into precarious living, adding pressure on housing and services. Slum-upgrading and urban social-safety-net platforms could mitigate these trends.
economics-resources
south-america
south-america-unspecified
poverty
urban
growing
south
american
cities
despite
rural
remaining
higher
african
global-unspecified
asia
climate-environment
access
