"A lot of students say things like, 'I didn't know science was fun,'" said Samantha Gizerian, now a clinical assistant professor at Washington State University. Apparently they also showed a greater interest in taking books home to read, and a greater willingness to practice maths. The lessons were simple, too - in one case, a college student just brought in some microscope slides from his lab.

Gizerian says the lessons taught science, but also acted "as a spark to ignite a child's interest in lifelong learning in all areas." She presented her findings at a recent Society for Neuroscience meeting.