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
Constellations operating near distant worlds cannot rely on continuous control from Earth operators. Distributed mesh networks and collision-avoidance algorithms operating autonomously across dozens of nodes must be developed.
science-space
global-unspecified
algorithms
lack
autonomous
decentralized
satellite
swarm
coordination
deep
space
operating
illegal
unreported
fishing
waters
near
planetary
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The solar wind strips away atmospheres from unmagnetized planets like Mars, but how it reaches supersonic speeds is unclear. Close-orbit solar probes and plasma simulations are needed to resolve acceleration dynamics.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
solar
wind
plasma
mechanism
accelerates
millions
remains
unverified
strips
away
whether
haven
philosophy-ethics
science-space
small
energy
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The solar magnetic dynamo flip drives the solar activity cycle, but we cannot accurately predict cycle strength decades in advance. High-resolution solar interior magnetohydrodynamic models are required.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
magnetic
solar
not
have
comprehensive
model
explaining
periodic
reversal
sun
whether
science-space
haven
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
know
While advanced manufacturing is concentrated in East Asia, neighboring developing economies remain trapped in low-margin raw material extraction and low-skilled assembly without technology transfer or capacity building.
economics-resources
asia
thailand
supply-chain
developing
economies
haven
built
equitable
semiconductor
supply
chains
distribute
technical
access
global-unspecified
asian
manufacturing
Fast-moving consumer goods companies rely heavily on multi-layer plastic sachets to sell small product quantities affordably, generating unrecyclable plastic litter across waterways and marine systems.
economics-resources
asia
philippines
plastic
consumer
goods
haven
eliminated
single-use
packaging
distribution
networks
lower-income
climate-environment
global-unspecified
systems
waste
food
Seasonal burning of paddy straw remains the fastest, cheapest land clearing method for farmers, but it generates severe toxic haze affecting public health and air travel across multiple neighboring countries.
health-biology
asia
india
public-health
burning
haze
haven
solved
agricultural
crop
residue
causing
regional
transboundary
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
In vulnerable regions of South and Southeast Asia, administrative delays in distributing emergency relief after sudden floods or cyclones push near-poor households back into extreme poverty before government assistance arrives.
climate-environment
asia
bangladesh
haven
integrated
shock-responsive
social
protection
systems
capable
automatically
disbursing
aid
society-governance
climate
global-unspecified
real
time
Migrant workers moving across regional trade corridors lose accrued pension contributions and social coverage when returning home, eroding long-term financial security.
economics-resources
asia
nepal
social
security
haven
created
cross-border
portability
benefits
intra-asian
economic
migrants
workers
global-unspecified
informal
technology-computing
african
Women perform the vast majority of line-level factory work in textile exports but are consistently passed over for supervisory, engineering, and managerial promotions.
society-governance
asia
vietnam
haven
closed
persistent
gender
pay
gap
manufacturing
garment
assembly
sectors
economics-resources
global-unspecified
formal
sector
philosophy-ethics
Aging low-voltage power lines lose up to 25% of generated electricity during transmission across vast rural distances before reaching households.
local-regional
asia
kyrgyzstan
transmission
rural
lines
haven
eliminated
technical
losses
cross-country
distribution
aging
access
grid
african
urban
remains
Developing Asian power grids are rapidly modernizing with digital telemetry but lack unified cybersecurity standards, exposing them to prolonged cyber grid shutdowns.
technology-computing
asia
malaysia
cybersecurity
power
grid
haven
established
regional
defenses
protect
critical
infrastructure
global-unspecified
whether
climate-environment
african
local-regional
Anerobic decomposition in flooded rice paddies is a massive source of global methane, but farmers lack incentives and technical training to adopt Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) techniques.
climate-environment
asia
vietnam
methane
rice
haven
quantified
emissions
leaking
expanding
paddy
cultivations
under
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
society-governance
technologies
continuous
Rising temperatures reduce coffee yields, but international commodity market volatility prevents small farmers from covering rising cultivation costs.
climate-environment
asia
vietnam
coffee
farmers
haven
structured
fair
pricing
mechanisms
smallholder
cocoa
facing
economics-resources
connecting
local-regional
global-unspecified
storage
International carbon credit projects often benefit corporate developers and national governments while indigenous communities protecting the forests receive minimal revenue.
climate-environment
asia
indonesia
carbon
credit
indigenous
haven
created
equitable
distribution
frameworks
forest
stewards
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some patients with iron deficiency continue experiencing fatigue even after supplementation corrects their iron levels, suggesting other contributing factors that aren't fully understood. A more complete treatment approach remains needed.
health-biology
global-unspecified
iron
fatigue
deficiency
supplementation
don
have
effective
way
treat
chronic
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Most people recover fully from mononucleosis, but a smaller group experiences prolonged fatigue and other symptoms for months afterward, and this difference isn't fully explained. Better understanding could improve care for this subset of patients.
local-regional
global-unspecified
fully
people
mononucleosis
recover
yet
explain
some
develop
long-term
complications
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
health-biology
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
While uncommon, some patients experience hiccups that persist for weeks or longer, disrupting sleep, eating, and daily life, and effective treatment options remain limited. A more reliable treatment approach for these rare cases remains undeveloped.
health-biology
global-unspecified
effective
hiccups
persist
rare
cases
don
have
way
treat
chronic
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Hair loss after childbirth is common and usually temporary, but effective treatments to speed recovery or reduce severity remain limited. While not medically dangerous, better options could ease a common and distressing postpartum experience.
health-biology
global-unspecified
effective
postpartum
hair
loss
don
have
widely
accessible
way
treat
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some patients experience ongoing digestive issues after gallbladder removal, a very common surgery, and current understanding of why this happens in some but not others remains incomplete. Better prevention or treatment of these complications remains needed.
health-biology
global-unspecified
digestive
complications
gallbladder
removal
surgery
yet
fully
prevent
follow
some
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Subtle cognitive changes often precede a formal dementia diagnosis by years, but current screening tools aren't sensitive enough to reliably catch this earliest stage. Better early detection could open the door to earlier, more effective intervention.
health-biology
global-unspecified
early
cognitive
haven
found
reliable
way
detect
decline
adults
becomes
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
don