I've been writing about science and nature for many years now, and I still think it's one of the best ways to feed and nurture a sense of curiosity. But constant exposure to scientific publications can sometimes blunt their impact.

I might take an amazing discovery for granted, or feel only numbness at the latest study on the potential impacts of climate change, for example.

But every now and then a study comes along that cuts through the haze. That happened earlier this month when scientists from Babes-Bolyai University in Romania published a report on baobab trees in Africa.