Zetema

ζήτημα — a question worth seeking an answer to

Every problem is a question the world is asking.

Real problems from every place, each tied to its sources. Sit with one. Understand it. Then build what solves it.

Explore problemsStart building

The index holds 130 problems, traced to 99 sources. They wait for the first voice to say which should be solved.

“The Analytical Engine weaves algebraical patterns just as the Jacquard-loom weaves flowers and leaves.”
Ada Lovelace · Notes on Menabrea's Sketch of the Analytical Engine, Note A (1843)

Words for whoever builds today

Problems

What people in European Union want solved

Where European Union

  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Security & privacy · Anywhere

    Yarn users can't block a package update that suddenly arrives without the provenance its earlier versions had.

    Solved looks like

    A Yarn plugin or patch that, at install time, fails with a clear message when a package that had provenance in earlier versions resolves to a version without it. Tested against a local test registry with a downgrade case and a never-had-provenance case.

    Proof2 sources · 3 quoted claims · github.com/axios, github.com/yarnpkg · Apr 2026

    Market59 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 21 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
    4. Building
    5. Solved
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  • Kit readyA semester

    Web & mobile · Anywhere

    Android users can't easily back up their phone to a computer on their own Wi-Fi.

    Solved looks like

    A way for a phone to back up to a computer on the same Wi-Fi without a public certificate, for example a small desktop helper that serves WebDAV over HTTPS with a certificate the phone trusts after a one-time pairing. Shown working with a full backup and restore of at least 10 apps.

    Proof2 sources · 3 quoted claims · github.com/seedvault-app, news.ycombinator.com · Oct 2026

    Market7 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 21 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
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  • Kit readyA semester

    Infra & DevOps · Anywhere

    Prometheus operators can't keep important metrics longer than unimportant ones.

    Solved looks like

    A prototype in Prometheus's storage compaction that drops series matching a configured selector once they pass their own retention, with a benchmark of disk saved on a sample dataset and written answers to the scope questions raised in the issue.

    Proof1 source · 4 quoted claims · github.com/prometheus · Sep 2026

    Market20 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 21 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
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  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Data & pipelines · Anywhere

    Data teams on Airflow 3 don't get their pipeline-level failure alerts, because the callback never runs.

    Solved looks like

    A test that reproduces the bug on current main, and a fix so a DAG-level failure callback fires exactly once when a run fails, including on timeout, checked with LocalExecutor and KubernetesExecutor.

    Proof1 source · 4 quoted claims · github.com/apache · Jul 2026

    Market1 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 21 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
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  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Accessibility · Anywhere

    Screen-reader users in JupyterLab aren't told when things happen on screen, because the app has no shared way to announce them.

    Solved looks like

    A JupyterLab plugin with a public announce() function and settings to turn announcements off and set a delay, old messages cleared automatically, and at least one real feature using it. Tested with NVDA and VoiceOver.

    Proof1 source · 3 quoted claims · github.com/jupyterlab · May 2026

    Market2 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 19 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
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  • Kit readyA weekend

    Hardware & IoT · Anywhere

    People tracking a Meshtastic radio can't tell when its position is old.

    Solved looks like

    When a node's phone-supplied position has not been updated for a set time, it marks the position as last known with its age, and the app shows ‘last known, X minutes ago’. Checked by disconnecting the phone and watching the flag appear.

    Proof1 source · 3 quoted claims · github.com/meshtastic · Oct 2025

    Market3 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 21 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
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    3. Wanted (next)
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  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Hardware & IoT · Anywhere

    Meshtastic radio owners can't stop the GPS draining the battery while the device sits still.

    Solved looks like

    A firmware option that puts the GPS into low-power mode after a set time with no motion and wakes it on movement. On a bench test with an accelerometer-equipped node, current draw measured with a USB power meter drops while still and position updates resume within a minute of moving.

    Proof1 source · 3 quoted claims · github.com/meshtastic · Jun 2026

    Market7 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 21 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
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    3. Wanted (next)
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  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Developer tools · Anywhere

    Developers can't easily keep track of which agent skills they have installed or whether they still work.

    Solved looks like

    A command-line tool that lists every skill installed across agents on a machine, flags duplicates and broken file references, checks each SKILL.md against the spec, and runs each skill's example prompts as a smoke test. Demonstrated on a folder of 20 community skills.

    Proof2 sources · 3 quoted claims · news.ycombinator.com, agentskills.io · Sep 2026

    Market320 points on Hacker News

    Kit5 steps · 15 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
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    5. Solved
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  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Developer tools · Anywhere

    Python developers using uv can't cap how much disk its cache uses.

