Life Matters - Separate stories podcast
Episodes
Social Studies: Public displays of affection
24 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Does seeing a couple on a bench sharing a kiss make your heart warm or does it make you blush and avert your eyes?Attitudes to public displays of aff...
Reflecting on Play School's 60-year legacy
24 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Play School, Australia's longest-running children's television program, is celebrating a milestone birthday this year. It's Big Ted's diamond jubilee...
How pregnancy can trigger an eating disorder
24 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A focus on regimented eating, rapid body changes and tracking weight are all signs of a potential eating disorder but also what you do during pregnan...
Where have all the male school teachers gone?
23 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
According to the latest statistics, men make up less than a third of Australian school teachers. In primary schools, the gender gap is even wider. T...
The seminal sex book that changed Dee Salmin's life
23 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dee Salmin has spent years as host of The Hook Up on triple j talking to people about their love lives and interviewing experts to understand the dyn...
Keeping bird flu away from your backyard chooks
23 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
So far, there are two confirmed cases of a new strain of bird flu on Australian shores. While the headlines about H5N1 bird flu have largely focused...
50 Words Project reaches milestone of 100 languages
23 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There are more than 250 Indigenous languages across Australia, carrying culture, history and knowledge through generations. The vital work of preser...
Buyer Beware: Online shopping simulators
22 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For many people the experience of buying something online can be more important than the actual product itself. This addiction has become so prevale...
Buy better or wear more — the dilemma in sustainable fashion
22 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In 2025 the average wardrobe contained about 199 pieces of clothing, a figure that has more than quadrupled over the last 60 years. So if we can agr...
Sorting through sunscreen myths and misinformation on social media
22 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Social media has become a go-to source for skincare advice, but it can be hard to know what's credible and what's not.Researchers in Canada recently ...
Discovering yourself through your ancestors
21 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Around 26 million people worldwide have taken an at-home DNA test to discover their ancestry. For some, there's simply a curiosity about the stories...
The dangers of medical conspiracies
21 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When we're feeling ill, most of us will do anything to get better. With trust in medical institutions, it's never been easier to find alternative in...
Tackling big city problems with people power
21 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Real change can start with one afternoon of action, but if you want it to last, it requires people to showing up, keep organising, and keep working t...
Finding spirituality outside of religion
18 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Australia is increasingly a nation of non believers — in the 50 years from to 2021, the number of people claiming "no religion" rose from about 7 p...
Ask Aunty: Is it OK to call dibs on a dying relative's belongings?
18 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to grief, everyone processes things in their own way. But where do you draw the line between healthy, open conversations about death, a...
Returning to the ocean after a shark attack
17 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The ocean is central to daily life in coastal communities all over Australia. So when the worst happens, as it did last week when a young woman was ...
Ask Aristotle: When does a white lie get out of hand?
17 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's just a white lie — how much harm could it cause?Just to get through an awkward moment or even out of politeness. But if you have to maintain ...
John Williamson on what it really means to be true blue
17 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
"It really bothers me when any kind of white supremacist people have tried to use my song, I've objected to that a few times now. True blue is just.....
Is it worth learning a new language to travel?
16 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Learning a few key phrases in Spanish or German — or wherever your destination was — used to be a right of passage when travelling overseas.Howev...
The dads locked out of paid parental leave
16 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The first children born under Australia's legislated paid parental leave scheme turn 16 this year, and 2026 marks a major milestone for new parents. ...
Work In Progress: When AI upskilling turns into 'botsitting'
16 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI is increasingly becoming part of our working lives. Even for the AI-sceptic, it's pretty hard to avoid.But it takes time and effort to teach these...
Saving the local bowls club
15 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Long before the film Crackerjack popularised the flipper, the venerated sport of lawn bowls has been a staple of Australian life. But for the oldest...
Head and Heart: Caring for your estranged parent
15 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's an expectation that at some stage you will have to take care of your parents. But how do you manage this if your parents weren't really there f...
What is a "good" salary in 2026?
15 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Does the body really keep the score?
