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
The World Health Organization has no power to investigate or verify outbreak reports if a country delays or downplays them for political reasons. This gap can turn a containable outbreak into a global pandemic.
health-biology
global-unspecified
health
emergencies
depend
countries
honestly
reporting
outbreaks
own
outbreak
whether
philosophy-ethics
society-governance
determine
remains
haven
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Volunteer-collected data can expand research at a scale professional scientists alone couldn't achieve, but ensuring its accuracy and consistency remains an unresolved challenge for researchers who want to use it.
society-governance
global-unspecified
research
haven
solved
make
citizen
science
projects
reliable
enough
serious
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
technology-computing
way
resolved
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
Predictive policing tools can reflect and reinforce biases present in historical policing data, raising fairness concerns even when the tools reduce some crime. Whether their benefits ethically outweigh this risk remains contested.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
policing
tools
whether
predictive
historical
crime
data
haven
settled
ethical
resolved
mathematics-logic
know
possible
society-governance
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Modern supply chains are often optimized for efficiency over resilience, leaving them vulnerable when multiple regions face disruption at once. Rebalancing this trade-off remains an unresolved challenge for global trade.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
supply-chain
supply
chains
yet
ensure
resilient
enough
withstand
simultaneous
regional
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
determine
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Losing species and healthy ecosystems carries real economic consequences, from reduced crop pollination to fewer new medicines, but this cost rarely shows up clearly in economic decision-making. Building this into policy remains largely unresolved.
society-governance
global-unspecified
biodiversity
economic
cost
don
have
widely
accepted
way
price
true
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Wages in many countries have grown more slowly than housing, healthcare, and food costs over the past few decades, steadily eroding real purchasing power. Reversing this trend remains a central unresolved economic challenge.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
have
wages
don
reliable
way
ensure
fair
keep
pace
rising
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
High childcare costs push many parents, disproportionately mothers, out of the workforce entirely or into reduced hours. Making quality childcare broadly affordable remains an unresolved economic and social policy gap.
society-governance
global-unspecified
childcare
affordable
parents
workforce
yet
make
accessible
enough
support
working
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
mathematics-logic
technology-computing
climate-environment
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Regulators sometimes come from, or later move into, the very industries they oversee, raising ongoing concerns about impartiality. Structural solutions to this revolving door problem remain inconsistently applied.
health-biology
global-unspecified
regulators
industries
don
have
reliable
way
prevent
conflicts
interest
among
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Government budgets are often too complex or poorly communicated for the average citizen to meaningfully track or understand. Better transparency tools could improve both trust and accountability in public spending.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
understand
spending
haven
solved
make
budgeting
processes
transparent
enough
whether
philosophy-ethics
public
resolved
mathematics-logic
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Historical mistreatment and inconsistent messaging have left some communities more distrustful of public health guidance than others, undermining response to outbreaks and vaccination campaigns. Rebuilding this trust remains a slow, unresolved process.
health-biology
global-unspecified
public-health
vaccination
public
health
messaging
communities
yet
ensure
trusted
equally
all
historical
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
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
Facial recognition is being deployed in policing, retail, and public spaces with vastly different rules depending on location, raising serious privacy and bias concerns. Consistent, fair regulation remains largely unbuilt.
society-governance
global-unspecified
fair
consistent
facial
recognition
don
have
way
regulate
technology
governments
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Antibiotics are widely used in livestock farming to prevent disease and promote growth, contributing significantly to antibiotic resistance in humans. Reducing this use without harming farmers' livelihoods remains a persistent unresolved challenge.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
prevent
antibiotics
resistance
haven
found
way
overuse
agriculture
accelerating
drug
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Dental problems can affect overall health significantly, yet dental care is often separated from general healthcare systems and priced out of reach for many. Closing this gap remains an overlooked but serious healthcare access issue.
health-biology
global-unspecified
care
dental
yet
general
make
affordable
accessible
same
degree
medical
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
mathematics-logic
access
remains
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A meaningful share of people who contracted COVID-19 continue experiencing fatigue, brain fog, or other symptoms long after recovery, with no reliably effective treatment yet available. This remains a significant and only partially understood health burden.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
effective
long
symptoms
don
have
way
treat
covid
persist
months
whether
determine
health-biology
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some slow-growing cancers are unlikely to ever threaten a patient's life, yet current diagnostics often can't tell them apart from dangerous ones. This leads to both overtreatment and, at times, dangerous undertreatment.
health-biology
global-unspecified
yet
cancers
reliably
distinguish
between
need
aggressive
treatment
those
never
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
fully
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
International agreements to reduce deforestation often rely on inconsistent or delayed data, making enforcement difficult. Better real-time tracking could hold countries and companies accountable for logging commitments.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
deforestation
agreements
yet
track
tree
cover
loss
accurately
enough
enforce
whether
philosophy-ethics
society-governance
determine
technology-computing
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Overgrazing and development have degraded vast grassland ecosystems worldwide, and restoration efforts remain small compared to the scale of the damage. A more scalable restoration method could recover important habitat and carbon storage.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
scalable
degraded
haven
found
way
restore
grasslands
once
supported
diverse
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
don
have