    Solved looks like

    A design note and prototype for an opt-in size limit that removes least-recently-used entries after an install, without breaking other uv processes running at the same time. Tested by filling a cache past the limit and checking it ends under the limit while recent packages still install offline.

    Proof2 sources · 3 quoted claims · github.com/astral-sh, docs.astral.sh · Sep 2026

    Market56 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 20 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
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    3. Wanted (next)
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  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Infra & DevOps · Anywhere

    Teams that chat on Matrix can't get Alertmanager alerts there without running a separate bridge.

    Solved looks like

    A Matrix receiver in Alertmanager configured with homeserver address, room id and an access token read from a file, posting firing and resolved alerts with the standard templates, with an integration test against a local Matrix server in Docker.

    Proof1 source · 3 quoted claims · github.com/prometheus · May 2026

    Market21 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 20 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
    4. Building
    5. Solved
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  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Security & privacy · Anywhere

    Meshtastic users can't share their location on the mesh without risking showing where they live.

    Solved looks like

    A firmware setting for up to three privacy zones (centre and radius). Inside a zone, the position sent is rounded to the zone's precision; outside, the normal setting applies. Checked on a bench node with simulated GPS that the exact home position is never transmitted.

    Proof1 source · 3 quoted claims · github.com/meshtastic · Oct 2025

    Market11 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 22 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
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  • Kit readyA weekend

    Security & privacy · Anywhere

    Security scanners can't match some OSV vulnerability records by package URL because OSV.dev has no conversion for those ecosystems.

    Solved looks like

    Each remaining ecosystem gets a PURL converter with tests using the type in the PURL spec, or is listed as having no PURL equivalent, and a test fails whenever a new ecosystem is added without either.

    Proof1 source · 3 quoted claims · github.com/google · Oct 2026

    Market1 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 21 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
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    5. Solved
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  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Web & mobile · Anywhere

    Riders who spot a wrong bus or train time in an app have no easy way to tell whoever publishes the data.

    Solved looks like

    A small web service and form: given a Transitous trip id, it works out which feed the trip came from, returns the right contact (or says none is known) and a prefilled report. Tested on 20 trips from different feeds.

    Proof1 source · 3 quoted claims · github.com/public-transport · Oct 2026

    Market5 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 22 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
    4. Building
    5. Solved
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  • Kit readyA weekend

    AI & agents · Anywhere

    Python developers building MCP tools lose their argument descriptions, so the model never sees them.

    Solved looks like

    A pull request that fills each argument's description in the tool schema from Google, NumPy or Sphinx style docstrings, leaves the schema unchanged when there is no docstring, and has tests for each style.

    Proof1 source · 3 quoted claims · github.com/modelcontextprotocol · Jun 2026

    Market16 reactions on the issue

    Kit5 steps · 20 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
    4. Building
    5. Solved
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  • Kit readyA weekend

    AI & agents · Anywhere

    Developers can't give a coding agent read-only access to a server or database without approving every command by hand.

    Solved looks like

    A small, documented setup (script or container image) that gives an agent a shell and a PostgreSQL connection where reads run without prompts and every write is refused by account permissions, not by text matching. Checkable with a test list of 30 commands and queries (15 reads, 15 writes, including tricky ones like find -delete or SELECT ... INTO) where every write fails and every read works.

    Proof2 sources · 3 quoted claims · news.ycombinator.com, genai.owasp.org · Jan 2026

    Market85 points on Hacker News

    Kit5 steps · 17 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
    4. Building
    5. Solved
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  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Developer tools · Anywhere

    Desktop GIFs users can't post GIF comments on YouTube from a computer.

    Solved looks like

    A desktop YouTube user can post a GIF comment with the extension and it stays up after reloading the page.

    Proof1 source · 4 quoted claims · github.com/rayytor · Oct 2026

    MarketNot sized yet

    Kit5 steps · 20 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
    4. Building
    5. Solved
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    Be the first to want this solved. Nobody is building it yet.

  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Climate & energy · Anywhere

    Web developers using CO2.js can't produce a standard Software Carbon Intensity score for their site.

    Solved looks like

    An sci() function in CO2.js that takes operational emissions, embodied emissions and a functional unit and returns a score, with unit tests based on the SCI specification and a documented page-visit example.

    Proof2 sources · 3 quoted claims · github.com/thegreenwebfoundation, sci.greensoftware.foundation · Dec 2025

    MarketNot sized yet

    Kit5 steps · 19 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
    4. Building
    5. Solved
    Open the kit →

    Be the first to want this solved. Nobody is building it yet.

  • Kit readyA few weeks

    Accessibility · Anywhere

    Screen-reader users in Thunderbird for Android can't reach the quick actions sighted users get by swiping.

