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
Many prison systems focus on punishment over rehabilitation, and high reoffending rates suggest this approach often fails at its stated goal. A system genuinely built around rehabilitation could reduce crime and human cost.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
haven
found
way
make
prisons
rehabilitate
people
instead
just
punishing
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
systems
determine
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
Chronic stress physically changes the brain and body over time, and we don't yet have treatments that fully reverse that damage. Understanding this could transform how we treat burnout, trauma, and related illness.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
yet
reverse
damage
stress
biological
caused
long-term
chronic
physically
changes
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
resolved
determine
don
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
Paved surfaces send rainwater rushing into drains that quickly overflow during storms, instead of letting it soak into the ground. Cities designed to absorb water naturally would suffer far less flood damage.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
cities
absorb
instead
haven
built
floodwater
being
destroyed
paved
surfaces
urban
water
african
infrastructure
systems
asia
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Coral bleaching events are becoming more frequent as ocean temperatures rise, and restoration efforts are still small and slow. Without faster recovery methods, many reef ecosystems may not survive this century.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
coral
ocean
rebuild
reefs
fast
enough
keep
pace
warming
bleaching
whether
philosophy-ethics
near
protecting
marine
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
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Hospitals, power plants, and water systems increasingly run on connected computer systems that can be targeted remotely. A serious attack on any of these could cause harm far beyond the digital world.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
power
fully
protect
critical
infrastructure
like
grids
cyberattacks
systems
hospitals
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
climate-environment
digital
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As AI moves from answering questions to taking real actions, like managing money or controlling machinery, mistakes carry real consequences. We still lack agreed safety standards for how much autonomy is safe to hand over.
society-governance
global-unspecified
real
safe
haven
built
universal
way
let
systems
act
autonomously
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
