Life Matters - Full program podcast

An estimated 2.43 million Australians between the ages of 35 and 70 are caring for a parent at least once a week, while juggling the day-to-day demands of life. While the sandwich generation is a sizeable group, almost half of them don't identify as a carer themselves. Advocate Melissa Reader and researcher Michelle O'Shea explain why the way we define caring is so important in providing the right kind of support.As year 12 students across the country prepare for their HSC exams, the number sitting to complete senior level drama is dwindling. Since 2015, senior drama enrolments have fallen by 43 per cent. Drama Australia president Jo Raphael and researcher John Nicholas Saunders explore why it matters — and not just for the creative industry.From today, the first genetically modified whole food to be grown and sold in Australia will start hitting shelves in Victoria. The industry regulator's latest consumer survey suggests about half of us are open to the idea of genetically modified foods. So will the purple tomato shift the mood?

Since Dr Spock in the 1940s, parenting "experts" have had us convinced we're all one wrong move away from ruining our kids. Richard Glover's latest book digs into generations of parenting advice to ask what we actually need to worry about, and what we can finally let go of. He joins Maggie Dent to share the wisdom worth paying attention to.A hot-pink shower chair has just scooped a Good Design Award for ditching the usual beige, boring look of mobility aids. So why have walking frames, wheelchairs and other accessibility products traditionally been so joyless? And could we find a way to design these items with function, aesthetics and affordability in mind?In step with France's deep history of protest, students across the nation have been marching in the street for weeks, demanding better quality education. Closer to home, strikes and walkouts seem to be popping up more than ever. So how does that sense of identity form, and where does Australia actually sit on protest culture?

Just weeks after launching a new memoir about her quest for wellness, comedian Judith Lucy received a sobering diagnosis: breast cancer. Now days away from a double mastectomy, she reflects on the wild treatments she's tried to fix her burnout — from ayahuasca to faecal transplants — and how she's grappling with the unexpected.In a house where YouTube, audiobooks, e-readers and Netflix are all competing for attention, it's easy to panic that screens will bring about the demise of children's literacy. But the research suggests it's not as simple as "books good, screens bad". University of Melbourne's Sybil Nolan and Australia Reads CEO Anna Burkey explore how to raise a reader in a house full of screens.After a year of soaring fuel prices and consecutive rate rises, it's hardly surprising to learn consumer confidence is at its lowest level since the 1990s. But what does that mean in a practical sense? Does measuring consumer confidence tell us anything real, or is it just a number we've all agreed to be anxious about? Consumer behaviour expert Paul Harrison weighs in.

If you've been paying attention to the news, to your social media feeds or to really any and all pop culture lately, you've likely heard that boys are not alright. But if you're only looking at the bad parts, the beauty and complexity of raising boys can be hard to see. Developmental paediatrician and author Billy Garvey says it's never too late to try a new approach, in fact it's never been more important to try.When your relationship is on the rocks, what's your conflict style? The Life Matters aunties comedian Sashi Perera and ABC journalist Luke Siddham Dundon are here to help navigate a seemingly petty dilemma that could signal bigger issues.

Around the world, the leading cause of disability isn't infection, road injury or stroke — it's pain. A landmark study of 6 million participants has found people experience heightened pain around age 55, peaking at about 75. And while the pain you feel in your body isn't all in your head, the way you think about pain can make a huge difference to how you feel it. Pain specialists Fiona Blyth and Michael Nicholas explain how reframing pain can help.According to the latest study of death literacy and readiness, Australians aren't that well prepared for the inevitable. Just over half of us have a signed and sealed will. So what's preventing us from preparing for the end of life? The Law Report's Damien Carrick joins Kerrie Noonan from La Trobe's Death Literacy Institute to explore our complicated feelings around death.You've heard of the Tough Guy Book Club, what about a book club dedicated to bro-mantasy? Men who enjoy romance fiction seem to face a certain stigma about the kind of books they choose. Bookish podcasters Luke Bateman and Kate Cuthbert discuss what it might take to shift the narrative.

There are over 160,000 amputees living in Australia and each one has their own story of loss and having to rebuild their life. James O'Brien's life changed rapidly after going on an idyllic beach holiday. He's documented his experience in a new podcast called The Limb Shift, where he interviews people about the resilience of life after losing a limb. Recent data from Australia's HILDA survey shows the average income we need to feel satisfied is climbing higher and higher. So is this just a case of lifestyle creep, or a genuine struggle to pay the bills even with a decent pay packet?The University of Melbourne's Archives and Special Collections now holds a rare copy of a 15th century manual on hunting, torturing and executing women accused of witchcraft. So what can the world's most infamous witch-hunting handbook tell us about the spread of misinformation and dangerous ideas today?