14 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Bessel van der Kolk's The Body Keeps The Score has sold millions of copies worldwide since its release in 2014, firmly establishing itself as one of ...
How to give building materials a second life
14 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After major flooding in 2022, hundreds of homes in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales were bought by the state government so people could move ou...
Managing 'technostress' in older generations
14 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The digital world is well and truly here, but for some people it can be very isolating.Many essential services have a digital first approach and for ...
Ask Aunty: Can a lapsed Catholic exaggerate their faith for the greater good?
11 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is it OK to fib about your faith to get your child into a good school? This week the Aunties share advice with a listener who's weighing up whether ...
Navigating AI anxiety when it's a tool you rely on
11 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In just a few short years, AI has gone from being a novelty to becoming embedded in our lives.According to a 2026 report from Stanford University, Au...
How Libby Trickett is dealing with health anxiety after a SCAD heart attack
10 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After hanging up the Olympic swimming goggles, growing and birthing five beautiful children, Libby Trickett was ready to make her 40s the decade of h...
Building neighbourhoods your kids want to play in
10 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
According to a Play Australia survey from 2025, more than 70 per cent of children play in their homes — or at their friends' houses — and a qua...
Social Studies: What defines happiness?
10 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When you look at the things in your life, what really makes you happy? Recent ABS data reveals that people are less happy now than they were in 2020...
The secret formula for making the 'perfect' decision
09 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When you've got a difficult choice to make, what's your go-to system to reach an answer?Do you pull out the magic eight ball, or do you reach for a m...
What is the future for bookstores?
09 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For many book lovers, the local store is their happy place.Even if you're not an avid reader, bookstores can carry cultural significance, giving peop...
Should we be considering trees as part of our critical infrastructure?
09 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When you think about the critical infrastructure that makes up a city, what comes to mind? Roads, bridges, power lines, public hospitals — what abo...
What happens to the soft plastic you recycle?
08 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Australia uses 1.3 million tonnes of plastic packaging every year.And while most of us do our best to recycle, the majority of that packaging still e...
The hidden challenges of dyslexia at work
08 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As many as one in five Australians have dyslexia.The condition makes the basics of literacy, reading and writing, a huge hurdle, and if not managed p...
Buyer Beware: How loyalty programs use your data
08 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How many loyalty programs are you a part of?There are many different programs out there each with their own set of incentives which get you to take p...
Dr Billy Garvey on raising boys
07 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Every parent wants their child to grow into a kind, capable adult. But many who are raising young boys right now are worried about their future. Chi...
Reflecting on Richard Scolyer's legacy
07 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Scolyer, the leading melanoma pathologist and former Australian of the Year who revolutionised cancer research, has died at age 59.He leaves ...
How to bond with a dog that upends your daily routines
07 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Bringing a pet into your family is supposed to be a love-at-first-sight moment signalling a life ahead with your new best friend, but often the day-t...
Ask Aunty: When a beloved family pet becomes too much to handle
04 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After years of training and patience, listener Simone's reactive dog and excitable toddler are living happily together, but the stress of constant su...
Looksmaxxing, GLP1s and learning to love your authentic self
04 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In an era where we have access to the technology, surgery and drugs to modify every aspect of our appearance, how can we build a relationship with ou...
Can we reset the online outrage economy?
03 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ten years ago, Facebook updated its platform to introduce new ways to interact with posts you were seeing in your feed. Alongside the humble thumbs-...
Is there a way to build rest into your everyday life?
03 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
According to Beyond Blue, 1 in 2 Australian are facing burnout in the workplace.Burnout almost seems like an inevitable condition of the modern age.A...
Ask Aristotle: The ethics of whistleblowers
03 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When something happens that you think crosses a moral line, do you call it out? And if you have, what was the moral cost? The bravery of whistleblow...
Old bands to old cities — finding your nostalgia community online
02 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From pop culture milestones to forgotten parts of the city you love — there's a Facebook page for that.Whether it's a page sharing memories of musi...
