The XYZ Experiment

Chocolate, lemon, sponge or a traditional Sri Lankan fruit cake — when it comes to cake, we all have our favourites. But have our tastes changed as we've grown older? This week on The XYZ Experiment , Darsh and Fiona take a delicious trip down memory lane, reminiscing about childhood birthday cakes, homemade treats and the cakes that make special occasions even more special. Darsh shares how a tra...

Once upon a time, we memorised phone numbers, read maps, did sums in our heads and figured out how to fix things ourselves. We cooked from memory, wrote things down by hand and, if we got lost, there was no little blue dot to rescue us. But now we have Google, GPS, YouTube and AI at our fingertips. So… do we actually need to know how to do things anymore? In this episode of The XYZ Experiment , Da...

What can 20 years of asking young Australians about sex, drugs, relationships and health tell us about how generations are changing? This week on The XYZ Experiment , we’re joined by Associate Professor Megan Lim from the Burnet Institute, whose research has spent two decades doing something incredibly important: actually listening to young people. It all began with the brilliantly named Sex, Drug...

Why does Hollywood keep bringing back the same movies, TV shows, characters and franchises? And more importantly, do we actually want them to? This week on The XYZ Experiment , we’re talking remakes, reboots, sequels and the stories that apparently refuse to stay finished. Are there some movies and TV shows that are so iconic they should simply be left alone? Or do new generations deserve the chan...

What does being “healthy” actually mean — and with so much advice coming at us from social media, are we making it more complicated than it needs to be? This week on The XYZ Experiment , we’re joined by Dr Fran Alves, an early-career dementia researcher at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, and a passionate advocate for understanding the science behind...

This week on The XYZ Experiment , we’re opening the door to a very personal piece of our past — our childhood bedrooms. What did your room look like growing up? Were the walls covered in posters? Did you choose the paint, rearrange the furniture constantly, or have absolutely no say in how it looked? And what were the treasured possessions that made that little space feel completely yours? For man...

Who are the people you turn to when you need advice, perspective or a push in the right direction? This week on The XYZ Experiment, we're talking about mentors - who are they, where we find them and the impact they can have on our lives. We explore what being a mentor actually means. It doesn't have to be a formal relationship or someone who has all the answers. Sometimes it's simply someone who s...

Heart disease remains one of Australia's biggest health challenges — but how much of it could actually be prevented? This week on The XYZ Experiment , we welcome back Susie Cartledge, Senior Research Fellow at Monash University and Clinical Nurse Consultant at Alfred Health, to talk about heart health, prevention and the changing way we deliver cardiac care. Susie takes us through the risk factors...

What do you happily spend money on — and what do you refuse to splurge on? This week on The XYZ Experiment , Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z talk about the choices we make with our money. What does each generation consider a necessity? What feels like a luxury? And where do those things fit when you’re trying to stick to a budget? We compare the things we’re willing to spend more on, the things we’ll happi...

Whilst we're on holiday we are revisiting some of our favourite episodes. This week it's Luke's choice and he is taking us back to Episode 101. In this episode we explore the age-old question that every book lover has asked themselves: "Why do we keep rereading the same books?" Whether it's the comfort of familiar characters, the thrill of uncovering hidden layers, or simply a nostalgic escape, we...

This week as we're on a break, Darsh has picked Ep88: Are You at Risk of a CyberScam as Dr Kate Gould gave some incredible tips on things to look out for in terms of are you being scammed, what is a scam and raising awareness of these crimes. Dr Kate Gould is a clinical Neuropsychologist, clinical lead, and Positive Behaviour Service Senior Research Fellow at Monash University - Epworth Rehabilita...

As we take a break over June, we are sharing our favourite episodes that you may have missed. This week Darsh has picked Ep85: Glimmers: Finding Light and Joy in Everyday Moments. Engaging in glimmers really help us to stay present, find joy and bring light into a world that can sometimes feel a little bit dark, and gloomy with some of the things happening in the world. Darsh was reminded about fi...

