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
General relativity governs massive scale gravity while quantum mechanics governs atomic scales, but they break down together at black hole singularities. Developing a unified Theory of Quantum Gravity is the holy grail of theoretical physics.
science-space
global-unspecified
quantum
mechanics
general
relativity
theories
remain
fundamentally
incompatible
governs
gravity
technology-computing
mathematics-logic
whether
philosophy-ethics
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some inequality is often seen as a natural result of differing effort or luck, but there's no agreed threshold for when it becomes unjust. Different political philosophies answer this question in fundamentally incompatible ways.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
answer
inequality
don
have
shared
economic
fair
society
tolerate
some
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Data breaches exposing millions of passwords happen with striking regularity, despite widespread awareness of the problem. A more fundamentally secure approach to authentication is still needed.
health-biology
global-unspecified
breaches
haven
found
way
stop
password
happening
regularly
data
exposing
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
prevent
resolved
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
If P equaled NP, countless hard problems in logistics, cryptography, and optimization could be solved efficiently, but most computer scientists suspect they can't. This remains the most famous open question in computer science.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
whether
don
know
equals
some
fundamentally
harder
solve
check
computer
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
mathematics-logic
possible
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some mathematical truths may be true but fundamentally unprovable within any given formal system, a possibility raised by Gödel's work but not fully mapped out for all classes of statements. This unresolved boundary shapes the philosophy of computation.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
true
given
don
know
whether
every
statement
whole
numbers
eventually
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
mathematics-logic
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
While average behavior is well understood statistically, predicting the exact factor count for any specific number without direct calculation remains fundamentally elusive. This unresolved question touches the probabilistic side of number theory.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
number
predicting
don
know
whether
possible
find
general
rule
exactly
haven
resolved
philosophy-ethics
every
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Physical pain, emotional distress, and existential anguish may all count as suffering, but it's unclear whether they deserve identical moral weight or should be treated as fundamentally different categories. This unresolved question complicates how we compare and prioritize different kinds of harm.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
all
suffering
don
know
possible
justify
treating
forms
ethically
resolved
haven
mathematics-logic
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some argue all intentional deception is equally wrong regardless of motive, while others believe compassionate lies deserve a fundamentally different ethical category. This unresolved tension remains central to debates on the ethics of honesty.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
lies
different
haven
resolved
whether
possible
justify
treating
certain
like
know
mathematics-logic
determine
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Competitive and cooperative instincts can pull people in opposite directions, and it's unclear whether a person or system can genuinely embody both without one undermining the other. This unresolved tension appears throughout economics, sports, and interpersonal relationships.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
whether
haven
figured
out
possible
justify
treating
certain
forms
competitiveness
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
mathematics-logic
determine
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Consequentialist and deontological ethics offer fundamentally different answers, and thought experiments pitting them against each other rarely produce consensus. This tension underlies many real-world moral dilemmas.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
its
don
have
agreed
way
determine
whether
action
wrong
because
resolved
know
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some philosophical traditions argue coming into existence carries a built-in risk of harm that non-existence avoids entirely, while most people intuitively value life as a good in itself. This unresolved debate underlies serious questions in population ethics.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
existence
itself
good
don
know
whether
considered
fundamentally
neutral
something
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some argue outcomes matter most regardless of how they were achieved, while others believe the means used fundamentally taint the value of the result. This unresolved tension appears throughout debates in both personal ethics and public policy.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
achieved
means
value
don
have
resolved
way
determine
whether
good
know
haven
mathematics-logic
ethical