Life Matters - Full program podcast

Electronic shelf labels — those little digital screens replacing paper tags — are becoming more widespread across supermarkets in Australia, where prices can be updated instantly at the push of a button. It's certainly saved hours of employee time printing and updating labels manually, and although it's not inherently problematic, some are concerned that the way it's being used overseas could have...

Crowded lecture theatres and late nights at the uni bar were once staples of university life. But with so much learning now delivered online, campuses aren't the hive of social activity they once were. Life Matters' resident sociologist Dan Woodman and psychologist Andrew Martin unpack what the students of today are missing and whether it matters. Art is a powerful force that can change our thinki...

It wasn't long ago that zero-alcohol drinks were a niche product. Now they're everywhere, including on supermarket shelves, looking almost identical to the real thing. New research warns these drinks are blurring the line between drinking and healthy living. Professor Simone Pettigrew and advertising creative Dee Madigan unpick whether it's time to review the regulations. While Australians are amo...

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 cloc...

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...

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 May...

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 w...

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 re...

The main street is the heart of a country town, and it can often give you a quick picture of how the place is faring. With new data showing more than 5.3 million metropolitan Australians would consider a move to the regions, that first impression can be make or break. Sheep farmer turned property investor Max Jones, regional Queensland mayor Shaun 'Zoro' Radnedge and Professor Andrew Beer discuss...

Many of us feel overwhelmed by the demands of everyday life — hustling to make ends meet, managing never-ending life admin, staying fit and healthy, caring for the people around us, and worrying about the state of the world. So if you're feeling stuck, how do you regain a sense of hopefulness? Writers Jodi Wilson and Andrew Sloan share the practical changes you can make to your daily life to bring...

After the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, Australia built thousands of public pools, which are now reaching the end of their lives. Royal Surf Life Saving Australia estimates about 40 per cent of public pools will be obsolete by 2030. So what do we lose if our pools start closing, and why are they so important that locals are lobbying to save them? In an age where people are writing entire novels us...

One of the oldest libraries in Australia, the State Library of New South Wales, is marking its 200th anniversary this year, and as part of the celebrations it's collated a collection of stories about how libraries have changed us. Editor Phillipa McGuinness and teacher-librarian Megan Daley discuss their favourite stories from the library. Research shows our average focus time on one task has drop...

Coles is in federal court this week, accused by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) of misleading shoppers with fake discounts — a claim Coles has denied. With trust in Australia's supermarket giants once again under the microscope, how easy is it to shop elsewhere? Hobbies are good for us, but it turns out that investing serious time and effort into our leisure activities ca...

Food ministers from across Australia and New Zealand have green-lit the process to make the health stars you see in the supermarket mandatory for all food products. It's a step in the right direction, but what else do we need to do to create a healthy environment for everyone?  Ben Crowe is one of the most in-demand professional mentors and leadership coaches in the world, and after years working...

Nearly 50 years after the first Mardi Gras march lit up the streets of Sydney, demanding an end to discrimination, so much has changed. But for many LGBTQIA+ Australians, conversations about their identity are still filled with anxiety and uncertainty. Headspace's Vicki Ryall and Lay Laupama discuss what coming out means in 2026, and how we can make it easier. And Ask Aunty tackles how to navigate...

We talk about good hair days — and bad ones — as if they're small things. But for people who are losing their hair, it can feel like losing a part of yourself. Michelle Law and Julian Morgans share their own experiences with hair loss, while researcher Hannah McCann helps untangle why hair is so deeply linked with our sense of identity.  Two Winter Olympic events ended in a tie this week, with com...

Running rarely feels easy, even for people who love it. Your legs ache, lungs burn, and then there's the nagging voice in your head telling you to walk the rest of the way. And yet, despite that discomfort, run clubs are booming and marathons are selling out. Author Konrad Marshall and Parkrun Australia founder Tim Oberg discuss our love-hate relationship with running and why we keep coming back t...

From its beginnings as a protest march in Sydney's inner city, Mardi Gras has become an internationally renowned celebration of LGBTQIA+ life. But this year festival organisers  have announced the huge post-parade party has been cancelled. Historian Scott McKinnon and queer club owner Tim Brown ponder the question: how important is the party? Family businesses are often treated like heirlooms — th...

As the national skills shortage bites, the trades are attracting more people looking for a new career. Australia's jobs and skills commissioner Barney Glover AO and Melbourne carpenter Tristan Santoro discuss what it takes to make a long-term career in the trades.  Whether it's lofi beats, hard rock or classical, research suggests that listening to music while we work can improve productivity. Pro...

When you think of your home, what springs to mind? For some, home is their happy place, a sanctuary of comfort and calm. But for others, it's complicated. Psychologist Chris Cheers discusses what it means to feel at home in our space, mind and body.  And Ask Aunty delves into pet politics — Denise Eriksen and James Colley discuss how to deal with a mate's four-legged friend if you're not that enam...

School is back and across the ditch there's a new subject in the New Zealand curriculum: financial education will be taught in classrooms from year 1 to 10. The Barefoot Investor author Scott Pape discusses how Australia could incorporate financial lessons into our own curriculum. There's a turf war in Melbourne right now over who's responsible for maintaining the nature strip on either side of th...

Australia is a world leader in cancer survival, with more than 1.6 million people now living with and beyond cancer. But survival alone doesn't tell the whole story. Cancer survivor and researcher Professor Phoebe Phillips and Professor Bogda Koczwara from the Australian Research Centre for Cancer Survivorship discuss how to support people not just during the early stages of care, but for the long...

While women's sport is booming in Australia, beneath the surface there are signs of a culture that's lagging behind. Accusations of disrespect, mistreatment and exclusion are still bubbling away — and one regional Victorian women's team has walked away from their club altogether. ABC Sport reporter Marnie Vinall, researcher Rochelle Eime and West Brunswick AFC president Lydia Holt unpack what it a...

The dog park is a magical place for our four-legged friends. But it's also a unique space for humans to connect with each other, form friendships, build community, and in some cases, even fall in love. Co-creator of ABC's new comedy Dog Park Amanda Higgs and animal-human relationship specialist Tiffani Howell discuss what makes dog park friendships so special.  When John Davey became a quadruple a...

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.