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
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for governance frameworks for the ethical use of predictive analytics in criminal justice and social services. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.
society-governance
asia
south-korea
governance
frameworks
ethical
predictive
analytics
criminal
justice
social
services
overcoming
solutions
systems
methods
scalable
ensuring
open
Ecuador, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for permafrost carbon abrupt-release early warning models are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
south-america
ecuador
models
permafrost
carbon
abrupt-release
early
warning
development
despite
recognition
its
methods
systems
society-governance
barriers
designs
open
Brazil, South America
Achieving real-time acoustic-optical networks tracking insect biomass decline at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.
economics-resources
south-america
brazil
real-time
acoustic-optical
networks
tracking
insect
biomass
decline
deployable
technologies
achieving
systems
climate-environment
society-governance
methods
real
open
Bolivia, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for inclusive digital public infrastructure resistant to both outages and capture are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
technology-computing
south-america
bolivia
inclusive
digital
public
infrastructure
resistant
both
outages
capture
deployable
technologies
climate-environment
methods
systems
society-governance
barriers
open
Canada, North America
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for interventions that reliably improve mental health outcomes at population scale creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.
society-governance
north-america
canada
mental-health
interventions
reliably
improve
mental
health
outcomes
population
scale
development
absence
solutions
systems
climate-environment
methods
open
South Africa, Africa
Women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM higher education and careers in South Africa, a gap that begins with unequal encouragement and resources at the secondary school level.
social-civic-problems
africa
south-africa
women
stem
south
increasing
representation
fields
remain
significantly
underrepresented
global-unspecified
health-biology
society-governance
Rapid urban growth in Indonesia has produced large informal settlements lacking basic infrastructure, and in-place upgrading approaches remain rare compared to displacement-driven redevelopment models.
society-governance
asia
indonesia
upgrading
informal
settlements
displacing
residents
rapid
urban
growth
has
economics-resources
systems
without
digital
open
Chile, South America
Girls in parts of Chile disproportionately drop out of secondary school due to a combination of early marriage pressure, unpaid domestic labor expectations, and lack of safe transportation to school.
social-civic-problems
south-america
chile
school
secondary
girls
reducing
dropout
rates
among
parts
disproportionately
education
remain
gaps
global-unspecified
asia
open
Colombia, South America
Current approaches to housing and land systems that prevent displacement during climate-driven migration either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.
social-civic-problems
south-america
colombia
systems
housing
land
prevent
displacement
during
climate-driven
migration
practical
realization
society-governance
climate-environment
technology-computing
enabling
under
open
Ecuador, South America
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for mechanisms for aligning the incentives of technology companies with broader societal goals are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.
climate-environment
south-america
ecuador
mechanisms
aligning
incentives
technology
companies
broader
societal
goals
integrated
pathways
methods
systems
barriers
society-governance
designs
Develop enforceable, worker-centered protections for safety, pay, benefits, bargaining, and grievance resolution outside conventional employment. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
economics-resources
africa
nigeria
informal
settlements
worker
protection
fragmented
economies
develop
enforceable
worker-centered
protections
communities
society-governance
public
social-civic-problems
remote
Create accountable methods for prioritizing limited water, housing, health, energy, and social-protection resources without reinforcing local inequality. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where existing solutions often assume stable institutions, high incomes, continuous connectivity, or centralized service delivery.
social-civic-problems
africa
nigeria
resources
informal
settlements
transparent
allocation
scarce
public
create
accountable
methods
economics-resources
society-governance
communities
worker
protection
open
Brazil, South America
Develop portable and affordable tests for diseases that disproportionately affect poor and remote communities and currently require skilled microscopy or invasive sampling.
health-biology
south-america
brazil
diseases
non-invasive
diagnostics
neglected
tropical
develop
portable
affordable
tests
disproportionately
remote
communities
island
society-governance
social-civic-problems
Develop affordable, durable coatings, roofs, walls, and textiles that reduce indoor heat without high energy use or toxic material tradeoffs.
economics-resources
asia
india
heat
robust
materials
passive
cooling
extreme
develop
affordable
durable
coatings
society-governance
climate-environment
systems
designs
high
open
United States, North America
Develop accessible multidimensional diagnostics and treatments for chronic pain that reduce reliance on addictive medications while avoiding dismissal of patient suffering.
health-biology
north-america
united-states
chronic
pain
understanding
treating
opioid
dependence
develop
accessible
multidimensional
diagnostics
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
mathematics-logic
open
United States, North America
Create standards, repositories, incentives, training, and connectivity solutions that allow scientists outside elite institutions to access and contribute reproducible data.
society-governance
north-america
united-states
data
institutions
making
research
reusable
low-resource
create
standards
repositories
incentives
economics-resources
systems
public
technology-computing
climate-environment
Develop lower-waste consumables, chemical substitution, energy-efficient equipment, and procurement systems without compromising scientific rigor.
climate-environment
europe
germany
reducing
environmental
footprint
laboratory
research
develop
lower-waste
consumables
chemical
substitution
systems
society-governance
technology-computing
procurement
economics-resources
Develop strains, feedstocks, reactors, safety protocols, and business models that can produce nutritious proteins without depending on costly imported inputs.
society-governance
asia
india
affordable
precision
fermentation
low-resource
food
systems
develop
strains
feedstocks
reactors
climate-environment
safety
ensuring
low
resource
open
United Kingdom, Europe
Develop privacy-respecting tools that help detect progression and treatment response in Parkinson's, epilepsy, dementia, and other disorders outside specialist centers.
mathematics-logic
europe
united-kingdom
disorders
low-cost
monitoring
neurological
everyday
settings
develop
privacy-respecting
tools
help
health-biology
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
Create validated organoid, organ-on-chip, computational, and regulatory approaches that better predict human outcomes while reducing animal use.
society-governance
animal
human
scalable
alternatives
testing
complex
biology
create
validated
organoid
ethical
philosophy-ethics
systems
reducing
protocols
long
methods
