Why you like coffee, and I choose tea

Editor's note

Do you head straight for a long black the minute you crawl out of bed? Published today, new research from Daniel Hwang and others shows that people who drink four or more cups of coffee a day are more likely to have a key gene that helps them appreciate the bitter flavour of caffeine. Heavy tea drinkers, on the other hand, tend to have different bitterness-appreciation genes – such as one responsible for detecting quinine (a bitter molecule found in tonic water). Perhaps you can blame your beverage addiction on your parents.

And one in 12 Australian babies are born prematurely and spend their first weeks or months in special care. The earlier they come, the greater the chance of problems with their gut, immune system, vision, lungs and other organs. But a new Cochrane Review involving nearly 20,000 women found taking omega-3 supplements can greatly reduce the risk of premature birth. Philippa Middleton and colleagues explain how.

Sarah Keenihan

Section Editor: Science + Technology

Top story

Why does it cost so much to put a tea in a pot of hot water, anyway? from www.shutterstock.com

Why you like coffee, and I choose tea – it’s in the genes

Daniel Liang-Dar Hwang, The University of Queensland

How did you start today – tea or coffee? Or neither? A study of more than 400,000 men and women links specific genes for tasting bitter flavours like caffeine with hot beverage consumption.

The earlier a baby is born, the greater the risk of poor health. Cassidy Rowell

Omega-3 supplements in pregnancy reduce the risk of premature birth

Philippa Middleton, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute; Jamie De Seymour, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute; Lucy Simmonds, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute; Maria Makrides, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute

A new review of 70 studies involving nearly 20,000 women found taking omega-3 supplements in pregnancy reduces the risk of premature labour.

Health + Medicine

Why early diagnosis of autism should lead to early intervention

Hannah Waddington, Victoria University of Wellington; Jessica Tupou, Victoria University of Wellington; Larah van der Meer, Victoria University of Wellington

Unlike Australia, New Zealand doesn't fund early intervention therapy for autistic children, but there are programmes pre-school teachers and parents can use to help kids develop.

Business + Economy
A tip for bankers ahead of the royal commission: be more like doctors Warren Hogan, University of Technology Sydney; Gordon Menzies, University of Technology Sydney The best way to get bankers to behave well might be to bind them to a code of ethics, like doctors. We've tried ever tighter rules.

Politics + Society

How Australia’s NRA-inspired gun lobby is trying to chip away at gun control laws, state by state

George Rennie, University of Melbourne

SIFA claims it wants to 'simplify, not weaken' gun control laws in Australia. But it's following the same playbook as the NRA in America – and hoping for similar results.
Grattan on Friday: Morrison government brings back memories of McMahon days

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

The fundamental point is that those were desperate days for the Coalition and so are these. "McMahon was in survival mode," says author Patrick Mullins. The same could be said of Morrison.
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Derryn Hinch on a national ICAC and the Victorian election

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

The government is more likely to beef up existing institutions but Derryn Hinch, who has been a strong advocate for a national ICAC, says "that would be wrong."
Marriage has changed dramatically throughout history, but gender inequalities remain

Michelle Brady, The University of Queensland; Belinda Hewitt, University of Melbourne

Marriage equality was a major step forward for Australia. But women in both marriages and cohabiting relationships continue to deal with inequality and gender-prescribed roles.
Cambodians await crucial tribunal finding into 1970s brutal Khmer Rouge regime

Rachel Hughes, University of Melbourne; Christoph Sperfeldt, University of Melbourne; Maria Elander, La Trobe University

A potentially historic ruling on genocide by a tribunal in Cambodia on Friday could unsettle understandings of the past among Cambodians - and create a precedent in international law.

Arts + Culture
Friday essay: turning up the level of civilisation Julianne Schultz, Griffith University US president Donald Trump's industrial scale deception has dangerous implications everywhere. What then, can we do to foster a more civilised society?

Cities

Children in the car era: bad for them and the planet

Hulya Gilbert, University of South Australia; Andrew Allan, University of South Australia; Carolyn Whitzman, University of Melbourne; Johannes Pieters, University of South Australia

The private car is the default transport option for many families. This reduces physical activity and increases greenhouse gas emissions, with unhealthy results for their children and the environment.
Rainbow pride flag’s still flying, taking on new forms and meanings in our cities

Thomas Stoddard, University of Technology Sydney; Tom Lee, University of Technology Sydney

In the year since the resounding Yes vote in the same-sex marriage survey, the flag has clearly escaped the pole or the street bunting of pride festival times to become ever present in our cities.

Environment + Energy
Explainer: why the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is so important for keeping Antarctica frozen Helen Phillips, University of Tasmania; Benoit Legresy, CSIRO; Nathan Bindoff, University of Tasmania The Antarctic Circumpolar Current provides a barrier to heat that keeps warm subtropical waters away from Antarctica. Yet, there are a few places where the heat gets through.

Education
There’s no need for the ‘Chicago principles’ in Australian universities to protect freedom of speech Katharine Gelber, The University of Queensland There's no evidence we have a problem with free speech on our campuses. The free speech inquiry is expensive and unnecessary.

Science + Technology
Toilets of the future must be designed with people in mind, not technology Dani J Barrington, University of Leeds; Rebecca Sindall, University of KwaZulu-Natal There are numerous examples of failed aid projects, where sanitation systems have been installed without consulting local people, then abandoned by the community after the project team has departed.