The Future of Happiness on Mars

On March 11, 2021, Nonfiction hosted The Future of Happiness on Mars, a lively thought-experiment-like discussion on how future humans might find happiness and flourish in an extreme, remote environment: Mars. Moderated by Phnam Bagley (Designer, Futurist, and Space Architect), the event featured an unlikely mix of thinkers, doers, dreamers, hopeful humans and agnostics:

The Spiritual Guide // Reverend Ann Burfiend (Reverend, based in Canada)

The Planetary Colonization Agnostic // Julien Girard PhD (Astronomer, Physicist, Large Telescope Scientist, based in Maryland)

The Psychologist // Sam Jenkins MSW, LCSW (Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapist, Theater Stage Designer, based in California)

The Future Martian // Rhys Yeung-Shumskas (7 year-old first grade student who loves space and manga, based in California)

The Architect // Michal Ziso (Space Architect and Equality Activist, based in Israel)

This event was designed for professionals looking to expand their mindset around transformation. It was intended to help them think deeply about what the future should look like, and inspire them to actively shape that future today.