The federal government's new Thriving Kids program officially starts today, designed to shift children with mild-to-moderate autism off the NDIS. Researcher Adam Guastella and Autism Awareness Australia CEO Nicole Rogerson explain what that means for the families caught up in this transition. On International Day of Older Persons, it's time to flip the script on our youth-obsessed culture, and consider the benefits of ageing. Neuroscientist Olivia Maurice joins dementia researcher Ruth Peters and author Maggie Kirkman to explore the bright side.The RBA's ban on card surcharges is kicking in, so what does that mean for the price of your coffee? Financial services expert Steve Worthington and Mount Gambier bakery owner Dylan McQueen discuss what to expect.

Last week's OpenAI hack of a Medicare website sent shockwaves through the community. While authorities have confirmed no personal information was compromised, it raises questions about the role of AI in dealing with sensitive medical information. What really happens to all those private details being recorded at your appointments? Researcher Andrew Cullen and AMA president-elect Michael Bonning discuss the role of AI assistants in the doctor's office and what can be done to protect patient privacy.New research shows social isolation has nearly doubled in two decades, hitting young people hardest. So why does the most digitally connected generation in history feel so lonely? Michelle Lim, CEO of Australia's peak body tackling loneliness, explores how we got here and what we can do to shift the needle.For years, messages warning about the consequences of illegally downloading and sharing movies, music and TV were everywhere. But has the dominance of streaming services stamped out piracy? Consumer behaviour expert Paul Harrison explains how easy access to every piece of media imaginable has changed the game.

We all want friends who are funny, smart, loyal and kind, but we also want them to have our back no matter what. Jaimie Krems and Keelah Williams are friendship scientists — they're also BFFs — who have researched the science behind why you love your vicious, maybe a little unhinged best friend. Their research won an Ignobel prize, so what other qualities do we want in a bestie?When new neighbours threaten the harmony of a quiet cul-de-sac by persecuting a precious pooch, it's time to ask aunty.

Picture your childhood home for a moment. What details can you still remember? The colour of the kitchen cupboards? The view from your bedroom window? Your secret hiding spot? Lifelong memories are shaped by the daggy laminate benches and cracked vinyl couches of our childhood homes. Christian Duell has studied the significance of our first homes, and he is joined by Grand Designs Australia and By Design host Anthony Burke to unpack why the home you grew up is lodged in your heart for life.Just this week the Australian Health and Welfare Institute estimated two in three people with migraine don't even have a formal diagnosis. It's part of a wider picture of just how misunderstood this condition is. So how would better understanding and treatment for migraine change the lives of almost 4 million Australians?And how could letting go of your fitness goals help you achieve them?

Looksmaxxing, promposal, copium... who decides which words are important enough to be elevated to dictionary status?

Whether it's climate change, nuclear war, or AI doomsday, conversations about the end of the world are becoming fairly commonplace. So how are we preparing for a seemingly endless list of existential threats? AI expert Toby Walsh and sociologist Jordan McKenzie discuss how we're collectively feeling about the end of days.It's all fun and games at the younger levels of junior sport, but as players move through the age groups, the element of competition becomes more serious. Researcher Sam Elliott and Olympic medallist Libby Trickett explore how to strike the balance between encouraging healthy competition and making room for fun in kids' sport. The story of the Gallipoli campaign is a key part of our national identity. ANZAC history has been commemorated in myriad ways over the decades, but a new video game is raising eyebrows. Sociologist Dan Woodman weighs in on the role conflict plays in our national myths.

The NSW government will be implementing screen time caps in public school classrooms from 2028, in a bid to give students a much-needed "digital detox". Education researchers Therese Keane and Deborah Pino Pasternak join low-tech school principal Kenneth Crowther to discuss the balance of screens and old fashioned pen-and-paper learning. Research suggests women are more likely than men to experience roadblocks getting timely treatment for heart attacks. Peak heart health bodies from around the world have endorsed a new definition of heart attack that could help tackle this problem. The Heart Foundation's Natalie Raffoul and Mandy Hall join cardiologist Sarah Zaman to explore the potential solutions. Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, AKA Raygun, is attempting a public pivot after her widely panned performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2024. Consumer behaviour expert Paul Harrison weighs in on what it takes to pull off the celebrity rebrand.