An ode to intergenerational friendship
02 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We share a lot of life's milestones with our friends. Remember the year of 21st birthdays? Then the season of weddings, babies, mortgages.Most of us ...
Work In Progress: Why are you overwhelmed at work?
02 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
You can probably think of at least 5 things at work that are kind of related to your job, but in reality become distractions that keep you from achie...
What this dad wants you to know about fatherhood after losing his son
01 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this year, lawyer, educator and advocate Adair Donaldson was confronted with unimaginable loss.His son Oliver, the youngest of four boys, die...
Head and Heart: Can you tell a friend to go to therapy?
01 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Part of being a good friend is providing a sympathetic ear, but what do you do if you think they need professional help?It can be hard to be there fo...
Reimbursing small-scale scam victims
01 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Last year Australians lost more than $2 billion to scams, and while the number of victims has fallen, the total combined losses has risen.The federal...
What would it take to fix our social media feeds forever?
31 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Australia's social media ban has been in place for six months — with mixed reports on its success. For teens managing to bypass the ban, they're s...
Could we be living on the Moon any time soon?
31 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
NASA has announced the next big step in its Artemis program: they're going to build a home base for astronauts, on the Moon.It'll take until at least...
A trail expert's guide to beginner hiking
31 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hiking is a a great way to see the world and get active, but there are real risks involved that require careful consideration and planning. So when ...
Could we be living on the Moon any time soon?
31 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
NASA has announced the next big step in its Artemis program: they're going to build a home base for astronauts, on the Moon.It'll take until at least...
Ask Aunty: What should I do if my friend is being scammed online?
28 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week the Aunties give some advice to a listener worried that her friend is being scammed by a romantic suitor. If you suspect something is too ...
When gambling becomes more serious than a harmless punt
28 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The odds are, gambling is part of your life or the life of someone you know.Three in four Australian adults spend money on gambling in a typical year...
Social Studies: Are your digital skills better than a teenager?
27 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority shows that in 2025, only 37 per cent of year 10 students were proficient ...
Do we need to rethink coral harvesting on the Great Barrier Reef?
27 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Each year the Queensland government allows up to 190 tonnes of coral to be harvested and exported from the Great Barrier Reef.Coral fishery members s...
Will changes to the unemployment system help people slipping through the cracks?
27 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government has announced a major overhaul of the unemployment system that it says is ill equipped to support many of the people who rely ...
Does anyone care about sustainable fashion anymore?
26 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sustainability has been a fashion buzzword for well over a decade.But the controversial sale of ethical fashion brand Everlane to fast-fashion giant ...
Work In Progress: How to quit your job
26 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The average person spends around 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime.That's a lot of time to spend somewhere if you're not happy. So how do you kn...
What do the world's longest golf course and the dunny derby have in common?
26 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever noticed that some of Australia's most iconic events sound almost completely made up?From Winton's dunny derby, to Port Lincoln's champi...
Why you're feeling stuck, even when you 'make it'
25 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A range of economic indicators paint a picture of Australians becoming stuck. Stuck in one job, in one city, in a place where the risks of trying som...
Australia's world-first School of the Air turns 75
25 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For many parents, hearing the phrase "remote learning" triggers flashbacks to the pandemic-induced chaos of working from home with school-aged kids.B...
Buyer Beware: 'Down down' with discount marketing
25 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Recently the Federal Court ruled that Coles had intentionally misled customers with its "down down" discounts.It decided the process of inflating the...
The monstrous madness of living with premenstrual dysphoric disorder
24 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine being caught in a cycle where every 29 days, you transform into an angry, weepy, out-of-control mess.Then suddenly, it passes. You forget the...
What should you do if you find a fossil?
24 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What would you do if you found a fossil or artefact?Twenty-three species of dinosaur have been discovered in Australia and 70 per cent of those were ...
Ask Aunty: Can I ask my partner to come home earlier from a big night out?
21 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When you're parenting small children, sleep can feel like a battleground. So when one person takes a night off, how late is too late to stay out? Th...
