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
Extended time in a hospital bed, especially in intensive care, can cause significant muscle loss that affects recovery and long-term function. Better prevention methods during hospitalization remain underdeveloped.
health-biology
global-unspecified
muscle
hospital
haven
found
effective
way
prevent
wasting
caused
long
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even with strict sterile procedures, a portion of surgical patients still develop infections afterward, extending recovery and sometimes causing serious complications. Reducing this risk further remains an ongoing surgical challenge.
health-biology
global-unspecified
infections
don
have
reliable
way
prevent
postoperative
meaningful
share
surgeries
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
open
United States, North America
Almost all current reusable rocket technology is built for missions close to Earth, while deep space missions still rely on expensive, largely disposable hardware. Extending reusability further out could reshape space exploration economics.
science-space
north-america
united-states
reusable
earth
yet
build
affordable
spacecraft
capable
routine
trips
beyond
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
space
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
Local elections often receive far less security attention than national ones, despite being just as vulnerable to disinformation campaigns. Extending stronger protections down to the local level remains incomplete.
society-governance
global-unspecified
local
elections
disinformation
haven
solved
protect
spread
foreign
domestic
actors
might
mathematics-logic
economics-resources
science-space
workers
turn
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many people experience nausea, eye strain, or discomfort after even short VR sessions, limiting its use for work or long entertainment sessions. A truly comfortable headset remains an unsolved hardware and software challenge.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
comfortable
haven
solved
make
virtual
reality
enough
extended
daily
sessions
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Solar storms and radiation slowly degrade satellite electronics, shortening their working life and risking sudden failures. Better shielding could extend satellite lifespans and reduce costly replacements.
science-space
global-unspecified
haven
developed
cost-effective
ways
protect
satellites
space
weather
damage
satellite
whether
infrastructure
protection
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Current spacesuits are bulky, tiring, and limit fine motor movement, making long spacewalks physically exhausting. A more agile suit would make space construction and repair work far more practical.
science-space
global-unspecified
work
haven
developed
spacesuit
lets
astronauts
efficiently
extended
periods
fatigue
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
solved
space
health-biology
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
While unique prime factorization is proven for standard whole numbers, extending and confirming similar uniqueness properties across various generalized number systems remains an unresolved area. This continues to shape research in algebraic number theory.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
number
proven
unique
haven
whether
every
sufficiently
large
has
way
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
possible
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some argue that harmless private actions, like certain personal choices, shouldn't be subject to moral judgment at all, while others believe morality extends beyond direct harm to virtue and character. This unresolved question shapes debates over the proper scope of ethics.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
haven
resolved
whether
action
morally
wrong
even
harms
some
argue
know
determine
mathematics-logic
ethical
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Medical ethics constantly requires weighing longer survival against potential suffering, and no single framework has fully resolved how this tradeoff should be decided. This unresolved question remains deeply relevant in end-of-life care.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
life
medical
don
know
whether
possible
justify
prioritizing
quality
over
resolved
haven
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Phone batteries degrade noticeably after a couple of years of daily charging cycles, contributing to both consumer frustration and electronic waste from early device replacement. A more durable battery technology remains commercially elusive.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
battery
years
daily
don
have
reliable
affordable
way
extend
smartphone
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
health-biology
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Battery life claims often assume light use, and demanding tasks like video editing or gaming can drain a laptop's battery in just a few hours. Meaningfully extending battery life under heavy real-world use remains an unresolved hardware challenge.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
laptop
heavy
battery
don
have
batteries
last
full
workday
needing
whether
determine
resolved
way
agreed
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Advances in medicine keep pushing life expectancy higher, but there's no consensus on whether radically extending life is actually good for individuals or society. This question becomes more urgent as anti-aging research advances.
health-biology
global-unspecified
life
whether
haven
settled
right
extend
human
indefinitely
advances
medicine
philosophy-ethics
know
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
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.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
gig
benefits
haven
found
way
protect
workers
same
full-time
employees
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some people reach old age with sharp minds and healthy bodies, while others decline much earlier, and genetics only explains part of it. Understanding this gap could extend healthy years of life for far more people.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
people
some
age
others
don
fully
understand
slower
healthy
reach
whether
resolved
haven
determine
know
mathematics-logic
open
Papua New Guinea, Oceania
The majority of informal-sector workers in Papua New Guinea have no access to pension savings mechanisms, leaving them financially vulnerable in old age.
economics-resources
oceania
papua-new-guinea
pension
informal-sector
workers
papua
new
guinea
extending
coverage
majority
have
informal
sector
global-unspecified
Millions of rural households in Bangladesh remain unconnected to the grid, and mini-grid and solar home system providers struggle with financing models that make service affordable while remaining commercially viable.
climate-environment
asia
bangladesh
rural
households
extending
reliable
electricity
off-grid
millions
remain
unconnected
local
might
actors
social-civic-problems
mathematics-logic
health-biology
Informal settlements in Yemen largely rely on pit latrines with no formal desludging service, leading to overflow into waterways and elevated diarrheal disease rates among children.
health-biology
asia
yemen
informal
settlements
extending
fecal
sludge
management
largely
rely
pit
society-governance
economics-resources
systems
public
climate-environment
Informal-sector workers in Yemen are largely excluded from formal credit because they lack the documented income history traditional lenders require, forcing reliance on high-interest informal lenders.
economics-resources
asia
yemen
credit
informal-sector
workers
extending
affordable
lenders
largely
excluded
formal
informal
sector
mathematics-logic
might
local
actors