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
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
Maternal death rates in some parts of the world remain drastically higher than in wealthy nations, despite childbirth being a universal human experience. Making safe childbirth truly global remains an unmet basic need.
health-biology
global-unspecified
childbirth
safe
wealthy
haven
solved
make
pregnancy
everywhere
not
just
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
resolved
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
Wealthier countries can screen for many rare genetic conditions at birth, but most of the world's newborns are never tested. Expanding this access could catch treatable conditions before irreversible damage occurs.
health-biology
global-unspecified
rare
genetic
newborns
don
have
scalable
way
detect
diseases
everywhere
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
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
Kids today are developing weight-related health problems that used to appear mostly in adults, and this trend is accelerating globally. Solving it needs more than individual willpower, it needs changes to food systems and environments.
health-biology
global-unspecified
stop
rise
childhood
obesity
related
diseases
worldwide
needs
kids
today
whether
health
philosophy-ethics
access
determine
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Once the spinal cord is severely damaged, current medicine offers little hope of restoring movement. Advances in nerve regeneration and brain-computer interfaces are promising but not yet a real cure.
health-biology
global-unspecified
cure
spinal
don
have
forms
paralysis
caused
injury
once
cord
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
way
mathematics-logic
open
United States, North America
Thousands of people die every year waiting for organs that never become available. Lab-grown organs or better donation systems could close this life-threatening gap.
technology-computing
north-america
united-states
organs
haven
solved
shortage
donor
transplants
thousands
people
die
every
global-unspecified
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Diet and exercise advice hasn't solved the obesity epidemic, and the biological reasons weight loss is so hard to sustain remain only partly understood. A deeper understanding could lead to treatments that actually last.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
obesity
hard
fully
explain
treat
long-term
people
diet
exercise
advice
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
haven
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Detecting serious illness usually still requires multiple separate tests, doctor visits, and significant cost, which many people simply skip. A single affordable screening test could catch problems that currently go unnoticed for years.
health-biology
global-unspecified
test
don
have
cheap
at-home
screen
major
diseases
once
detecting
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
way
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions often go undetected until symptoms are already severe. Earlier, more reliable prediction could allow prevention instead of just treatment after the fact.
health-biology
global-unspecified
mental-health
reliable
mental
haven
found
way
predict
will
develop
illness
starts
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Once the optic or auditory nerves are damaged beyond a certain point, current medicine can't restore lost sight or hearing. Emerging nerve regeneration research is promising but still far from practical treatment.
health-biology
global-unspecified
nerve
reverse
blindness
deafness
caused
damage
cases
once
optic
auditory
philosophy-ethics
whether
don
resolved
way
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some people reach old age with sharp minds and healthy bodies, while others decline much earlier, and genetics only explains part of it. Understanding this gap could extend healthy years of life for far more people.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
people
some
age
others
don
fully
understand
slower
healthy
reach
whether
resolved
haven
determine
know
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Millions of people with chronic pain are stuck choosing between inadequate relief or medications that carry serious addiction risk. A safer, equally effective alternative remains one of medicine's most requested breakthroughs.
health-biology
global-unspecified
chronic
pain
addiction
haven
solved
well
enough
treat
risking
millions
philosophy-ethics
whether
way
determine
resolved
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Bacteria are evolving resistance faster than pharmaceutical companies are creating new antibiotics to fight them. Left unresolved, common infections could become deadly again within a few decades.
health-biology
global-unspecified
bacteria
faster
new
antibiotics
stop
antibiotic-resistant
spreading
develop
evolving
resistance
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
determine
prevent
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some cancers are caught early and treated successfully, while others are found too late simply because no cheap, accurate screening exists for them. Broader early detection could save far more lives than treatment breakthroughs alone.
health-biology
global-unspecified
early
screening
don
have
affordable
cancer
catches
every
type
enough
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
way
resolved
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Hundreds of different viruses cause cold symptoms, making a single cure extremely difficult to develop. It remains one of medicine's most familiar yet unsolved problems.
health-biology
global-unspecified
cure
cold
haven
found
common
despite
decades
trying
hundreds
different
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
determine
resolved
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Organ transplants still require lifelong drugs to stop the body from attacking the new organ, and many patients never get a match at all. Lab-grown organs from a patient's own cells could eliminate both problems.
health-biology
global-unspecified
organs
patient
body
grow
replacement
won
reject
organ
transplants
require
haven
whether
philosophy-ethics
north-america
united-states
solved
open
United States, North America
The flu virus mutates constantly, forcing a new vaccine guess every year that sometimes misses the mark. A universal flu vaccine could end this annual guessing game and prevent thousands of deaths.
health-biology
north-america
united-states
vaccine
flu
universal
don
have
protects
against
all
strains
virus
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
determine
whether
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis occur when the body attacks itself, and current treatments mostly suppress symptoms rather than fix the root cause. Millions live with lifelong management instead of a real cure.
health-biology
global-unspecified
cure
symptoms
autoimmune
diseases
only
manage
conditions
like
lupus
rheumatoid
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
mathematics-logic
don
haven
