Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

The thing about cancer is — it doesn't care what else you've got going on in your life. It will strike whenever it is ready. For comedian Judith Lucy, the moment cancer chose was just weeks before she launched her latest book Well Well Well, auspiciously all about a health journey she's been on. She's spent the last few years trying ayahuasca. Someone else's poo. MDMA and psylocibin therapies. All...

Between Netflix, podcasts, games, books, and endless apps, in most houses, there are umpteen sources of entertainment vying for our attention.  And when you hear that younger generations aren't developing the reading skills they need, it can be tempting to panic and paint the digital devices as the enemy.  But the real picture is more complicated than "books good, screens bad". Technology has chan...

Last week a survey revealed that consumer confidence was at its lowest since the late 1990s.  It's the latest news in a pattern of pessimistic updates this year — but do these measures really say anything about people's habits? How do these surveys work, and are they an accurate predictor of the economy?

Whether it's a friendly possum making a racket in your roof cavity, or a family of birds nesting under your eaves, plenty of Australians are sharing their homes with native animals.  Our cities are largely built for humans, but they can be a haven for wildlife too, including threatened and endangered species.  So how do we design our common spaces with all critters in mind? 

If you found a special kind of scene in your 20s going out every weekend to see bands you love, are you getting back out a few decades later to see them again —on their comeback tour?  Alt-rock superstars of the 2000s Powderfinger have announced they are re-uniting next year, it will be their first time performing as a group in 17 years. So what makes you actually buy a ticket to a beloved band wh...

Egg freezing has become increasingly popular in recent years. For a lot of women, it can provide peace of mind to have an option in your back pocket if you decide to start a family later down the track. But the process can be incredibly emotionally, physically and financially taxing — and there's no guarantee you'll end up with a baby at the end of it.  A recent study from researchers in Australia...

When your relationship is on the rocks, what's your conflict style? The aunties are here to help our listener navigate a seemingly petty dilemma that could signal bigger issues.

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. They're isolated and mentally vulnerable. They're getting sucked into this thing called the manosphere. They're behind in school. But if you're only looking at the bad parts, the beauty and complexity of raising boys can be hard to see....

When you go outside at night, can you see stars? It might sound like a strange question if you live outside a major city, but for many Australians, the glow of our cities at night is making the stars harder to see — and it's getting worse. Data collected by citizen scientists around the world has found that light pollution is making the night sky 10 per cent brighter each year. It's not just affec...

Brands using celebrities to endorse their projects is nothing new, but what about using the likeliness of someone who has passed? Last week a Swedish manufacturing company released an ad featuring 1930s film star Greta Garbo, who passed away in 1990. The ad used AI to recreate her likeness and voice. The concept has been labelled 'ghostploitation', and it raises some serious questions for the adve...

Even if you've never been to the ballet, you're probably familiar with Mao's Last Dancer, the extraordinary memoir of Li Cunxin. It tells the story of how a young boy in rural China was plucked out of poverty to train at the Beijing Dance Academy and went on to become one of the most acclaimed ballet dancers in the world. Mao's Last Dancer sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide, and was ad...

From bodice rippers to romantasy, there is no denying the popularity and sheer commercial power of the romance novel. And while many a #BookTok influencer are all too happy to share their favourite spicy reads, for men who enjoy romance fiction, it seems there's still a certain stigma attached. So what would it take shift the narrative so that everyone could enjoy a little reading romp now and the...

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 from over 100 countries has sought to better understand pain over the course of a person's life. It found that women reported higher levels of pain across their entire body than men, and that overall, people experience heightened pain at age 55, peaking at...

Death is unavoidable, yet a new study has revealed Australia is lagging behind when it comes to understanding and preparing for it. The 2026 National Death Literacy and Readiness Report found just 52 per cent of Australians have completed their will, and only 29 per cent have talked about their end of life wishes. So why are we so unprepared for death, and how can we become more "death literate"?

For Australian entertainer and children's author Andrew Daddo, there is one classic kids' book that has stood the test of time. Sitting around the fire hearing about the adventures of a magic talking pudding stands out as a treasured childhood memory, and a uniquely Australian tale.

The last time you made a big change in your life, you may have felt overwhelmed by the pressure to make the right decision. Whether it be buying a house, popping the question or deciding whether to have another child, it's natural to feel anxious before these big moments. But when does that anxiety become too much? And how do you navigate those feelings to avoid analysis paralysis?

As daylight saving kicks off, and the debate about when the clocks move should move forwards and backwards returns, it's time for a philosophical chat about time. Who decides what time it really is? Because if we can just change it twice a year when the weather warms up, what does it even mean?

Collectively, Australians hold almost $350 billion in mortgage offset accounts attached to their home loans — and that balance has increased by 28 per cent over two years. But not everyone appears to be reaping the benefits. An ASIC investigation earlier this year found banks had paid out more than $55 million in compensation to customers in just two years, for failures with mortgage offset accoun...

The phrase "ditch the witch" has reappeared in Australian politics recently to attack and criticise female politicians — always associated with images of broomsticks and pointy hats. But why do we picture witches that way, and why are they associated with evil? The answer lies in a 15th century book. Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches) was a manual for how to hunt, torture and execute wome...

For many Australians with a mortgage, kids and rising living costs, earning a six-figure salary is no longer the guarantee of comfort it once seemed to be. Results from the latest HILDA data shows the income Australians say they 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?

Life can change pretty fast. For James O'Brien, what started as a dream beach holiday ended up with him losing a leg.  There are over 160,000 amputees living in Australia and each one has their own story of loss and having to rebuild their life. In a new podcast called The Limb Shift, James shares his experience with other amputees, exploring stories of resilience and renewal.

This week, the Aunties share their advice with a listener who reconnected with an old flame at their high school reunion.  But how can they tell whether it was just a nostalgic fling, or if there really is something more waiting to be discovered?

Sex positivity has never been more talked about, but that doesn't mean the bedroom has caught up.  And the stresses of everyday life can make a big impact, from resentment over the mental load to the daily grind of parenting.  So what happens to a relationship when sexual satisfaction is lopsided?

From today, children in most parts of Australia with mild to moderate autism and developmental delays will begin transitioning away from the NDIS and to a new state-run program called Thriving Kids. It's a process that is expected to take 18 months, but not a lot is known about how Thriving Kids will work, and not every state is on board. What does this mean for the families impacted, and what nee...

Ageing tends to get a bad rap in a society that prizes youth. In a world obsessed with looks-maxxing, biohacking and optimising, many of us are actively trying to escape it. But growing old is a privilege, so perhaps it deserves more celebration. It brings wisdom, experience and neuroscience suggests some of our cognitive functions and emotional stability can increase over the years too. So it's t...