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
Stomach cancer often causes no clear symptoms until it has progressed significantly, particularly in regions without routine screening programs. Earlier, more accessible detection could substantially improve survival outcomes.
health-biology
global-unspecified
stomach
cancer
haven
found
reliable
way
detect
early-stage
becomes
advanced
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This rare but severe condition can develop rapidly after childbirth, and delays in recognition and treatment can have dangerous consequences for both mother and baby. Faster, more reliable detection and treatment protocols remain an urgent unmet need.
health-biology
global-unspecified
haven
solved
treat
postpartum
psychosis
quickly
enough
prevent
serious
harm
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
determine
resolved
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Diagnosing Alzheimer's currently often requires expensive brain imaging or invasive procedures, limiting how widely early detection can be used. A cheap, accessible blood test could change how early treatment can begin.
health-biology
global-unspecified
alzheimer
blood
test
haven
found
reliable
way
detect
early-stage
simple
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
early
don
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Glaucoma often causes irreversible vision loss before it's diagnosed, since early stages typically have no noticeable symptoms. Better early detection and prevention methods remain a pressing unmet need in eye care.
health-biology
global-unspecified
have
glaucoma
vision
loss
don
effective
way
prevent
progression
occurs
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
By the time visible symptoms of Parkinson's appear, significant neurological damage has usually already occurred, limiting how much treatment can help. Detecting the disease years earlier could open the door to more effective intervention.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
parkinson
disease
symptoms
appear
don
have
reliable
way
detect
physical
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
health-biology
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Bone density loss often goes unnoticed until a fall causes a serious fracture, by which point significant damage has already occurred. Better early detection and prevention could avoid many of these life-altering injuries.
health-biology
global-unspecified
until
fracture
haven
found
way
stop
osteoporosis
silently
weakening
bones
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Lung cancer screening guidelines are generally built around smoking history, but a meaningful share of cases occur in people who never smoked at all and often go undetected until later stages. Better screening approaches for this group remain underdeveloped.
health-biology
global-unspecified
lung
cancer
people
never
smoked
don
have
scalable
way
detect
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many new parents experience postpartum depression that goes undiagnosed or untreated for months, affecting both their wellbeing and their infant's early development. Faster detection and more accessible treatment remain unmet needs.
health-biology
global-unspecified
postpartum
depression
yet
reliably
treat
causes
lasting
harm
new
parents
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
haven
determine
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many patients with endometriosis experience years of unexplained pain before receiving an accurate diagnosis, largely because it's difficult to detect without invasive procedures. Better, faster diagnostic tools remain a major unmet need.
health-biology
global-unspecified
endometriosis
years
haven
solved
well
enough
stop
taking
diagnose
patients
philosophy-ethics
whether
way
mathematics-logic
determine
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Ovarian cancer is often called a silent disease because symptoms don't appear until it has advanced significantly. Early detection tools remain far behind those available for other common cancers.
health-biology
global-unspecified
ovarian
cancer
early
haven
developed
reliable
way
detect
treatable
often
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
don
resolved
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Pancreatic cancer often shows no clear symptoms until it has already spread, making it one of the deadliest common cancers. An affordable early screening method could dramatically improve survival rates.
health-biology
global-unspecified
pancreatic
cancer
early
haven
found
way
detect
enough
treat
successfully
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Undiagnosed vision problems in children can quietly affect school performance for years before being caught. Early, affordable screening at scale remains unavailable in many school systems worldwide.
health-biology
global-unspecified
vision
children
affect
don
have
scalable
way
detect
treat
learning
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Detecting a planet in a habitable zone is only a first step, and current tools can't yet confirm whether conditions there truly support advanced life. Refining this picture would sharpen the search for life beyond Earth.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
life
picture
don
have
complete
exoplanets
might
actually
capable
supporting
whether
resolved
determine
know
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Human trafficking networks exploit gaps between countries' laws and enforcement capacity, moving victims across borders largely undetected. A stronger, coordinated international strategy remains incomplete.
society-governance
global-unspecified
strategy
human
trafficking
borders
don
have
effective
prevent
networks
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
way
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Early detection dramatically improves skin cancer survival rates, but many people lack easy access to dermatology screening. A cheap, widely available detection tool could catch far more cases before they become dangerous.
health-biology
global-unspecified
skin
cancer
early
don
have
scalable
way
detect
simple
affordable
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Sepsis can escalate from a treatable infection to a life-threatening emergency within hours, and current diagnosis often catches it too late. Faster detection tools could dramatically reduce sepsis deaths in hospitals.
health-biology
global-unspecified
sepsis
haven
solved
detect
early
enough
prevent
becoming
fatal
escalate
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Algae blooms can quickly poison drinking water sources, sometimes going undetected until people or animals get sick. Faster, cheaper detection methods could prevent this from becoming a public health crisis.
health-biology
global-unspecified
public-health
algae
blooms
water
don
have
reliable
affordable
way
detect
toxic
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fishing fleets can evade detection in vast, poorly monitored ocean areas, undermining conservation efforts meant to protect fish populations. Better real-time monitoring at sea remains a critical unsolved gap.
society-governance
global-unspecified
fishing
fish
yet
stop
illegal
depleting
stocks
faster
regulations
respond
philosophy-ethics
whether
climate-environment
mathematics-logic
way
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Chemicals and fertilizers seep into groundwater supplies over years, often going unnoticed until wells become unsafe to drink from. Preventing this contamination before it happens remains far harder than detecting it afterward.
local-regional
global-unspecified
groundwater
contamination
haven
solved
prevent
industrial
agricultural
runoff
chemicals
fertilizers
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
resolved
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Non-native plants and animals often outcompete local species once introduced, and by the time damage is noticed, removal is difficult and expensive. Faster detection and response systems remain underdeveloped.
health-biology
global-unspecified
species
faster
stop
invasive
spreading
damaging
ecosystems
respond
non-native
plants
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
prevent