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 home security systems still generate frequent false alerts from pets, shadows, or weather, reducing their practical reliability for identifying genuine security concerns. Improving this accuracy without expensive hardware remains unresolved.
society-governance
global-unspecified
security
home
systems
genuine
yet
build
camera
reliably
distinguish
between
whether
technology-computing
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Advanced filtration technology exists, but cost and infrastructure requirements keep effective solutions out of reach for many communities facing the most severe water contamination issues. Solving this affordability and deployment challenge remains urgent.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
water
filtration
technology
effective
yet
build
affordable
enough
remove
all
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
determine
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many remote communities still lack consistent access to electricity because building traditional grid infrastructure to reach them is prohibitively expensive. Affordable, reliable off-grid alternatives remain incompletely developed and deployed at scale.
local-regional
global-unspecified
affordable
reliable
off-grid
remote
communities
infrastructure
don
have
scalable
way
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Advanced diagnostic technology often requires expensive, bulky equipment that isn't practical for small clinics in remote or under-resourced areas. Miniaturizing and lowering the cost of this technology without sacrificing accuracy remains an unresolved challenge.
health-biology
global-unspecified
diagnostic
clinics
yet
build
affordable
portable
medical
devices
accurate
enough
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
technology-computing
haven
technology
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Solar lighting technology exists, but durability and cost issues have limited how widely and reliably it can be deployed in regions that need it most. Improving both affordability and long-term reliability remains an unresolved challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
lighting
regions
yet
build
affordable
durable
solar-powered
solutions
reliable
enough
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
determine
society-governance
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The deep ocean holds vast mineral resources and ecosystems we barely understand, yet no single country has authority over most of it. Without a fair governance system, the deep sea risks being exploited before it's even properly studied.
society-governance
global-unspecified
deep
fair
sea
single
haven
found
way
govern
belongs
nation
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A language disappears roughly every few weeks somewhere in the world, often taking irreplaceable cultural knowledge with it. Without better preservation tools, much of human linguistic diversity may vanish within a generation.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
don
have
standard
preserve
endangered
languages
disappear
language
disappears
whether
resolved
determine
agreed
way
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many real-world problems, like planning delivery routes or scheduling, become exponentially harder to solve exactly as they grow in size. Faster methods for these problems could save enormous time and resources across industries.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
solve
don
have
efficient
way
certain
optimization
scale
real-world
like
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some compression methods shrink files perfectly for certain data but fail badly on others, and no universal, lossless method works equally well for everything. Solving this could make data storage and transmission dramatically more efficient.
society-governance
global-unspecified
data
haven
solved
compress
information
any
loss
all
types
some
technology-computing
whether
philosophy-ethics
systems
mathematics-logic
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Known as Goldbach's Conjecture, this simple-sounding statement has been checked for enormous numbers without exception, but never formally proven true for all numbers. It remains one of the oldest unsolved problems in mathematics.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
haven
solved
whether
every
even
number
greater
sum
primes
numbers
know
possible
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Justice systems around the world vary wildly in how harshly they punish the same crimes, reflecting different beliefs about what punishment is actually for. Whether punishment should aim to rehabilitate, deter, or simply punish remains unresolved.
society-governance
global-unspecified
punishment
justice
don
agree
versus
revenge
punish
systems
around
world
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Different cultures, religions, and individuals define meaning and purpose in very different ways, with no way to prove one view more correct than another. This makes questions about how to live well deeply personal rather than settled.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
haven
found
universal
answer
meaningful
life
requires
different
cultures
religions
whether
resolved
determine
know
don
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Choices made now about climate, debt, and resource use will affect people who don't yet exist and have no voice in the decision. Philosophy hasn't settled how much weight their unheard interests should carry.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
don
have
made
agree
say
future
generations
decisions
today
choices
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When an autonomous system makes a harmful choice, moral responsibility is hard to pin on any single party, the programmer, the company, or the AI itself. Ethics hasn't caught up with the reality of decisions made without direct human involvement.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
don
have
widely
accepted
framework
deserves
blame
causes
harm
autonomous
whether
resolved
determine
know
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Climate change, inequality, and other large problems result from systems, not just individual choices, yet blame and responsibility are still often placed on individuals. How we think about this shapes both policy and personal guilt.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
climate-change
responsibility
individuals
systems
haven
agreed
bear
caused
entire
climate
change
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
More people are weighing whether having children is fair to those children, given the environmental future they may inherit. This is a deeply personal question without any broadly agreed answer.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
whether
haven
settled
ethical
bring
child
world
severe
climate
risk
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
determine
mathematics-logic
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As AI systems become more capable, questions about whether they deserve any form of moral consideration are becoming less theoretical. Society has no shared answer for where, if anywhere, that line should be drawn.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
any
don
agree
rights
intelligent
system
have
systems
become
capable
whether
resolved
know
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Because clean air and water aren't priced like other resources, they're often used or polluted without any real cost attached until the damage is severe. A better way to account for their true value could change how we protect them.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
way
value
protect
resources
like
clean
air
water
don
have
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
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.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
fund
debt
haven
solved
basic
infrastructure
poorer
nations
unsustainable
developing
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
way
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A single disruption, like a factory closure or a blocked shipping route, can ripple through global supply chains and cause shortages far from the original problem. Building more resilient systems remains a major unsolved challenge.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
supply-chain
resilient
supply
don
have
economic
system
enough
absorb
sudden
chain
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
way