    Solved looks like

    Every configured swipe action is offered as a TalkBack action on each message in the list users actually get, confirmed on a real device by a TalkBack user.

    Proof1 source · 3 quoted claims · github.com/thunderbird · Sep 2026

    MarketNot sized yet

    Kit5 steps · 16 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
    4. Building
    5. Solved
    Open the kit →

    Be the first to want this solved. Nobody is building it yet.

  • Kit readyA weekend

    Data & pipelines · Anywhere

    Metabase admins can't tell whether an alert was skipped on purpose or broke.

    Solved looks like

    The admin task history shows three distinct states, delivered, skipped because there were no results, and failed, with an automated test for each.

    Proof1 source · 3 quoted claims · github.com/metabase · Sep 2026

    MarketNot sized yet

    Kit5 steps · 22 tools · starter prompt ready

    1. Sourced (done)
    2. Kit (done)
    3. Wanted (next)
    4. Building
    5. Solved
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    Be the first to want this solved. Nobody is building it yet.

The pantheon

Wisdom to see it. Craft to fix it.

Old emblems for the work of solving real problems for a community, from Greek, Indian and Egyptian traditions. Each keeps watch over a part of Zetema.

Wisdom and learning

Seeing a problem clearly, and telling truth from noise.

  • Athena’s owl

    Greek goddess of wisdom and craft; her owl sees in the dark.

    Sources and proof

  • Sarasvatī’s haṃsa

    Goddess of knowledge; her swan parts milk from water.

    Every brief

  • Thoth’s ibis

    Egyptian god of writing and reckoning.

    The market read

  • Bṛhaspati

    Teacher of the gods, linked with the planet Jupiter.

    The builder’s path

Craft and work

Making the thing, and putting it in people’s hands.

  • Prometheus’s fire

    Brought fire, and with it craft, to people.

    Builders

  • Viśvakarmā’s tools

    The divine architect, honoured by engineers.

    Forks and fixes

  • Hephaestus’s anvil

    Greek god of the forge and of makers.

    Building in progress

  • Seshat’s star

    Egyptian goddess of measuring and records.

    Verified fixes

Prosperity

Value that reaches people: the market, tenders and sponsors.

  • Lakṣmī’s lotus

    Goddess of prosperity; her companion is also an owl.

    Market and tenders

  • Kubera’s treasury

    Keeper of wealth in Hindu tradition.

    Sponsors

  • Plutus’s horn

    Greek god of wealth; the horn of plenty.

    Pledges

  • Demeter’s wheat

    Greek goddess of harvest and abundance.

    Food and land problems

Beginnings and teaching

The first step, and passing knowledge on.

  • Eos’s dawn

    Greek goddess of daybreak: every day begins again.

    First wants, empty pages

  • Hermes’s staff

    Messenger and guide of travellers and trade.

    Sharing and invites

  • Dakṣiṇāmūrti’s banyan

    Śiva as teacher, seated under a banyan tree.

    Learning and challenges

  • Athena’s loom

    Weaving: many threads, one cloth.

    Community

The council

They asked hard questions too.

Each portrait is drawn from the shape of a thinker’s work, not their face. Their words travel with the problems and kits they fit.

Socrates

Athens · 5th c. BCE

Asked until the answer held. A spiral of questions.

Gārgī Vācaknavī

Videha · Upaniṣadic age

Asked what the world is woven upon. Warp and weft.

Āryabhaṭa

Kusumapura · 499 CE

Taught that the earth turns. Orbits within orbits.

Hypatia

Alexandria · c. 400 CE

Taught the conic sections. Circle, ellipse, parabola.

Pāṇini

Gandhāra · c. 4th c. BCE

Wrote a whole language as rules. A lattice.

Archimedes

Syracuse · 3rd c. BCE

Moved the earth, in principle. The lever and the spiral.

How it works

I · Seek

Every problem is drawn from public sources, and every claim points at its quote. What cannot be quoted is left out.

“Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light.”

असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय।

asato mā sad gamaya, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad · 1.3.28

II · Gather

People who live a problem say they want it solved and what it is worth to them. Nobody is charged.

“That which is not good for the swarm, neither is it good for the bee.”
Marcus Aurelius · Meditations 6.54 (tr. G. Long)

III · Build and verify

Builders take up a problem and ship. It counts as solved only when the people who have it say it worked.

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”
Isaac Newton · letter to Robert Hooke, 5 February 1675/6

For builders

Take up a problem and build what solves it.

Every problem comes with a builder's kit. Reach the people who said they would test it once you have something to try.

Start building →

For tool makers and companies

Sponsor a problem builders care about.

Put your tool next to real demand. Sponsorship is labelled and never changes a brief or its ranking.

Sponsor a challenge →