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
Future progress on human development and planetary health depends on solving traditional beliefs blocking care. Conventional approaches have proven insufficient. The required intervention must integrate community knowledge, data and appropriate technology while remaining affordable, privacy-preserving and operable with minimal external support. Strong solutions will articulate measurable impact metrics, risk mitigation strategies, and a plan for sustained operation by local actors after the pilot phase.
traditional
beliefs
blocking
care
strengthening
social-civic-problems
The problem of patents blocking access continues to affect hundreds of millions of people and undermines progress on multiple Sustainable Development Goals. Existing responses remain fragmented, under-resourced and poorly adapted to local contexts. A strong solution must operate effectively under severe constraints of skilled personnel, infrastructure, electricity and connectivity. It should define clear measurable outcomes, identify possible unintended harms, and demonstrate how the intervention can be sustained by local institutions long after initial funding ends.
patents
blocking
access
developing
scalable
other
paywalls blocking knowledge remains one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Systems currently in place are inadequate for the scale and complexity of the problem. A successful approach must work where resources are scarcest and demonstrate clear, measurable results. It should identify possible harms, respect local agency, and show how the solution can be maintained and expanded by the communities it is meant to serve.
paywalls
blocking
knowledge
designing
sustainable
other
Future progress on human development and planetary health depends on solving court fees blocking the poor. Conventional approaches have proven insufficient. The required intervention must integrate community knowledge, data and appropriate technology while remaining affordable, privacy-preserving and operable with minimal external support. Strong solutions will articulate measurable impact metrics, risk mitigation strategies, and a plan for sustained operation by local actors after the pilot phase.
court
fees
blocking
poor
scaling
social-civic-problems
The problem of zoning laws blocking mixed use continues to affect hundreds of millions of people and undermines progress on multiple Sustainable Development Goals. Existing responses remain fragmented, under-resourced and poorly adapted to local contexts. A strong solution must operate effectively under severe constraints of skilled personnel, infrastructure, electricity and connectivity. It should define clear measurable outcomes, identify possible unintended harms, and demonstrate how the intervention can be sustained by local institutions long after initial funding ends.
zoning
laws
blocking
mixed
use
society-governance
fencing blocking migration remains one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Systems currently in place are inadequate for the scale and complexity of the problem. A successful approach must work where resources are scarcest and demonstrate clear, measurable results. It should identify possible harms, respect local agency, and show how the solution can be maintained and expanded by the communities it is meant to serve.
fencing
blocking
migration
designing
sustainable
social-civic-problems
Future food production may move partly into restaurants, factories, and homes. Regulators must manage contamination, labeling, allergens, waste, and quality without blocking small innovators. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
society-governance
food
safety
regulation
cultivated
meat
household
scale
low-income
communities
must
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
systems
quantum
infrastructure
science-space
Future progress on human development and planetary health depends on solving dams blocking fish migration routes. Conventional approaches have proven insufficient. The required intervention must integrate community knowledge, data and appropriate technology while remaining affordable, privacy-preserving and operable with minimal external support. Strong solutions will articulate measurable impact metrics, risk mitigation strategies, and a plan for sustained operation by local actors after the pilot phase.
dams
blocking
fish
migration
routes
social-civic-problems
Homes that charge more for greater daylight access can deepen housing inequality and incentivise light-blocking in poorer units. The challenge is valuing natural illumination without turning it into a luxury surcharge that harms health equity.
natural
light
fairly
pricing
residential
social-civic-problems
open
Mexico, North America
Synthetic biology and AI-assisted design may create biological capabilities that are both socially valuable and potentially dangerous. The unresolved problem is building oversight that reduces misuse risk while keeping legitimate research open and productive. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
mathematics-logic
north-america
mexico
informal
settlements
regulating
frontier
biosecurity
blocking
innovation
oversight
synthetic
biology
society-governance
systems
technology-computing
public
climate-environment
Quantum capabilities could transform optimization, chemistry, intelligence, and cryptanalysis while becoming concentrated in a few states. The challenge is preventing destabilizing secrecy and unequal access without blocking peaceful scientific collaboration. The solution must produce useful coordination and accountability while minimizing collection of sensitive personal and behavioral data. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
society-governance
asia
india
quantum
international
governance
advantage
mass
surveillance
while
capabilities
transform
optimization
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
systems
without
Quantum capabilities could transform optimization, chemistry, intelligence, and cryptanalysis while becoming concentrated in a few states. The challenge is preventing destabilizing secrecy and unequal access without blocking peaceful scientific collaboration. The design must remain functional when standards, trade routes, data access, and diplomatic cooperation are unreliable. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
society-governance
asia
india
quantum
international
governance
advantage
under
geopolitical
fragmentation
access
capabilities
transform
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
systems
infrastructure
Quantum capabilities could transform optimization, chemistry, intelligence, and cryptanalysis while becoming concentrated in a few states. The challenge is preventing destabilizing secrecy and unequal access without blocking peaceful scientific collaboration. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
society-governance
quantum
international
governance
advantage
low-income
communities
capabilities
transform
optimization
chemistry
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
systems
infrastructure
science-space
safe
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some websites secretly run scripts that use a visitor's device to mine cryptocurrency without their knowledge, slowing down devices and consuming electricity without consent. Consistent detection and blocking of this practice remains incomplete across browsers.
local-regional
global-unspecified
cryptocurrency
scripts
consent
haven
solved
prevent
malicious
browser-based
mining
running
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
way
resolved
health-biology
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Robocalls and spam calls continue to reach users despite various blocking technologies, partly because scammers can spoof caller information and operate across international boundaries where enforcement is inconsistent. A fully effective, universal solution remains unbuilt.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
spam
blocking
yet
build
universally
reliable
call
works
all
telecom
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
determine
Landslides regularly cut off remote mountain roads, blocking ground vehicles from delivering critical blood units to rural hospitals.
health-biology
asia
nepal
blood
haven
developed
scalable
drone
delivery
networks
emergency
supplies
mountainous
rural
economics-resources
service
public
global-unspecified
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This means a single permanent member can stop global action on war, genocide, or humanitarian crises regardless of what the rest of the world wants. Reforming this without those same countries blocking the reform remains unresolved.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
countries
security
council
gives
five
veto
block
almost
anything
means
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Access to affordable business loans is heavily skewed toward people who already have assets or established credit, locking out many capable entrepreneurs. A fairer lending system remains an unresolved economic gap.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
business
lending
entrepreneurs
credit
yet
make
small
fair
accessible
existing
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
don
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Scammers constantly find new ways around call-blocking systems, and phone networks still let large volumes of fraudulent calls through. A truly effective, adaptive solution remains elusive.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
calls
yet
stop
spam
scam
reaching
phones
despite
years
filtering
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Dams provide clean energy and water management benefits but can block the migration routes that many freshwater fish species depend on to reproduce. Designing infrastructure that serves both human and ecological needs remains an unresolved engineering challenge.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
freshwater
fish
migration
routes
yet
fully
prevent
decline
populations
caused
whether
philosophy-ethics
climate-environment
way
haven