Science Journalist Wins LifeScienceXplained 2024
In its fourth year, LifeScienceXplained opened up to international applications for the first time and continued to emphasize the importance of effective science communication. Dr. Franca Parianen received the prize for her captivating Science Slam.
This article is posted on Sartorius Blog.
The 2024 LifeScienceXplained | Sartorius Prize for New Communication (short LSX), endowed with 15,000 euros, has been awarded to neuroscientist and journalist Dr. Franca Parianen. Her science slam "Motor im Kopf" ("Engine in the Head") captivated the jury with its clear, scientifically sound, and entertaining approach to explaining human thought processes.
Award winners, nominees, artists, jury members and laudators of 2024 LSX and NDR Nonfiction Book Prize together on stage.
In her performance, Dr. Parianen bridges the innate social behaviors of children — such as sharing, trust, and balanced relations — with the often-missed application of these principles in adult spheres, when addressing contemporary challenges like the global economy or climate protection.
The grand final of the LifeScienceXplained Prize took place on Thursday at the Sartorius Campus in front of around 250 invited guests as part of the Göttinger Literaturherbst festival.
A happy 2024 LSX winner, Dr. Franca Parianen, in conversation with jury member Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann after the award ceremony.
LifeScienceXplained has honored creative science communicators since 2021 with the aim of fostering meaningful exchange between science and society on current life science issues. Dr.-Ing. Jan Patrick Pietras, spokesperson of the jury, was pleased with the international reception of the call for tender and explains the jury's decision:
Among more than 70 submissions, we received numerous English-language entries this year. With Dr. Franca Parianen and her Science Slam 'Motor im Kopf,' we have found an outstanding winner. Her work is a prime example of effective science communication—precise and scientifically sound, yet accessible and always humorous. Parianen effortlessly brings clarity to the chaos that exists in our social minds.
Dr.-Ing. Jan Pietras, jury spokesperson
Among the the top three finalists were Clemens Steinek with his YouTube video "Scientists Uncover How to Live to 100 Years" and Felix Richter with his Science Slam "Hefe altern lassen, damit wir es nicht müssen" ("Aging yeast so we don’t have to").
The five-member jury also included: Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Anja Martini, head of the knowledge department at Tagesschau at ARD, Inga Bergen, entrepreneur and healthcare innovation expert, as well as Prof. Dr. Metin Tolan, president of the University of Göttingen.
Moderator Jan Ehlert, Dr. Franca Parianen and Sartorius CFO Florian Funck listening to the laudatory speech by jury speaker Dr.-Ing. Jan Pietras.
On Thursday evening, a second award was presented at the Sartorius Campus: The Norddeutsche Rundfunk (NDR) awarded the NDR Nonfiction Book Prize—also worth 15,000 euros—for the best German-language nonfiction book on future-relevant issues. This year’s prize went to Kerstin Hoppenhaus for her book "Die Salze der Erde. Was drei chemische Elemente mit Kolonialismus, Klima und Welternährung zu tun haben" ("The Salts of the Earth: What Three Chemical Elements Have to Do with Colonialism, Climate, and Feeding the World").
