Life Matters - Full program podcast

Helping you figure out all the big stuff in life: relationships, health, money, work and the world.

If you've always defined who you are by what you do, you may have found it difficult to nurture other parts of your identity. 
But journalist and author of The Good Enough Job, Simone Stolzoff, argues there are ways to downsize the role of work in your life.
And aunties Nelly Thomas and Annie Louey weigh in on when it's helpful to step into your 12-year-old's social life and when it's not.

If your kids asked you what metadata is, or how an algorithm works, or why they still have to write an essay even though ChatGPT can do it for them, would you have a good answer? Dr Niraj Lal is the author of a new book that aims to give teenagers the tools they need to understand and demystify the internet. 
We all have that one family member who's told the same story a thousand times. But these stories matter — they help situate you in your own history and tell you something about who you are. Lorin Clarke shares her experience in documenting the stories of her late father and beloved satirist John Clarke, while Professor Kasia Bail explains all the benefits of reminiscing about the past. 
Should we bear witness to human suffering through our screens? What compels us to watch and share videos depicting violence and crisis — and does doing so help anyone beyond ourselves? Associate Professor in Philosophy Patrick Stokes unpacks the ethical dilemma of doomscrolling.

When she was five, Katherine Bennell-Pegg looked up at the stars and never looked back. While most childhood dreams drift back to Earth, hers didn't. The 2026 Australian of the Year reflects on the determination it takes to become an astronaut, and what compels someone to push beyond the limits and boldly go where we've never gone before.
After another week of record-breaking heat, it's pretty clear a lot of our homes simply aren't designed for the climate we live in. So how can we design our homes so that they're a sanctuary once more, instead of an oven?
Do we treat female voices differently to male voices? New research suggests when it comes to AI assistants, there's a clear divide. So what does that say about us, and does it really matter?

Conversations about masculinity are often heavy. It can sometimes feel like the message boys hear is not just that there is a problem, but that they are the problem. Professor James Smith, researcher Ged Moriarty and advocate Luke Bateman discuss how we might re-imagine the concept of boyhood.
The aged care industry is struggling to find workers, but one facility on the NSW central coast is tapping fresh high school graduates to bring a youthful energy to the home. So could a younger workforce change the game?
A Queensland high school banning the mullet and other "unacceptable" hairstyles has reignited debate over the right to self-expression. Researcher Kayla Mildren unpacks whether a rat's tail really creates a ratbag, or if rules like these are about something bigger.