Published on September 24, 2025 3:00 PM GMT

Metaphors and short explanations have a large influence on how we think. But most of our common reference points lean dystopian: P(doom), the paperclip maximizer, Black Mirror, Brave New World, 1984, the list goes on. Where are the equally compelling ones for positive futures; abundant clean energy, infinite knowledge, no infectious disease, no poverty, solved aging, effective global coordination?

There has been some valuable recent work on this, such as the Better Futures series by Will MacAskill and Fin Moorhouse, which explores how to think more seriously about positive trajectories. Still, there’s a lot of space left for cultural references that can stick as easily as the dystopian ones.

As one small step toward filling this gap, we are launching the Existential Hope Meme Prize offering $10,000 for the best meme that conveys a hopeful vision of the future.

This project was first suggested at Vision Weekend Europe 2024. Much thanks to Ben Cumming and Jan Kulveit for this idea. 

Details and submissions here: existentialhope.com/existential-hope-meme-prize

We’d appreciate your help spreading the word, and of course, if you make memes yourself we’d love to see your submissions!