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
Some argue art should be evaluated purely on artistic merit, while others believe morally repugnant content diminishes a work's value regardless of technical skill. This unresolved debate continues to shape discussions of controversial art and literature.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
art
morally
don
have
agreed
way
determine
whether
judged
good
resolved
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some philosophers argue truth-seeking is intrinsically valuable and required for genuine autonomy, while others see no strict obligation to prefer difficult truths over comforting beliefs. This unresolved question touches on both ethics and epistemology.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
comforting
haven
resolved
whether
humans
have
moral
duty
pursue
truth
know
determine
mathematics-logic
ethical
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Policies that protect the most vulnerable often slow down broader societal advancement or economic growth, creating an unresolved tension between compassion and collective progress. Different ethical frameworks weigh this tradeoff very differently.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
ethical
vulnerable
progress
haven
figured
out
whether
prioritize
protecting
even
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
know
mathematics-logic
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Persistent disagreement even among careful thinkers might suggest there's no single moral truth to discover, or it might simply reflect the difficulty of accessing a truth that does exist. This unresolved question remains central to metaethics.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
moral
disagreement
don
know
whether
between
reasonable
well-informed
people
means
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Certain industries and roles inevitably benefit from human suffering, such as disaster recovery services, raising unresolved questions about whether it's ever fully ethical to build wealth this way. This tension arises in many overlooked corners of the modern economy.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
ethical
suffering
haven
resolved
profit
others
even
you
didn
know
mathematics-logic
determine
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Judging historical figures by modern values can feel necessary for moral clarity, but it also risks ignoring the very different context they lived in. This unresolved tension continues to shape debates over monuments, legacies, and historical memory.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
moral
haven
resolved
whether
ethical
hold
people
past
today
standards
know
determine
mathematics-logic
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Descendants of those who committed historical injustices, or who benefited from them, didn't choose their circumstances, yet many argue some moral responsibility still transfers across generations. This unresolved question underlies major debates about reparations and generational privilege.
society-governance
global-unspecified
moral
generations
don
have
agreed
way
determine
whether
fair
inherit
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some beings, whether animals, future AI, or even certain medical patients, might have rich inner experiences without any reliable way of expressing them. This unresolved uncertainty creates serious ethical risk of overlooking real suffering.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
any
might
haven
figured
out
humans
owe
moral
consideration
resolved
know
determine
mathematics-logic
don
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Medical ethics constantly requires weighing longer survival against potential suffering, and no single framework has fully resolved how this tradeoff should be decided. This unresolved question remains deeply relevant in end-of-life care.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
life
medical
don
know
whether
possible
justify
prioritizing
quality
over
resolved
haven
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Beliefs are often shaped by upbringing, culture, and circumstance rather than deliberate choice, raising doubt about whether people can be fairly held responsible for holding them. This unresolved question complicates debates over prejudice and moral accountability.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
people
beliefs
don
have
agreed
way
determine
blamed
didn
resolved
know
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some long-term ethical frameworks argue humanity's continued existence matters more than any individual's current suffering, while others reject sacrificing real people for abstract future outcomes. This unresolved tension is increasingly relevant to debates on existential risk.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
ethical
humanity
don
know
whether
prioritize
survival
species
over
wellbeing
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
People often continue traditions or habits even when better alternatives clearly exist, and it's unclear whether familiarity alone provides any genuine moral justification for this preference. This unresolved question touches on the nature of rational choice itself.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
familiar
whether
better
alternatives
haven
figured
out
possible
fully
justify
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Vast stretches of ocean lie beyond any single nation's jurisdiction, making it difficult to monitor and stop illegal fishing that depletes fish populations faster than they can recover. Closing this enforcement gap remains an unresolved challenge.
health-biology
global-unspecified
illegal
fishing
don
have
effective
system
track
reduce
international
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
way
agreed
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many heavily polluted cities in lower-income regions still lack dense, affordable monitoring networks that could help residents and policymakers respond in real time. Closing this data gap remains a persistent public health and environmental challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
public-health
air-pollution
monitoring
affordable
polluted
cities
haven
solved
make
air
pollution
accurate
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some fish populations have been fished to the point of collapse, and even with strict conservation measures, recovery can take decades longer than demand is willing to wait. Balancing recovery with continued food needs remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
fish
populations
demand
yet
restore
collapsed
fast
enough
keep
pace
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
have
prevent
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Migratory birds depend on a chain of habitats across multiple countries, and losing even one critical stopover point can threaten an entire species' survival. Coordinating protection across this many jurisdictions remains an unresolved conservation challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
migratory
entire
haven
solved
protect
bird
populations
habitat
loss
along
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
prevent
mathematics-logic
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even legally protected forests are frequently logged illegally due to weak enforcement and high demand for timber, undermining conservation efforts on paper. Stopping this in practice, not just in law, remains an unresolved global challenge.
society-governance
global-unspecified
protected
don
have
scalable
way
prevent
illegal
logging
rainforest
reserves
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
United States, North America
Some of the world's largest aquifers are being pumped for irrigation and drinking water far faster than natural processes can refill them. Once fully depleted, these ancient water reserves may take centuries to recover, if they recover at all.
climate-environment
north-america
united-states
fully
aquifers
yet
prevent
depletion
groundwater
took
thousands
years
form
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Trees can significantly cool city temperatures, but planting and maintaining enough urban canopy to meaningfully offset rising heat requires long-term investment many cities haven't sustained. Closing this gap remains an urgent urban planning challenge.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
urban-planning
urban
haven
canopy
enough
offset
rising
city
temperatures
found
way
whether
climate-environment
mathematics-logic
make
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Overgrazing, deforestation, and changing rainfall patterns continue to push arid regions toward full desertification faster than restoration projects can reverse. Scaling effective land restoration to match the pace of degradation remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
deforestation
effective
desertification
arid
regions
don
have
affordable
way
prevent
spreading
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
