Edible candy models could become the new way we learn

When you think of school, memories of reading textbooks and watching educational videos might come to mind. But what if instead of seeing, you could taste the lesson instead?

The researchers blindfolded 281 college students, gave them the models, and asked them to identify what the models were supposed to be. Some used their mouths to try and figure it out, while others used their hands.

The students who used their mouths were better at figuring out which protein was which than those who used their hands.

What is more surprising is that the students were almost equally as good at identifying proteins with their mouths as they were by sight — the way many visually-unimpaired people learn to tell what an object is.

The results hint that using edible models made for the mouth could open doors to new, more inclsuive educational tools.

Oral learning devices like these remain relatively unexplored. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself digesting information via candy in the future.