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
AI models trained on real-world data often absorb and sometimes amplify existing societal biases, and current bias correction methods only partially address the problem. A more complete solution remains an active and unresolved area of research.
society-governance
global-unspecified
biases
data
haven
solved
make
systems
consistently
avoid
reproducing
present
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
mathematics-logic
resolved
Medical brain drain to Europe and the Gulf worsens staff shortages, especially in rural clinics. Task-shifting to trained community health workers and telemedicine could partially offset shortages.
health-biology
africa
has
fewer
doctors
per
000
people
countries
shortages
medical
social-civic-problems
rural
task
shifting
designing
health
remains
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Mars (0.38g) and the Moon (0.16g) have partial gravity levels whose long-term impact on embryo development is completely unknown. Ground-based and orbital partial-gravity mammalian centrifuges are required.
society-governance
global-unspecified
mammalian
development
partial
gravity
not
know
gestation
safely
occur
mars
mathematics-logic
whether
philosophy-ethics
fully
climate-environment
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Older adults with weakened immune systems remain at ongoing risk of repeated pneumonia infections despite vaccination and preventive care, and current prevention strategies only partially reduce this risk. A more effective, targeted approach remains needed.
health-biology
global-unspecified
vaccination
pneumonia
weakened
immune
systems
yet
fully
prevent
recurrence
elderly
patients
whether
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Hormonal changes after menopause accelerate bone loss, increasing fracture risk, and current prevention methods only partially offset this decline. A more effective, targeted prevention approach remains needed.
health-biology
global-unspecified
bone
loss
menopause
yet
fully
prevent
density
occurs
prevention
hormonal
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The vast majority of autoimmune disease diagnoses occur in women, and the biological reasons behind this imbalance remain only partially understood. A clearer answer could open new treatment approaches for both sexes.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
autoimmune
women
haven
solved
diseases
disproportionately
affect
men
vast
majority
health-biology
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
yet
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Chronic sinus inflammation affects a large number of people and current treatments, from medication to surgery, often only partially resolve symptoms long-term. A more definitive treatment remains undeveloped.
health-biology
global-unspecified
chronic
haven
found
reliable
cure
sinusitis
works
majority
sufferers
sinus
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
way
resolved
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fertility treatments like IVF help many people conceive, but success rates still drop significantly with age due to biological factors that current medicine can't fully reverse. Understanding and addressing this decline remains incomplete.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
fertility
age
current
treatments
haven
solved
declines
ways
only
partially
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
resolved
determine
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Millions of people experience debilitating, unpredictable migraines that current treatments only partially control, and the underlying biological triggers remain incompletely understood. More precise treatment based on individual causes remains out of reach.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
migraines
people
haven
solved
chronic
affect
some
far
severely
others
philosophy-ethics
whether
health-biology
resolved
determine
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When judges' careers, safety, or institutional funding depend on staying in the government's good graces, their ability to rule impartially against powerful officials can be compromised. Protecting judicial independence from this kind of pressure remains an ongoing struggle.
society-governance
global-unspecified
pressure
ability
rule
against
government
constitutional
courts
some
countries
face
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
local
improving
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Regulators sometimes come from, or later move into, the very industries they oversee, raising ongoing concerns about impartiality. Structural solutions to this revolving door problem remain inconsistently applied.
health-biology
global-unspecified
regulators
industries
don
have
reliable
way
prevent
conflicts
interest
among
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A meaningful share of people who contracted COVID-19 continue experiencing fatigue, brain fog, or other symptoms long after recovery, with no reliably effective treatment yet available. This remains a significant and only partially understood health burden.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
effective
long
symptoms
don
have
way
treat
covid
persist
months
whether
determine
health-biology
resolved
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Food allergy rates have been rising for decades, and the exact reasons behind this trend remain only partially understood. Understanding the cause could help prevent, not just manage, this growing health issue.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
food
yet
stop
allergies
becoming
common
children
worldwide
allergy
rates
whether
philosophy-ethics
health-biology
way
determine
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A small number of people show natural resistance to certain infections or conditions, and understanding why could reveal entirely new treatment approaches. This resistance remains only partially understood at a genetic level.
health-biology
global-unspecified
people
haven
solved
some
naturally
resistant
diseases
affect
nearly
everyone
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This is the famous Halting Problem, proven impossible to solve in full generality, yet many partial and practical questions around predicting program behavior remain actively studied. This shapes the theoretical limits of what computers can ever determine about themselves.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
program
whether
determine
don
know
possible
build
computer
always
any
haven
resolved
philosophy-ethics
mathematics-logic
every
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Related conjectures about how primes combine remain only partially proven for specific ranges, without a fully general confirmed pattern. This connects to broader unresolved questions about the additive structure of prime numbers.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
prime
proven
numbers
haven
whether
every
sufficiently
large
number
written
know
possible
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Partition numbers grow in a complex, only partially understood way, and while excellent approximations exist, a complete exact predictive formula for all cases remains elusive. This continues to be an active area within combinatorics and number theory.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
number
partition
numbers
understood
haven
proven
whether
distinct
ways
any
know
possible
philosophy-ethics
resolved
every
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Graph theory offers many partial answers about guaranteed patterns within large networks, but a fully general and complete theory covering every possible network structure remains incomplete. This affects our understanding of everything from social networks to biological systems.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
every
network
haven
determined
whether
sufficiently
complex
connections
must
always
possible
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Combinatorial geometry problems like this remain partially solved for specific shapes and configurations, but a fully general guarantee across all possible line arrangements is still unproven. This connects visual intuition with rigorous mathematical guarantees.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
like
specific
haven
resolved
whether
every
finite
set
straight
lines
know
possible
philosophy-ethics
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Various conjectures link the number of prime factors a number has to specific patterns of behavior, but many of these connections remain only partially proven. This continues to be explored within analytic number theory.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
number
prime
factors
has
don
know
whether
exact
minimum
distinct
haven
possible
every
resolved
philosophy-ethics
mathematical