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.
Publicly citable
Every problem has a stable citation code for reference and discussion.
Filtered by relevance
Search by category, geography, status, and keywords.
Builder-oriented
Use the repository to find startup ideas, policy leads, and research agendas.
4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
Precipitation whose nutrient profile varies by corporate cloud ownership creates uneven agricultural and health outcomes. The challenge is ensuring that atmospheric water remains compositionally neutral regardless of commercial claims.
cloud
equalising
nutritional
content
rain
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Loose aggregates behave differently from solid rock in impacts and mining. In situ missions and modeling can guide hazard mitigation and resource use.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
lack
comprehensive
models
asteroid
rubble-pile
structures
loose
aggregates
behave
differently
science-space
technology-computing
impacts
standardized
mining
society-governance
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Grief looks very different depending on cultural context, and it's unclear whether some expressions should be considered more or less appropriate than others. This unresolved question touches on cross-cultural ethics and respect for differing emotional traditions.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
grief
don
know
ethical
allow
deeply
personal
expressed
processed
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Most people naturally apply different moral standards to close relationships versus strangers, but it's unclear whether this differential treatment is ethically justified or simply an ingrained bias. This unresolved question challenges the idea of a fully impartial ethical framework.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
moral
framework
haven
figured
out
possible
justify
applies
differently
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
If aesthetic judgments are purely subjective, calling any art objectively better than another becomes philosophically difficult to defend. Yet most people act as though some works are genuinely superior, not just differently liked.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
aesthetic
haven
figured
out
whether
beauty
value
objective
entirely
dependent
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
If someone truly couldn't have chosen differently given the exact circumstances, some argue they can't be fairly held responsible, while others maintain responsibility doesn't require this kind of freedom. This unresolved debate remains central to philosophy of action.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
responsibility
have
given
haven
resolved
whether
moral
requires
ability
done
know
determine
mathematics-logic
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Policies that protect the most vulnerable often slow down broader societal advancement or economic growth, creating an unresolved tension between compassion and collective progress. Different ethical frameworks weigh this tradeoff very differently.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
ethical
vulnerable
progress
haven
figured
out
whether
prioritize
protecting
even
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
know
mathematics-logic
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Recycling facilities still rely heavily on human sorters because robotic systems struggle to reliably distinguish between similar-looking but differently recyclable materials. Improving this accuracy could significantly increase recycling efficiency worldwide.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
recycling
haven
solved
build
robotics
capable
sorting
complex
mixed
streams
systems
waste
economics-resources
management
materials
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Vaccine mandates, speed limits, and lockdown policies all raise the same underlying question of how much individual liberty should bend for collective benefit. Different people and cultures answer this very differently, with no clear resolution.
health-biology
global-unspecified
answer
haven
found
shared
personal
freedom
limited
public
good
vaccine
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
know
don