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
Independent journalism is being restricted or shut down in many parts of the world, cutting off citizens from reliable information about their own governments. Protecting press freedom remains an unresolved struggle in much of the world.
society-governance
global-unspecified
press
governments
information
ensure
free
survives
countries
control
world
independent
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
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.
society-governance
global-unspecified
fair
tax
companies
haven
found
way
operate
everywhere
nowhere
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
mathematics-logic
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Criminal networks move money, goods, and people across borders quickly, while law enforcement cooperation between countries is often slow and limited. Closing this gap requires faster, more trusted international coordination.
society-governance
global-unspecified
borders
faster
law
enforcement
stop
organized
crime
operating
cooperate
criminal
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
have
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Personal and corporate data crosses borders constantly, but laws about who owns it and how it can be used vary wildly by country. This patchwork makes real data protection difficult to enforce globally.
society-governance
global-unspecified
data
owns
don
have
consistent
international
rules
controls
personal
corporate
technology-computing
whether
philosophy-ethics
systems
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Rising demand keeps pushing housing costs higher in growing cities, pricing out the very workers those cities depend on. Making urban growth compatible with affordability remains an unresolved policy challenge nearly everywhere.
society-governance
global-unspecified
cities
haven
solved
make
affordable
live
grow
rising
demand
keeps
climate-environment
whether
urban
philosophy-ethics
african
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Foreign actors have repeatedly used social media and cyberattacks to influence elections in other countries, and defenses remain reactive rather than preventive. Protecting democratic processes requires staying ahead of these tactics, not catching up after the fact.
society-governance
global-unspecified
elections
foreign
fully
protect
interference
manipulation
actors
have
repeatedly
social
climate-environment
institutions
designing
democratic
high
disinformation
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Economic and political power increasingly concentrates in fewer hands, while regulation struggles to keep pace with how quickly this happens. Left unchecked, this threatens both economic fairness and democratic balance.
society-governance
global-unspecified
power
stop
wealth
concentrating
faster
laws
adapt
economic
political
increasingly
whether
philosophy-ethics
have
determine
resolved
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many large-scale policies are implemented based on assumptions rather than solid evidence, and by the time results come in, the damage or waste is already done. Better testing methods could save enormous public resources.
society-governance
global-unspecified
policies
don
have
reliable
way
measure
whether
government
actually
work
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Anti-corruption agencies themselves can become corrupted, and oversight bodies often lack real power to enforce accountability. Breaking this cycle requires structural solutions, not just stricter laws on paper.
society-governance
global-unspecified
haven
solved
reduce
corruption
institutions
meant
prevent
anti-corruption
agencies
themselves
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
public
resolved
lack
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
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.
society-governance
global-unspecified
agree
regulate
countries
different
laws
values
systems
built
country
worldwide
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
determine
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Refugees often end up concentrated in a handful of neighboring countries while the rest of the world debates policy from a distance. A fairer, shared system could ease pressure on frontline nations and improve outcomes for displaced people.
society-governance
global-unspecified
system
refugees
don
have
fair
handling
asylum
seekers
often
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
way
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Once elected, officials often face little real consequence for broken promises until the next vote, years later. Stronger accountability tools could make representation meaningful beyond election day.
society-governance
global-unspecified
election
haven
found
way
keep
politicians
accountable
between
cycles
once
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
make
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
False information often reaches millions of people before any correction catches up, and by then the damage to public understanding is already done. Fixing this gap is critical to informed public debate.
society-governance
global-unspecified
stop
misinformation
spreading
faster
fact-checks
catch
public
false
information
often
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
services
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Doubts about election security, counting errors, and manipulation persist in democracies around the world. Restoring full public trust in voting systems is essential for democracy to function as intended.
society-governance
global-unspecified
voting
trust
don
have
system
citizens
fully
fair
accurate
doubts
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
public
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Getting a broken bone fixed is usually straightforward; getting consistent mental health support often isn't, due to cost, stigma, and shortage of providers. Closing this gap could prevent enormous, often invisible suffering.
health-biology
global-unspecified
mental-health
health
care
mental
haven
found
way
make
accessible
physical
getting
whether
philosophy-ethics
society-governance
access
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many fast-growing cities in arid regions are outpacing the water systems built to serve them, leading to shortages and rationing. Solving this needs both new infrastructure and smarter long-term water planning.
sdg-sustainable-development-goals
global-unspecified
water
infrastructure
serve
cities
regions
don
have
enough
clean
growing
climate-environment
urban
whether
philosophy-ethics
society-governance
systems
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Concrete and asphalt trap heat, turning cities into dangerous hot zones during extreme weather, especially for people without air conditioning. Redesigning cities to stay cooler is now a matter of public safety, not comfort.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
cities
people
during
heat
cool
enough
protect
increasingly
severe
waves
climate-environment
systems
urban
society-governance
haven
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Wealthy nations have historically emitted the most greenhouse gases, but poorer nations often suffer the worst climate damage. Without a fair cost-sharing system, climate justice remains mostly a talking point rather than a policy.
society-governance
global-unspecified
climate
nations
have
system
damage
don
fairly
share
cost
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
way
climate-environment
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
By the time illegal logging is discovered, the trees are often already gone and the damage is done. Real-time detection and enforcement could protect forests before, not after, they disappear.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
deforestation
illegal
time
yet
track
stop
happens
real
logging
discovered
philosophy-ethics
whether
way
society-governance
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Data gets copied, backed up, and shared across so many servers that a single delete request rarely removes every trace. Real digital privacy requires a technical guarantee that deletion actually means deletion.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
guarantee
data
every
personal
once
deleted
truly
gone
system
touched
society-governance
whether
trust
philosophy-ethics
building
incomplete
