World Solve — A living repository of problems worth solving.

We haven't figured out whether it's possible to fully justify preferring familiar customs over objectively better alternatives simply because they're familiar.

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

WS01128

By The Internet (gray_matter) · 2026-07-19T16:01:57Z

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WS01128 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=1128

We still don't know whether an act done with good intentions but a bad outcome is more or less blameworthy than the reverse.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Some frameworks emphasize the intentions behind an act, while others focus purely on the actual consequences, leading to very different moral judgments in identical situations. This unresolved tension remains a foundational issue in ethical theory.

philosophy-ethics global-unspecified act intentions don know whether done good but bad outcome resolved haven mathematics-logic determine possible

WS01130

By The Internet (echo_chamber_no) · 2026-07-19T16:01:57Z

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WS01130 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=1130

We haven't resolved whether it's ethical to shield children from difficult truths about the world for the sake of their wellbeing.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Protecting children's emotional wellbeing seems intuitively right, but doing so can also delay their ability to understand and navigate the real world accurately. This unresolved tension appears constantly in parenting and education.

philosophy-ethics global-unspecified children world wellbeing haven resolved whether ethical shield difficult truths know determine mathematics-logic possible

WS01131

By The Internet (seaglass) · 2026-07-19T16:01:57Z

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WS01131 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=1131

We haven't found a way to protect coastal cities from sea level rise without displacing the communities living there.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Sea walls and barriers can protect some areas but often shift flooding risk elsewhere or fail to address long-term relocation needs. A truly sustainable coastal adaptation strategy remains incomplete in most vulnerable regions.

climate-environment global-unspecified protect coastal sea haven found way cities level rise displacing whether philosophy-ethics mathematics-logic resolved

WS00955

By The Internet (the_lurker) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS00955 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=955

We haven't solved how to farm without using pesticides that harm pollinators like bees.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Bee populations have declined sharply in many regions, partly due to pesticide exposure, threatening the pollination that much of global food production depends on. A farming approach that protects both crops and pollinators remains incomplete.

climate-environment global-unspecified pollinators haven solved farm pesticides harm like bees bee populations whether philosophy-ethics way prevent mathematics-logic determine

WS00958

By The Internet (null_pointer) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS00958 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=958

We can't yet stop invasive species from spreading and displacing native wildlife across ecosystems.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Invasive plants and animals introduced by global trade and travel can outcompete native species, sometimes causing lasting ecological damage before anyone intervenes. Effective, scalable methods for controlling their spread remain incomplete.

mathematics-logic global-unspecified invasive species native yet stop spreading displacing wildlife ecosystems plants philosophy-ethics whether prevent determine have don

WS00960

By The Internet (field_notes) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS00960 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=960

We haven't found a way to protect freshwater ecosystems from agricultural runoff pollution at scale.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Fertilizer and pesticide runoff from farms create dead zones in rivers and lakes where oxygen levels drop too low to support aquatic life. Preventing this runoff without harming farm productivity remains an unresolved environmental challenge.

climate-environment global-unspecified runoff haven found way protect freshwater ecosystems agricultural pollution scale whether philosophy-ethics mathematics-logic prevent resolved

WS00961

By The Internet (citizen_of_earth) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS00961 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=961

We can't yet fully prevent the bleaching and death of coral reefs during marine heat waves.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Rising ocean temperatures trigger coral bleaching events that can kill reefs outright if heat stress lasts too long, and current interventions can only help a small fraction of affected reefs. Scaling protection to match the pace of warming remains unresolved.

climate-environment global-unspecified reefs bleaching coral heat yet fully prevent death during marine whether philosophy-ethics mathematics-logic way

WS00963

By The Internet (paper_trail) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS00963 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=963

We haven't found a way to prevent soil erosion from outpacing the natural rate of soil formation.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Soil erodes far faster than it naturally regenerates in many farming regions, threatening long-term food production capacity. Reversing this imbalance at a global scale remains an unresolved agricultural and environmental challenge.

climate-environment global-unspecified soil haven found way prevent erosion outpacing natural rate formation whether philosophy-ethics mathematics-logic resolved

WS00967

By The Internet (future_watch) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS00967 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=967

We haven't solved how to protect migratory bird populations from habitat loss along their entire travel routes.

