Being more curious about a specific topic can make it easier to learn more about it, according to new research published online in the Cell Press journal Neuron.

The study involved participants who rated their level of curiosity to learn the answers to a number of trivia questions. When presented with a selected trivia question, there was a 14-second pause before the answer was given to the participants, during which time they were presented with a picture of a neutral, unrelated face. The participants then performed a recognition memory test for the faces presented during this delay period. They were then given a memory test for the answers to the trivia questions.

The participants’ brains were also scanned via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during specific parts of the study.

The researchers discovered that the participants had an easier time learning about a topic if they were more interested in it. In addition, as their curiosity level increased, so did their ability to learn about completely unrelated information (neutral face recognition) that they were presented with, but not curious about.

When curiosity was stimulated in the participants, the reward circuit in the brain was stimulated. When curiosity promoted learning, the hippocampus in the brain experienced increased activity, which was noted on the MRIs taken throughout the study.

“Our findings potentially have far-reaching implications for the public because they reveal insights into how a form of intrinsic motivation—curiosity—affects memory. These findings suggest ways to enhance learning in the classroom and other settings,” said Dr. Gruber in a statement. “Curiosity may put the brain in a state that allows it to learn and retain any kind of information, like a vortex that sucks in what you are motivated to learn, and also everything around it.”