Life Matters - Full program podcast

It has never been harder to be a small live music venue in Australia, but what if there was another way? Churchill Fellow Sam Whiting, the Australian Live Music Business Council's Ant McKenna and not-for-profit venue owner Jim Flanagan explore the possibilities.
In the age of wellness, there's an endless stream of advice about how to live longer, stay healthy, and even reverse your biological clock. But have we become so obsessed with living longer that we're no longer living well? Dr Norman Swan and lifestyle and health editor Sarah Berry delve into the extremes of longevity.
New research has explored which voices we find more attractive and how our sexuality might shape the kinds of speech that turns us on. Researcher Cate Madill explains what shapes the way we talk, and how our voices reflect power, status and our place in the world.

Debt can bring up a lot of emotions — stress, shame, embarrassment — but it's a reality for most of us. Almost half of Australians with debt struggled to make some repayments in 2025. National debt helpline coordinator Vicki Staff and psychologist Luke Martin share how to shift some of the difficult feelings around our relationship with money.
Ask Aunty delves into the tricky territory of ending a friendship. When an age-gap friendship starts to feel a little tiring, is it time to break up? And how do you manage phasing someone out if you're worried about their health?

In the aftermath of the BAFTA awards, one moment has eclipsed the stories behind any of the films that were recognised. A Tourette Syndrome advocate who'd been invited to celebrate a film about his life shouted a racial slur while two Black actors were presenting an award on stage. It was an involuntary tic that he had no control over, but the impact was shocking, sparking heated debate. Mandy Maysey and Seamus Evans from Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia discuss how we can make these spaces genuinely accessible and inclusive — for everyone.
Australia is having a reckoning moment for the 1.5 million children enrolled in child care. At the Senate inquiry into quality and safety of Australia's early childhood system, some groups are pushing for more flexible choice for subsidised care outside of the existing daycare system, while others want to re-imagine the system entirely. One of the options put forward is universal child care. Parenting advocate Georgie Dent breaks down what that could look like and just how achievable it would be.
In our regular segment My Two Cents, veteran rock and roller Mick Thomas of Weddings, Parties, Anything and The Roving Commission, shares how he makes his money decisions.
And for Ask Aristotle, resident philosopher Patrick Stokes delves into what it means to be human. If your head was placed on a new body, would you still be you? Where does our consciousness truly reside? And even if such a transplant was possible, should we do it?

Australia's love of sport runs deep. We idolise the scoreboard, pack out stadiums, and beam with pride when our athletes bring home gold. But for some, the sideline isn't such a welcoming space. So how do we shift our relationship with sport to hold onto the good, and call out the bad? Olympic medallist Libby Trickett and Sportish podcast co-host Georgie Trickett share why they want to shift the way we talk about sport. 
The language you speak is so much more than the words that come out of your mouth, and for many holding onto those words is a symbol of a fight hard won. So how is the revival of languages, once on the brink of extinction, changing the next generation of speakers? Clark Webb, founder of the first Aboriginal bilingual school in NSW, and Irish language coach Eamon Corcoran explain how helping people rediscover language connects them with culture and community. 
Less than a month after the Launceston City Council announced it was considering a four-day work week, the proposal has been shelved. So what went wrong? This Working Life host Lisa Leong explores the questions this raises about our attitudes to work, and whether Australia will ever be ready to embrace the four-day week.

Endometriosis affects around one in seven girls and women in Australia, and getting a diagnosis can take, on average, six to eight years. QENDO chief executive Jessica Taylor and endometriosis patient Helene Hill discuss how the Four Corners investigation into a prominent Melbourne gynaecologist has affected trust in the medical system for those who have fought to have their voices heard.
A new report into multiculturalism shows that for migrants, a sense of belonging in the postcode where you live is key. But rising rents and gentrification are reshaping communities, sometimes pushing out the very cultural identities that made them vibrant in the first place. Researcher Trish Prentice, Maribyrnong mayor Mohamed Semra and Pakistan Australian Cultural Association president Syed Naqvi shed light on the path forward for new migrants.
Resident psychologist Christine Bagley-Jones joins Life Matters for Head and Heart, to chat through just how far you should go to pressure test a new romantic relationship.