World Solve

Many developing countries need roads, power, and water systems but often can only afford them by taking on debt that becomes difficult to repay. Finding a fairer way to fund this development remains unresolved.

Despite regulation added after every major crash, financial systems keep finding new ways to become unstable. We still don't have a reliable way to prevent the next one before it happens.

As gene editing and synthetic biology become more accessible, so does the risk of these tools being misused, deliberately or accidentally. International cooperation on this has lagged far behind the pace of the science itself.

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.

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.

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.

Thousands of people die every year waiting for organs that never become available. Lab-grown organs or better donation systems could close this life-threatening gap.

Bacteria are evolving resistance faster than pharmaceutical companies are creating new antibiotics to fight them. Left unresolved, common infections could become deadly again within a few decades.

Hard drives fail, file formats become unreadable, and even cloud storage depends on companies staying in business. Without a truly long-lasting storage method, much of today's digital history may simply vanish.

Thousands of pieces of space junk are already circling the planet, threatening satellites and future missions. Left unresolved, orbit could become too cluttered and risky to safely launch into.

Every search so far has come back empty, but our tools for detecting distant life are still crude. Knowing the answer would reshape biology, philosophy, and how we think about our place in the universe.

Achieving protocols for equitable and rapid distribution of medical countermeasures in pandemics at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.

Achieving solutions for managing the growing burden of mental health conditions in young populations at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.

Achieving low-cost diagnostics and treatments for the major neglected tropical diseases at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.

Achieving technologies for verifying compliance with international environmental agreements at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.

Achieving protocols for the responsible sharing and use of large-scale human genomic and health data at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.

Achieving institutional designs that increase the political feasibility of ambitious climate policies at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.

Achieving transparent and equitable allocation mechanisms for scarce climate finance at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.

Achieving systems for continuous verification of nuclear non-proliferation commitments at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.

Achieving institutional arrangements that improve the integration of climate considerations into all policy domains at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.