Fiona here from The XYZ Experiment. Throughout June we're diving back into our archives and revisiting some of our favourite episodes. My pick this week is Episode 107: Why Sleep Is the Most Important Thing You'll Do All Day. What if one of the most powerful tools for better health, clearer thinking, improved mood and a longer life was something you're probably not getting enough of? The answer is...

What have we been loving recently? This week, we share the books, TV shows and experiences that have recently bought us joy, sparked curiosity or simply made life a little more interesting. From old TV shows and card games to cooking with family and getting lost in a great book, we're sharing things we've genuinely enjoyed lately. Real recommendations from three generations with very different tas...

What does it actually mean to live your "best life"? Is it career success, financial security, family, freedom, good health. more sleep or simply feeling calm for five minutes? This week we compare how different generations define happiness, success and fulfilment and whether anyone truly feels like they've got life sorted. Hosted by Fiona, Darsh & Luke Produced by Fiona Kelly & Darsh Ayto...

How private are we anymore really? In this week's episode we discuss the complicated world of privacy, personal information and digital oversharing. From Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin to loyalty programs, online shopping and DNA ancestry kits, we explore how comfortable different generations are with handing over their personal data. Does Gen Z care less about privacy or have they simply grown...

Food is never food, especially when you're a kid. This week, we look back on meals that meant something; the dishes or trip to the fast food joint when you'd been particularly well behaved, the Friday night fish and chips and the family feast meals tied to religious or cultural traditions. From 'treat foods' used a rewards, to recipes bought out for celebration, we explore how food shaped our sens...

From a Margret Thatcher haircut horror story to the latest trends, fringes to full blown reinventions, this week we are talking about the highs, lows and hilarious memories tied to getting a haircut. How much does a good (or very bad) haircut affect your confidence? Are you loyal to one style for life, or have you tried every look going? We share stories of salon triumphs, haircut disasters, exper...

Last week, we asked do we still have "Best Friends"? This week we're going deeper into something a little more uncomfortable - money and friendship. In a world where everything feels more expensive, how is money quietly shaping our relationships? From dinners out, concert tickets, weekends away - are we unintentionally pricing friends out of spending time with us? And are we being priced out of ca...

What makes a best friend? This week on The XYZ experiment we ponder the idea of 'Best Friends". Is it a lifelong title or is something we grow out of? What makes a best friend in the first place? Is it history, loyalty, or something much deeper? And can you have more than one at anytime? But in today's world is calling someone your best friend comforting or maybe a little cringe? We unpack what a...

This week on The XYZ Experiment , Fiona and Darsh get real about life with unpredictable guts. From the shock of a coeliac diagnosis to navigating the daily realities of Crohn's disease, we share our personal stories, the things no one tells you, and how it's changed the way we eat, socialise and think about our health. There are a few "you have to laugh or you'll cry" moments as we unpack the awk...

This week on The XYZ Experiment, we're asking the big question: are we manifesting or just really, really hoping? Gen Z Luke is out there casually saying "I'm manifesting that for you", it's the new 'good luck'. Our Gen Y Darsh takes us back to the glory days of The Secret , when we thought thinking just thinking about a wish enough would just make it happen. Meanwhile, Gen X Fiona is sitting ther...

This week we are talking about the world of budgeting - how we do it, why we do it or why some of us don't do it at all. Across generations, money habits can look wildly different. From a budget planner who tracks every dollar, to the more relaxed approach, we look at our beliefs, tools and life experiences that shape how our different generations manage their finances. Whether you are a spreadshe...

This week we’re talking about the world of decluttering—but not just the “tidy your drawer” kind. We’re exploring how different generations approach stuff . What we keep, what we throw away, and what we just can’t let go of isn’t random. Is it shaped by our generation, our experiences, or the world we grew up in? From those who hold onto everything “just in case,” to the Marie Kondo inspired minim...

What does it actually mean to be 'work fit' in today's world? We are excited to be back for 2026 and today we are exploring how different generations prepare themselves to get through a working day, week, month - physically, mentally and emotionally. Is being work fit about resilience and pushing through, as many older generations were taught? Or is it about balance, wellbeing and protecting your...