I suspect in cases where that happens (if/where they exist), kids have been soaking up more of the subject than the parent realizes all along.

My younger DS is only 6, so this may be one of those irrelevant younger cases, but in terms of personality and learning style--which probably won't change much--he goes on a tear and learns everything there is to know about a subject that interests him. Granted, the subjects are usually pretty easy at this stage. But I can imagine an older version of him getting inspired, dropping everything else, and studying science full-time. It wouldn't take very long for a kid like that to catch up. I think it's unlikely, but possible.

Science would probably be the hardest subject in which to do that given the usefulness of lab work to learning and the improbability of getting *all* the labs one needs in the space of a few months.

I certainly wouldn't recommend banking on the strategy.

Kriston