The secret to getting kids excited about science is getting their hands dirty, according to two of the winners of the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science.
Science has got a bad rap from school students in the recent years with very few going on to study related subjects at university. Many cite its boring, "nerdy" image or a lack of engaging teachers.
But West Australian teacher Richard Johnson and his Queensland counterpart Sarah Chapman hope to change that, through their united passion for the discipline.
Mr Johnson transformed a spare classroom at his Perth suburban primary school into a science lab complete with dinosaurs, insects and a solar-powered barbecue several years ago.
And the reaction from students was amazing.
"They go into meltdown if I'm ill and they miss their dose of science," he told AAP.
Lessons are supported by a website (www.johnnosscience.com) showcasing class work and innovations.
Mr Johnson's science lab model has spread to 40 schools around Perth and he hopes to expand it across the country.
"If we could find another (billionaire) Andrew Forrest or a government body that would be willing to push funds our way that would be sensational," he said.
Ms Chapman, who teaches at Townsville State High School, uses hands-on experiments to engage students, like testing the environmental impact of the V8 supercars race held in the city each June.
"(Students) get to experience the messiness of science from devising a question to devising the method through to testing their questions ... and sometimes perhaps not finding that what they expected," she told AAP.
Her school has defied the national trend of declining student interest in science and maths, with nine in 10 students applying to university preferring science-related courses.
Ms Chapman and Mr Johnson are two of five Prime Minister's Prizes for Science recipients announced in Canberra on Wednesday.
The top prize went to Terry Speed from the Walter and Eliza Hall for Medical Research in Melbourne, for his life's work using statistics to solve real-live problems.
Professor Speed is currently working with researchers to understand the underlying causes of cancers and work out which ones will kill and which don't need surgery.
He receives $300,000 while the four other recipients each get $50,000.
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