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
Even when people successfully lose significant weight, the body's biology often works to regain it over time, undermining long-term success. Understanding and countering this biological pushback remains a major open challenge.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
weight
regain
haven
solved
prevent
follows
successful
loss
efforts
even
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
way
health-biology
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Patients on dialysis often endure hours of treatment multiple times a week indefinitely, significantly affecting their quality of life. A better long-term solution, beyond transplant, remains an unmet need.
health-biology
global-unspecified
dialysis
long-term
patients
haven
solved
make
less
physically
emotionally
burdensome
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Modern treatments can slow rheumatoid arthritis significantly, but many patients still experience some degree of joint damage over time despite treatment. Stopping this damage completely remains an unmet medical goal.
health-biology
global-unspecified
damage
joint
rheumatoid
arthritis
yet
fully
prevent
long-term
caused
modern
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The same virus or bacteria can cause mild illness in most people while triggering severe, sometimes life-threatening complications in others, and we still don't fully understand why. This gap makes predicting and preventing severe outcomes difficult.
health-biology
global-unspecified
people
severe
complications
haven
solved
some
develop
common
infections
recover
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
By the time visible symptoms of Parkinson's appear, significant neurological damage has usually already occurred, limiting how much treatment can help. Detecting the disease years earlier could open the door to more effective intervention.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
parkinson
disease
symptoms
appear
don
have
reliable
way
detect
physical
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
health-biology
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Kidney disease often advances silently for years before symptoms appear, and by the time it's caught, treatment options are limited mainly to slowing further decline. Catching and reversing it earlier remains an open medical challenge.
health-biology
global-unspecified
kidney
disease
don
have
reliable
way
prevent
progression
chronic
its
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Patients sometimes continue to experience pain months or years after the original injury has healed, suggesting the nervous system itself has changed in ways doctors don't fully understand. Solving this could transform treatment for chronic pain conditions.
health-biology
global-unspecified
pain
has
fully
chronic
sometimes
injury
healed
yet
explain
persists
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Promises made to public workers decades ago about retirement benefits sometimes weren't matched with enough funding set aside to actually cover them. This leaves future governments facing financial strain that current officials often avoid addressing.
society-governance
global-unspecified
public
future
government
pension
systems
employees
countries
underfunded
relative
obligations
real
time
philosophy-ethics
whether
technology-computing
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Government budgets are often published as static yearly documents rather than something citizens can track as spending actually happens. Real-time transparency into public spending remains rare rather than standard.
society-governance
global-unspecified
citizens
actually
there
consistent
way
know
taxes
being
spent
real
public
philosophy-ethics
whether
time
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Agencies tasked with overseeing complex fields like AI or cybersecurity sometimes have few employees who deeply understand the technology they're regulating. This expertise gap can lead to rules that are either too vague or poorly targeted.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
cybersecurity
agencies
technology
expertise
government
dealing
regulation
often
lack
staff
real
philosophy-ethics
whether
society-governance
haven
african
open
United States, North America
Public spending or contract data is sometimes released in formats so disorganized or incomplete that meaningful analysis by journalists or citizens becomes impractical. True transparency requires usable data, not just published data.
society-governance
north-america
united-states
data
transparency
public
government
portals
countries
publish
technically
but
nearly
global-unspecified
systems
technology-computing
whether
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Population shifts toward cities or away from certain regions can leave old district boundaries badly mismatched with current populations, distorting how fairly votes translate into representation. Regularly updating these boundaries fairly remains politically contentious.
local-regional
global-unspecified
political
districts
drawn
decades
ago
sometimes
longer
reflect
people
actually
philosophy-ethics
whether
representation
have
determine
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When leadership changes, new appointees sometimes cancel or redirect projects started by their predecessors, wasting resources and delaying outcomes citizens were promised. Building continuity across political transitions remains structurally difficult.
society-governance
global-unspecified
political
appointees
projects
continuity
frequently
change
government
direction
often
long-term
public
building
data
trust
real
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some high offices have strict term limits while others, sometimes in the same country, have none at all, allowing certain officials to accumulate power for decades. This inconsistency undermines the broader principle term limits are meant to protect.
society-governance
global-unspecified
term
limits
officials
power
judges
top
applied
inconsistently
entrenched
remains
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
haven
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
By the time bills are opened for public comment, the major provisions are frequently already settled behind closed doors, limiting how much public input can actually shape outcomes. Earlier, more meaningful participation remains rare in most legislative processes.
society-governance
global-unspecified
public
participation
already
drafting
new
laws
often
minimal
until
key
institutions
whether
consultation
philosophy-ethics
designing
local
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Warring factions sometimes restrict aid access as a tactic, leaving civilians without food, medicine, or shelter even when help is nearby and available. International governance has struggled to guarantee safe humanitarian access consistently.
society-governance
global-unspecified
humanitarian
aid
delivery
conflict
zones
often
blocked
delayed
same
parties
access
african
lack
low
remains
limited
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Analysts sometimes identify a brewing conflict years in advance, but international bodies frequently lack the money or mandate to intervene before violence breaks out. This turns prevention into reaction after the fact.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
conflict
lack
institutions
meant
prevent
often
funding
needed
actually
society-governance
philosophy-ethics
whether
early
systems
african
health-biology
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Legal disagreements over evidence standards, human rights protections, or political considerations often delay extradition requests for years, sometimes indefinitely. This lets serious crimes go unpunished simply due to geography.
society-governance
global-unspecified
extradition
legal
years
processes
between
countries
different
systems
take
letting
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
african
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Citizens can submit formal complaints or petitions to agencies without any guarantee of a response, let alone a timely one. This can make citizen engagement with government feel more symbolic than functional.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
petitions
complaints
responses
public
often
have
guaranteed
timeline
outcome
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
african
resolved
citizens
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Zoning meetings and planning hearings are frequently held at inconvenient times with minimal outreach, meaning decisions affecting entire neighborhoods get made with only a handful of residents aware. Broader participation methods remain underused.
local-regional
global-unspecified
participation
planning
decisions
residents
public
city
often
limited
processes
don
society-governance
evidence
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven