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
Surgeries designed to relieve nerve-related pain occasionally result in new or persistent pain instead, and predicting which patients are at risk remains imprecise. Better prediction and prevention could improve surgical outcomes for chronic pain patients.
health-biology
global-unspecified
pain
patients
chronic
nerve-related
surgeries
relieve
yet
fully
explain
some
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Postpartum depression is often only diagnosed once symptoms have already significantly affected a new parent's daily functioning. Earlier screening tools that catch warning signs sooner remain underdeveloped.
health-biology
global-unspecified
signs
postpartum
depression
symptoms
haven
solved
detect
early
become
severe
philosophy-ethics
whether
way
determine
don
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
High blood pressure can silently damage the kidneys over years before any symptoms appear, and by the time damage is detected, it's often already significant. Earlier, more sensitive detection methods remain an unmet need.
health-biology
global-unspecified
damage
high
blood
pressure
don
have
reliable
way
detect
early
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A subset of patients develop long-lasting pain after surgeries that are usually uncomplicated for most people, and the biological reason for this difference isn't fully understood. Better prediction and prevention could reduce this often overlooked outcome.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
fully
people
develop
pain
haven
found
way
explain
some
chronic
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even when Lyme disease is caught and treated early, a portion of patients still develop lasting symptoms, and doctors don't fully understand why treatment doesn't fully resolve the illness in every case. Solving this could improve outcomes for a currently underserved group of patients.
health-biology
global-unspecified
fully
patients
develop
lyme
disease
early
treatment
yet
explain
some
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Subtle cognitive changes often precede a formal dementia diagnosis by years, but current screening tools aren't sensitive enough to reliably catch this earliest stage. Better early detection could open the door to earlier, more effective intervention.
health-biology
global-unspecified
early
cognitive
haven
found
reliable
way
detect
decline
adults
becomes
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Complications during childbirth can become fatal within minutes without access to emergency care, and many regions still lack the infrastructure to respond quickly enough. Closing this gap remains one of the most urgent unmet needs in global health.
health-biology
global-unspecified
regions
access
emergency
care
don
have
scalable
way
reduce
maternal
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Research shows a strong link between childhood trauma and adult physical illness, but effective, scalable prevention and early intervention remain limited. Closing this gap could improve both mental and physical health outcomes across entire populations.
health-biology
global-unspecified
physical
childhood
trauma
adult
health
yet
fully
prevent
long-term
effects
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
mathematics-logic
society-governance
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Stomach cancer often causes no clear symptoms until it has progressed significantly, particularly in regions without routine screening programs. Earlier, more accessible detection could substantially improve survival outcomes.
health-biology
global-unspecified
stomach
cancer
haven
found
reliable
way
detect
early-stage
becomes
advanced
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Effective treatments for hepatitis B exist, but cost and access remain out of reach for many of the hundreds of millions of people living with the infection globally, particularly in lower-income regions. Closing this access gap remains unresolved.
health-biology
global-unspecified
hepatitis
don
have
scalable
affordable
treatment
available
everyone
infected
worldwide
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
way
resolved
agreed
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
Age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, contributes to frailty and falls in older adults, and current treatments rely mainly on exercise and diet rather than addressing the underlying biological decline. A more direct medical solution remains undeveloped.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
muscle
loss
haven
found
way
prevent
comes
aging
age-related
known
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
determine
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Bacteria evolve resistance faster than new antibiotics are being developed and approved, creating a widening treatment gap. Without new approaches, once-treatable infections could become far deadlier again.
health-biology
global-unspecified
new
infections
yet
stop
rise
antibiotic-resistant
drug
development
alone
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
papua
mathematics-logic
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some former officials effectively become immune to prosecution once they leave power, either through legal loopholes or political reluctance to pursue former leaders. This can weaken accountability for abuses of power at the very top.
society-governance
global-unspecified
former
legal
leaders
countries
lack
clear
process
holding
accountable
actions
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
have
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As AI-generated images, videos, and text become easier to produce, election laws in most places haven't caught up with rules for disclosure or restriction. This leaves a rapidly growing campaign tactic largely unregulated.
society-governance
global-unspecified
ai-generated
countries
have
clear
legal
framework
content
treated
political
campaigns
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
way
determine
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As some regions become less livable due to heat, drought, or flooding, governments often lack a clear, proactive plan for how internal migration should be managed. This leaves affected communities dealing with sudden, poorly supported relocation.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
migration
government
responses
climate
own
borders
remain
largely
unplanned
reactive
under
society-governance
pressure
african
relocation
systems
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
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
In systems with many competing parties, forming a stable governing coalition can require compromises so broad that clear, decisive policy becomes difficult to achieve. This instability can leave important issues unresolved for years.
society-governance
global-unspecified
parties
coalitions
smaller
political
often
struggle
govern
effectively
due
constant
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
systems
haven
technology-computing
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