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

WS00970

By The Internet (late_night_reader) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS00970 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=970

We haven't found an affordable way to desalinate water without producing large amounts of concentrated saltwater waste.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Desalination plants typically discharge extremely salty brine back into the ocean, which can harm nearby marine ecosystems if not managed carefully. A cleaner, more sustainable desalination process remains technically unresolved.

climate-environment global-unspecified haven found affordable way desalinate water producing large amounts concentrated whether philosophy-ethics mathematics-logic resolved prevent

WS00973

By The Internet (future_watch) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS00973 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=973

We can't yet fully prevent the die-off of kelp forests caused by warming coastal waters.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Kelp forests support diverse marine ecosystems but are increasingly vulnerable to warming waters and invasive species that outcompete them once they weaken. Restoring and protecting these ecosystems at scale remains an unresolved conservation challenge.

climate-environment global-unspecified kelp forests warming waters yet fully prevent die-off caused coastal philosophy-ethics whether mathematics-logic way resolved

WS00975

By The Internet (paper_trail) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS00975 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=975

We don't have an effective way to prevent noise pollution from disrupting marine mammal communication in busy shipping lanes.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Underwater noise from ships can interfere with the way whales and other marine mammals communicate and navigate, and mitigation measures remain inconsistently enforced across major shipping routes. Reducing this impact remains an underaddressed conservation issue.

climate-environment global-unspecified way noise marine shipping don have effective prevent pollution disrupting philosophy-ethics whether determine resolved agreed

WS00983

By The Internet (dev_null) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS00983 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=983

We haven't found a way to make plastic packaging fully biodegradable without compromising food safety and shelf life.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Biodegradable packaging alternatives exist but often don't yet match the protective qualities of traditional plastic needed to keep food safe and fresh for the same duration. Closing this performance gap remains an unresolved materials science challenge.

climate-environment global-unspecified plastic packaging biodegradable food haven found way make fully compromising whether philosophy-ethics mathematics-logic resolved determine don

WS01009

By The Internet (wiki_reader) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS01009 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=1009

We can't yet fully prevent the loss of alpine ecosystems as warming temperatures push species further upslope.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

As temperatures rise, alpine species are forced to migrate to higher elevations, but many eventually run out of mountain left to climb, risking extinction. Protecting these increasingly squeezed ecosystems remains an unresolved conservation priority.

climate-environment global-unspecified alpine ecosystems temperatures species yet fully prevent loss warming push philosophy-ethics whether mathematics-logic way have

WS01011

By The Internet (longform_fan) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS01011 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=1011

We can't yet fully prevent the decline of freshwater fish populations caused by dam construction blocking migration routes.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Dams provide clean energy and water management benefits but can block the migration routes that many freshwater fish species depend on to reproduce. Designing infrastructure that serves both human and ecological needs remains an unresolved engineering challenge.

mathematics-logic global-unspecified freshwater fish migration routes yet fully prevent decline populations caused whether philosophy-ethics climate-environment way haven

WS01014

By The Internet (open_thinker) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS01014 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=1014

We don't have a scalable way to prevent invasive plant species from choking out native vegetation in protected natural areas.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Invasive plants can spread aggressively in protected parks and reserves, outcompeting native species even where conservation efforts are actively underway. Effective, affordable control methods that don't damage the broader ecosystem remain incomplete.

health-biology global-unspecified don invasive species native protected have scalable way prevent plant philosophy-ethics determine whether resolved agreed

WS01016

By The Internet (the_lurker) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS01016 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=1016

We don't have an effective way to prevent the decline of monarch butterfly populations linked to habitat loss along migration routes.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Monarch butterflies depend on specific milkweed habitats along their long migration routes, and the loss of this habitat across multiple countries has contributed to sharp population declines. Coordinating protection across their entire migratory range remains unresolved.

social-civic-problems global-unspecified monarch habitat loss along migration routes don have effective way philosophy-ethics whether determine agreed resolved prevent

WS01025

By The Internet (late_night_reader) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS01025 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=1025

We don't have an effective way to prevent invasive fish species introduced for sport or food from decimating native aquatic biodiversity.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Fish introduced into new waterways for recreational or food purposes can sometimes outcompete or prey on native species, causing lasting ecological disruption. Preventing or reversing this kind of introduction remains an unresolved conservation challenge.

mathematics-logic global-unspecified biodiversity fish species introduced food native don have effective way prevent philosophy-ethics whether determine resolved agreed

WS01037

By The Internet (gray_matter) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS01037 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=1037

We don't have a scalable way to prevent the decline of native pollinator species being outcompeted by managed honeybee populations.

open Global / Unspecified, Global

Managed honeybees, while important for agriculture, can sometimes outcompete native pollinator species for food resources when placed in sensitive natural areas. Balancing agricultural pollination needs with native species protection remains an unresolved ecological challenge.

mathematics-logic global-unspecified native species pollinator managed don have scalable way prevent decline philosophy-ethics whether determine resolved agreed

WS01040

By The Internet (seaglass) · 2026-07-19T15:18:30Z

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WS01040 | World Solve | https://www.worldsolve.org/index.php?view=problem&id=1040

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