For those lucky enough, March is the time to saddle up because in a week, the city of Austin, Texas, will host the 2016 SXSW Interactive Festival. And as you may have guessed, Innovators Peak will be there. Guaranteed to be full of exciting events and good times, SXSW can be a bit daunting considering its scope. Luckily for you though, we did all the work. Below are our top picks perfect for Coloradans that will change your world. You can thank us later.

Already feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry: There are several lounges where you can network, recharge and relax between events. We’re already planning to hit up the Comcast Social Media Lounge to connect with major influencers. We’ll be the ones downing the coffee.

Prison Tech Boom: Social Outcomes and Entrepreneurs

Prison reform has been a hot topic, but did you know prison tech is booming? Find out more from the founders of Mission: Launch, a civic tech nonprofit that helps people reenter society after spending time in prison, and the founder of Flikshop, an app that lets the incarcerated receive personalized mail. Two of the speakers previously served time and will speak on their experiences and discuss best practices on how to support unlikely techies. // Friday, March 11, 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Hilton Austin Downtown, 500 E Fourth St., Salon E

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After helping Colorado own space in 2014, Boulder scientists are behind yet another NASA discovery: information about the drastic transition of the Martian climate.

NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission launched to Mars in November of 2013, and entered the planet’s orbit in September of 2014. Science operations for MAVEN are led by the University of Colorado, Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, which also provided two science instruments for the mission and leads public outreach and education.  

MAVEN is the first spacecraft totally dedicated to studying Mars’ upper atmosphere, and on Nov. 5, NASA announced a major mission milestone. According to the press release, data collected by MAVEN has allowed researchers to “determine the rate at which the Martian atmosphere currently is losing gas to space via stripping by the solar wind.” This is some serious solar wind: It strips away gas from the Martian atmosphere at roughly a quarter pound per second.

Before marking a year of Mars orbit this past September, the MAVEN spacecraft managed to survive an encounter with the Comet Sliding Spring and perform four deep-dip campaigns. We’re not entirely sure what either of those two accomplishments entail, but they sound pretty badass. Could you survive an encounter with comets? Doubtful.