These rankings (below) are a compilation of my favorite world-changing problems.
- I currently have 16 big problems to solve, ranked in my order of highest expected positive impact if they were solved.
- I also have ideas for 84 potential solutions, three of which I’ve created into startups.
This project is inspired by one of my favorite quotes:
“You have to keep a dozen of your favorite problems constantly present in your mind, although by and large they will lay in a dormant state. Every time you hear or read a new trick or a new result, test it against each of your twelve problems to see whether it helps. Every once in a while there will be a hit, and people will say, ‘How did he do it? He must be a genius!”
— Richard Feynman (via Gian-Carlo Rota, Indiscrete Thoughts)
I’m also inspired by my version of the Hamming Questions:
- “What are the world’s biggest problems?”
- “Why aren’t you working on them?
There are way too many important problems in the world for any one person to solve, which is why I’m sharing them all here so we can get more people organized around all of these problems.
As I refine these ideas, I’m pushing myself to work in public and document more of my thought processes. I have started to publish my notes on potential solutions and will link these notes here once they’re live.
So my two ultimate goals for this project are:
- Start a constructive debate about the world’s biggest problems and best solutions.
- Convince everyone to work on the biggest possible ideas.
Let’s riff and refine on this list – share your big ideas on Twitter and tag me @neilthanedar for a response!
The World’s Biggest Problems:
| Ranking: | Problems: | Solutions: |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maximize Human Potential | 1. Personal Capital: Utopic Ventures 2. Indie Startups: Utopic Studio 3. Utopiaforming 4. Open Metaverse 5. Legalize Psychedelics |
| 2 | Optimize Science For Good | 6. Commodify Detoxification 7. OpenAI for Biology 8. DNA Composer 9. Commodify Lab Testing 10. Petrochemical Alternatives |
| 3 | Optimize Government for Good | 11. US Digital Dollars 12. New Bill of Rights 13. Progressive Regulation 14. Independent Auditors 15. Redistribute Spending 16. End Corporate Warfare |
| 4 | Scale Clean Energy Cheaply | 17. Modern HVAC 18. Decentralized Utilities 19. Normalize Nuclear Energy 20. Commodify Decarbonization 21. Moore’s Law for Everything |
| 5 | Scale Quality Healthcare Cheaply | 22. Universal Healthcare + Private Option 23. Nonprofit Pharmaceuticals 24. Nonprofit Medical Devices: Air to All 25. Decentralized Clinical Trials 26. Personalized Medicine 27. Consumer Diagnostics |
| 6 | Scale Quality Education Cheaply | 28. Universal Preschool 29. Personalized Learning 30. Microschool Platform 31. Full-Stack Schools 32. ISAs for Vocational Education |
| 7 | Scale Quality Information Cheaply | 33. OpenAI for Data 34. Open Access Movement 35. Long-Term News 36. Build A Third Brain |
| 8 | End Poverty | 37. Federal Job Guarantees 38. Social Investments 39. International Peace Corps 40. Rise of Human Jobs 41. Peak (and Decline) Population |
| 9 | Prevent Suicides | 42. Hyperthymic Antidepressants 43. Secure Firearms 44. Trusted Therapy Network 45. Men’s Groups 46. AI as Companion |
| 10 | Defend Water Supply | 47. Defend the Antarctic Ice Sheet 48. Defend The Great Lakes 49. Automate Water Testing 50. Commodify Desalination 51. Filtering Faucet |
| 11 | Regulate Food Supply | 52. Modern Ethnobiology 53. Universal Food Security 54. Independent Testing: Labdoor 55. Crypto Certifications: TEST 56. Recreate Ancient Foods |
| 12 | Protect Individual Liberties | 57. Cryptocountries 58. Decentralized Failsafes 59. Zero-Knowledge Services 60. Decentralized Internet 61. The Rise of Pseudonyms 62. Free People > Free Markets |
| 13 | Counter Authoritarianism | 63. Unbundle The Police 64. Criminal Justice Reforms 65. Civil Justice Reforms 66. DAOs for Everything 67. Robot Malpractice Laws |
| 14 | Recruit Independents Into Politics | 68. Ranked Voting 69. Cryptographic Voting 70. YC for Politicians 71. Independents Movement 72. End Majority Rule |
| 15 | Promote Independent Businesses | 73. Founder Accelerator 74. Fractionalize Everything 75. YC for Manufacturing 76. Open Crowdfunding 77. Start A Business Today 78. 0% Interest Business Loans |
| 16 | Value Impact > Labor > Capital | 79. The Next GDP 80. Capitalism 2.0 81. Open Banking Platform 82. Nonprofit Startups 83. Open Challenge Contracts 84. Fast Grants |