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
Complicated issues like constitutional changes or international agreements are occasionally put to a simple yes or no vote, even though the details matter enormously and most voters can't research them fully in advance. This risks major decisions being made on incomplete understanding.
society-governance
global-unspecified
referendums
sometimes
bypass
careful
deliberation
deeply
complex
policy
questions
complicated
decisions
evidence
local
communities
philosophy-ethics
whether
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some leaders who were initially bound by term limits have successfully changed laws or constitutions to stay in power far longer than originally intended. This weakens one of democracy's basic safeguards against entrenched rule.
society-governance
global-unspecified
leaders
term
limits
power
political
inconsistently
applied
sometimes
removed
once
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
determine
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some mathematical series behave predictably, while others sit in ambiguous territory where convergence is difficult to prove definitively. Fully resolving these cases remains an active area of mathematical research.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
series
haven
proven
exact
conditions
under
certain
infinite
converge
finite
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
know
possible
every
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many platforms subtly shape user decisions using personal data in ways users don't fully realize or understand. Where persuasion ends and manipulation begins remains a genuinely unsettled ethical line.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
don
ethical
personal
data
decisions
agree
whether
influence
people
explicit
resolved
determine
know
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Government budgets are often too complex or poorly communicated for the average citizen to meaningfully track or understand. Better transparency tools could improve both trust and accountability in public spending.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
understand
spending
haven
solved
make
budgeting
processes
transparent
enough
whether
philosophy-ethics
public
resolved
mathematics-logic
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rates of some cancers are rising among people under fifty for reasons researchers don't yet fully understand, spanning diet, environment, and other unknown factors. Identifying the cause is a necessary first step toward prevention.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
yet
fully
cancers
explain
certain
becoming
common
younger
adults
rates
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
health-biology
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some slow-growing cancers are unlikely to ever threaten a patient's life, yet current diagnostics often can't tell them apart from dangerous ones. This leads to both overtreatment and, at times, dangerous undertreatment.
health-biology
global-unspecified
yet
cancers
reliably
distinguish
between
need
aggressive
treatment
those
never
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
fully
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Digital voting could make elections more accessible, but concerns about tampering and verification have kept most systems limited to smaller-scale trials. A fully trusted, secure digital voting system remains unbuilt at national scale.
society-governance
global-unspecified
digital
voting
have
trusted
don
universally
method
prevents
both
fraud
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
resolved
determine
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Precious samples brought back from the Moon or asteroids need to remain scientifically useful for generations of future researchers. Long-term sample preservation technology hasn't fully caught up with mission ambitions.
science-space
global-unspecified
samples
haven
found
way
store
scientific
space
missions
any
risk
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Astronauts on extended missions lose bone density and muscle mass faster than doctors can fully explain or prevent. Understanding this better is essential before any mission lasting years, like a trip to Mars.
health-biology
global-unspecified
understanding
don
have
full
human
body
adapts
fails
adapt
long-term
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Enormous amounts of human knowledge and art remain physically locked inside buildings that most of the world's population will never get to visit in person. Making this content genuinely accessible remotely remains incomplete.
health-biology
global-unspecified
world
accessible
visit
yet
make
museums
libraries
around
fully
people
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Finding the shortest possible route visiting a long list of locations becomes exponentially harder as the list grows, and no fully efficient general solution exists. Logistics, chip design, and delivery networks all run into this limit.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
solution
locations
don
have
complete
traveling
salesman
very
large
numbers
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
know
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Migrant workers often pay steep fees to send money to family in their home countries, cutting into wages that are frequently already low. Cheaper remittance systems could meaningfully improve financial security for millions of families.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
migrant
workers
money
home
yet
make
cross-border
remittances
affordable
sending
economics-resources
haven
technology-computing
african
whether
informal
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Chronic fatigue syndrome leaves patients severely limited in daily function, yet its underlying biological cause remains poorly understood and often dismissed. Without a clear cause, effective treatment remains extremely difficult to develop.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
yet
biological
chronic
fatigue
syndrome
fully
explain
causes
behind
cause
philosophy-ethics
whether
health-biology
haven
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Personalized medicine is improving, but doctors still can't always predict in advance which patients will respond to a given treatment. Solving this could avoid painful trial-and-error treatment periods for patients.
health-biology
global-unspecified
patients
yet
explain
identical
treatments
work
well
some
not
others
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
chronic
fully
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Existing dementia treatments offer only modest, temporary relief from symptoms rather than meaningfully slowing the underlying disease. A real disease-modifying treatment remains one of medicine's most sought-after breakthroughs.
health-biology
global-unspecified
treatment
dementia
don
have
widely
available
slows
progression
forms
existing
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
way
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
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
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
Global / Unspecified, Global
Hiring tools, loan approval systems, and other automated decisions can unintentionally replicate historical biases present in their training data. Fully eliminating this bias while keeping systems useful remains unresolved.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
systems
bias
automated
haven
solved
prevent
algorithmic
creeping
decision
hiring
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
climate-environment