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
Tuberculosis remains a major killer in some regions, and drug-resistant strains are becoming harder and more expensive to treat. Slowing this resistance requires both better medicine access and improved treatment adherence support.
health-biology
global-unspecified
tuberculosis
drug-resistant
haven
found
way
prevent
spread
poorer
countries
remains
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Infertility affects a significant share of couples trying to conceive, and treatments like IVF don't work for everyone or every cause. A deeper understanding of underlying causes could open new, more effective treatment paths.
health-biology
global-unspecified
infertility
yet
cure
forms
affecting
both
men
women
affects
significant
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
way
don
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Postpartum depression affects many new parents, often going undiagnosed until it significantly affects their wellbeing and their child's early development. Better early prediction could allow support to begin before symptoms take hold.
health-biology
global-unspecified
postpartum
depression
don
have
reliable
way
predict
prevent
develops
affects
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Food allergy rates have been rising for decades, and the exact reasons behind this trend remain only partially understood. Understanding the cause could help prevent, not just manage, this growing health issue.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
food
yet
stop
allergies
becoming
common
children
worldwide
allergy
rates
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
way
determine
resolved
open
United States, North America
Because rare diseases affect few patients, there's often little financial incentive for researchers or companies to develop treatments. Thousands of rare conditions remain effectively untreated as a direct result.
health-biology
north-america
united-states
rare
diseases
don
have
cure
genetic
affecting
small
patient
populations
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
determine
resolved
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
Sepsis can escalate from a treatable infection to a life-threatening emergency within hours, and current diagnosis often catches it too late. Faster detection tools could dramatically reduce sepsis deaths in hospitals.
health-biology
global-unspecified
sepsis
haven
solved
detect
early
enough
prevent
becoming
fatal
escalate
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Once the tiny hair cells in the inner ear are damaged, human bodies can't naturally regrow them, making most hearing loss permanent. Cell regeneration therapies show early promise but remain far from mainstream treatment.
health-biology
global-unspecified
hearing
loss
yet
reverse
caused
aging
long-term
noise
exposure
once
whether
philosophy-ethics
don
determine
prevent
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Genetic testing can reveal risk for serious inherited conditions, but cost and access limit it mostly to wealthier patients and countries. Broader affordability could catch preventable conditions far earlier for many more people.
health-biology
global-unspecified
genetic
testing
don
have
affordable
available
everyone
benefit
conditions
reveal
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Autoimmune arthritis causes the body's own immune system to damage joint tissue, leading to chronic pain and disability. Current treatments manage inflammation but don't address why the immune system attacks in the first place.
health-biology
global-unspecified
immune
system
arthritis
haven
found
way
stop
attacking
healthy
joints
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Blood donation shortages remain a recurring problem worldwide, especially during emergencies when demand spikes suddenly. Lab-grown blood could remove dependence on donor supply entirely, but the technology isn't yet practical at scale.
health-biology
global-unspecified
blood
yet
donor
shortages
grow
lab
reliably
enough
end
donation
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
mathematics-logic
way
affordable
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Tinnitus affects a significant portion of the population and can seriously impact quality of life, yet current treatments only manage symptoms rather than eliminate the underlying cause.
health-biology
global-unspecified
tinnitus
don
have
reliable
cure
constant
ringing
some
people
hear
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
way
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A small number of people show natural resistance to certain infections or conditions, and understanding why could reveal entirely new treatment approaches. This resistance remains only partially understood at a genetic level.
health-biology
global-unspecified
people
haven
solved
some
naturally
resistant
diseases
affect
nearly
everyone
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Heart muscle doesn't regenerate well once damaged, often leaving survivors with permanently reduced heart function. Finding a way to regrow healthy heart tissue could transform recovery for millions of survivors.
health-biology
global-unspecified
heart
regenerate
damaged
tissue
yet
attack
survivors
muscle
doesn
well
once
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Unlike infectious diseases, cancer arises from a person's own cells mutating, making a universal vaccine far more complex to design. Progress exists for a few cancer types, but a broadly effective approach remains unsolved.
health-biology
global-unspecified
infectious-disease
cancer
effective
vaccine
types
don
have
unlike
infectious
diseases
arises
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
way
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Algae blooms can quickly poison drinking water sources, sometimes going undetected until people or animals get sick. Faster, cheaper detection methods could prevent this from becoming a public health crisis.
health-biology
global-unspecified
public-health
algae
blooms
water
don
have
reliable
affordable
way
detect
toxic
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Bees and other pollinators face combined pressure from pesticides, habitat loss, and disease, and addressing just one threat rarely solves the overall decline. A comprehensive solution addressing all major threats together remains unbuilt.
health-biology
global-unspecified
threats
face
haven
found
way
protect
pollinator
populations
multiple
once
philosophy-ethics
whether
prevent
determine
mathematics-logic
resolved
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
Non-native plants and animals often outcompete local species once introduced, and by the time damage is noticed, removal is difficult and expensive. Faster detection and response systems remain underdeveloped.
health-biology
global-unspecified
species
faster
stop
invasive
spreading
damaging
ecosystems
respond
non-native
plants
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
prevent