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
False claims about candidates or voting processes can spread across social media faster than officials can issue corrections, especially close to election day. This growing speed gap threatens the integrity of public understanding during critical voting periods.
society-governance
global-unspecified
during
election
officials
disinformation
campaigns
elections
outpacing
ability
respond
voting
whether
philosophy-ethics
fiscal
austerity
technology-computing
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even where donation limits exist, wealthy donors can often find legal workarounds through political action groups or indirect spending. This keeps outsized influence in the hands of a few, regardless of formal campaign finance rules.
society-governance
global-unspecified
wealthy
political
influence
there
reliable
way
stop
individuals
buying
disproportionate
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
haven
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Citizens are often legally entitled to request government records, but agencies can slow-walk or deny these requests with few real consequences. This makes transparency laws look stronger on paper than they are in practice.
society-governance
global-unspecified
laws
but
practice
freedom
information
exist
countries
routinely
ignored
delayed
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
determine
resolved
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This means a single permanent member can stop global action on war, genocide, or humanitarian crises regardless of what the rest of the world wants. Reforming this without those same countries blocking the reform remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
countries
security
council
gives
five
veto
block
almost
anything
means
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
determine
mathematics-logic
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
Genetic research sometimes uses samples collected from communities, particularly indigenous ones, without full ongoing consent or benefit sharing. What ethical obligations researchers owe these communities afterward remains unsettled.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
research
genetic
collected
don
agree
say
community
have
over
conducted
whether
determine
resolved
way
agreed
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rules protecting children online vary significantly by country and platform, leaving major gaps that put young users at risk. A more consistent global standard remains politically and technically difficult to establish.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
consistent
standard
protecting
children
online
don
have
international
different
platforms
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
way
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
False information about disaster response, shelters, or aid can spread rapidly during emergencies, sometimes putting lives at further risk. Faster, trusted communication channels during crises remain underdeveloped in many regions.
society-governance
global-unspecified
during
haven
found
way
prevent
misinformation
spreading
specifically
natural
disasters
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Public hearings and consultations are often required by law but sometimes function more as formalities than genuine two-way input processes. Making these processes truly meaningful remains an unresolved governance challenge.
society-governance
global-unspecified
public
consultations
input
yet
ensure
major
projects
genuinely
reflect
community
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
designing
services
institutions
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Undiagnosed vision problems in children can quietly affect school performance for years before being caught. Early, affordable screening at scale remains unavailable in many school systems worldwide.
health-biology
global-unspecified
vision
children
affect
don
have
scalable
way
detect
treat
learning
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Mining for the metals used in batteries and electronics often destroys forests, rivers, and habitats that took centuries to form. Balancing resource needs with ecosystem protection remains a persistent unresolved tension.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
mining
yet
stop
operations
permanently
damaging
fragile
ecosystems
resource-rich
regions
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
mathematics-logic
prevent
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A large enough solar storm could damage transformers and electronics across entire continents, and current models can't precisely predict which systems would fail. Better modeling could guide smarter infrastructure protection investment.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
infrastructure
haven
solved
accurately
model
long-term
effects
geomagnetic
storms
modern
systems
whether
technology-computing
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Evidence suggests Mars once had liquid water, a key ingredient for life, but no mission has yet found conclusive proof of past or present microbes. Answering this remains one of planetary science's biggest open questions.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
mars
life
don
know
certain
whether
ever
hosted
hosts
any
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
possible
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Turbulent flow, like water rushing through a pipe or air moving over a wing, is notoriously hard to describe with exact mathematics. A complete theory would improve everything from weather prediction to aircraft design.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
complete
theory
haven
proven
rigorous
explaining
turbulence
fluids
mathematically
turbulent
whether
possible
philosophy-ethics
know
every
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
We have very good approximations, but no exact formula exists that perfectly predicts the count of primes below a chosen number. Improving this approximation remains an active and important area of research.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
have
formula
below
number
don
general
predicting
exactly
prime
numbers
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
determine
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some products, like social media or certain foods, are deliberately designed to be highly engaging or addictive, raising questions about the maker's moral responsibility for resulting harm.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
responsibility
products
addictive
don
agree
companies
bear
societal
effects
know
whether
resolved
determine
haven
mathematics-logic
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some believe rewards should go strictly to those who work hardest or perform best, while others argue unequal starting points make pure merit-based systems inherently unfair. This tension remains philosophically unresolved.
local-regional
global-unspecified
haven
found
universal
answer
societies
balance
individual
merit
against
equal
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Decisions about resource use often weigh immediate economic gain against long-term environmental cost, and there's no settled ethical formula for how to balance the two fairly.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
environmental
against
economic
don
agree
weight
future
damage
carry
present-day
whether
resolved
determine
haven
know
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Gig work can offer flexibility but often comes with unpredictable income swings that make financial planning difficult for workers. A system that offers more income stability without eliminating flexibility remains unresolved.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
income
gig
workers
yet
ensure
economy
have
predictable
stable
despite
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
informal
don
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