World Solve

Some compression methods shrink files perfectly for certain data but fail badly on others, and no universal, lossless method works equally well for everything. Solving this could make data storage and transmission dramatically more efficient.

Known as Goldbach's Conjecture, this simple-sounding statement has been checked for enormous numbers without exception, but never formally proven true for all numbers. It remains one of the oldest unsolved problems in mathematics.

When an autonomous system makes a harmful choice, moral responsibility is hard to pin on any single party, the programmer, the company, or the AI itself. Ethics hasn't caught up with the reality of decisions made without direct human involvement.

More people are weighing whether having children is fair to those children, given the environmental future they may inherit. This is a deeply personal question without any broadly agreed answer.

Because clean air and water aren't priced like other resources, they're often used or polluted without any real cost attached until the damage is severe. A better way to account for their true value could change how we protect them.

Many developing countries need roads, power, and water systems but often can only afford them by taking on debt that becomes difficult to repay. Finding a fairer way to fund this development remains unresolved.

Millions of people now earn a living through app-based gig work without the healthcare, sick leave, or retirement benefits traditional jobs offer. Extending fair protections to this growing workforce remains largely unresolved.

In many countries, the cost of a degree has risen far faster than wages, leaving graduates with debt that can take decades to repay. Making education both accessible and affordable remains an unresolved trade-off.

Companies often move production to wherever labor is cheapest, making it hard for any single country to guarantee fair wages without losing jobs to competitors elsewhere. A coordinated approach across countries remains unresolved.

Fewer working-age people are supporting more retirees in many countries, straining pension systems built for a different population balance. Without reform, current retirement systems risk running out of money for future retirees.

As automation and AI displace routine and increasingly cognitive labor, most economies still assume most people need traditional jobs to survive and find purpose. Without a credible alternative, mass automation risks instability rather than shared benefit.

International courts and diplomacy exist, but nations still frequently settle disputes through force when other methods fail or are ignored. A stronger, more trusted system for resolving conflicts peacefully remains unbuilt.

As more countries and private companies plan to mine the Moon and asteroids, there's still no clear, agreed system for who owns what. Without this, space could repeat the same resource conflicts we've had on Earth.

Large multinational companies can shift profits between countries to minimize taxes, leaving many nations without a fair share of revenue from businesses operating within their borders. A truly fair global tax system remains unresolved.

AI systems built in one country are used worldwide, but there's no shared international rulebook governing how they should behave. Without cooperation, regulation ends up fragmented and easy to bypass.

Millions of people with chronic pain are stuck choosing between inadequate relief or medications that carry serious addiction risk. A safer, equally effective alternative remains one of medicine's most requested breakthroughs.

Sustainable aviation fuel and electric planes exist in early forms but remain far more expensive than traditional jet fuel. Making clean flying both effective and affordable is still an open engineering and economic problem.

Many major rivers and aquifers are being pumped or diverted faster than rainfall can replenish them, threatening long-term water security. Without better management, some regions may simply run out of accessible fresh water.

Coral bleaching events are becoming more frequent as ocean temperatures rise, and restoration efforts are still small and slow. Without faster recovery methods, many reef ecosystems may not survive this century.

Fish farming was supposed to relieve pressure on wild fisheries, but many farms still rely on wild-caught fish for feed. A truly sustainable seafood system would need to break that dependency entirely.