The two stars of science communication will receive the Swiss Freethinker Award on October 29, in cooperation with the Theater Fauteuil in Basel. Through their entertaining and informative television and video blog contributions, Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim and Martin Moder greatly contributed to keeping the general public well informed about the Corona virus and the pandemic.

Simple and relevant with success
Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim is a multi-award-winning German science journalist, television presenter, chemist, author and YouTuber. She has conducted research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, among others, and holds a PhD from the University of Potsdam. With her broadcasts, she inspires people of all ages on diverse scientific topics, and her book «Die kleinste gemeinsame Wirklichkeit» (The Smallest Common Reality) landed at the top of Spiegel's bestseller list in its launch month. During Corona, she reached an audience of millions with her YouTube videos, called for more critical research on sources and media literacy in conversations with the media, and warned against conspiracy theories.

Humorously communicated to the point
Martin Moder also received various awards for his engagements. Originally a microbiologist and geneticist, he successfully completed his doctorate on rare hereditary diseases in 2018. The European Science Slam champion is also a member of the science comedy group Science Busters, hosts a weekly knowledge magazine on ORF 1 and is a regular on the Twitch channel WildMics, which revolves around conspiracy myths, research and social developments. During the pandemic, Moder launched a YouTube channel dedicated to myths and questions surrounding vaccines.