How to manage anxiety and flex your social muscles
21 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Recent research suggests social anxiety is on the rise. Beyond the usual feelings around making awkward small talk, many people are struggling to soc...
What social and community support means for people on the NDIS
20 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
So many of the day-to-day activities many of us take for granted — grabbing a coffee, going to a weekly gym class, catching up with friends — are...
Ask Aristotle: Would you freeze your brain?
20 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you could freeze your brain and body and be brought back to life at a later time, would you do it?A new survey reveals 1 in 4 doctors believe it i...
How to survive the friendship wealth gap
19 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
They say friends come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.Sometimes people drift apart when kids come into the picture, or when one ...
Putting your life on the line to volunteer
19 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Whether it's fire, flood or another natural disaster, the majority of people who are risking their lives to protect you are highly trained and totall...
Would you trade your privacy for a connected car?
19 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Connected cars have been described as a "privacy nightmare on wheels". Features designed for safety allow these vehicles to transmit data continuousl...
Head and Heart: Should you try beta parenting?
18 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Parenting styles are continually challenged, evolving and ultimately judged. But when did child-rearing become so competitive, and why do we hold our...
The dark fairytale novella that changed Andy Griffiths' life
18 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The school library is full of hidden treasures, and it's where a young Andy Griffiths stumbled across a book that showed him how something totally fa...
Shaun Micallef investigates Australia's gambling obsession
18 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gambling is Australia's national sport. More than half of us have had a punt recently, and we lose around $32 billion each year in the name of a flut...
Putting Australian women who made history on the map
18 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Less than 4 per cent of statues in Australia are of real Australian women. And sure, it's just a bit of brass, but the people we literally put on a p...
The rise of peptides as the next health craze
17 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Have you had the word peptides start to pop up more frequently on your social media feeds or in conversation?What used to be more familiar in chemist...
Re-imagining cemeteries as a space for the living
17 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There are more than 6,300 cemeteries across the country, marking the final resting place of millions of Australians who've died.But space is at a pre...
Rough sleeping is on the rise. Is your local council ready to respond?
17 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
No matter where you live in Australia, homelessness is getting worse.But it's a particular form of homelessness that's putting pressure on local coun...
Ask Aunty: Who owns the family photo albums?
14 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Family photo albums can hold immense sentimental value, documenting a shared history and keeping memories of relatives long since passed alive for fu...
Working through sexual hang-ups to expand your pleasure potential
14 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Having the odd hang-up around sex is normal, even if it is difficult to talk about. Whether you feel self-conscious about your body, or have trouble...
It's deeper than beauty therapy, but we don't train hairdressers to deal with trauma
13 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New research has outlined the urgent need to better equip the people who become our de facto therapists — the beauticians, hairdressers, nail techs...
Social Studies: What do our surnames say about us?
13 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Traditionally, most Australian children were given their father's surname at birth, and most women who went on to marry would take their husband's su...
Can you afford your specialist fees?
13 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A Grattan report indicates that over a million Australians a year are delaying or skipping specialist health care because they can't afford it.Specia...
Does this budget deliver intra-generational fairness for older people?
12 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The government has laid out the federal budget for the next year, and there's a theme: intergenerational fairness.There will be articles about budget...
Dee Salmin on what early mistakes in love can teach you about dating later in life
12 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you could go back and give your teenage or early 20s self one piece of advice about dating, what would you tell them?For Dee Salmin, host of tripl...
Singing in the workplace for connection and wellbeing
12 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Would you be up for a sing-along session with your work colleagues, in the name of collaboration and productivity?Research suggests music can be a po...
Making mental health first aid everyone's job
11 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After a player went through a serious mental health episode on the field, the AFL implemented a new rule: all clubs must have an in-house psychologis...
Buyer Beware: AI fitness influencers are selling you a false dream
11 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What is it that motivates you to get to the gym? Is it the toned bodies on screens telling you quick ways to get muscle, or just a general approach t...
The case for reviving school libraries
11 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you cast your mind back to the school library of your childhood, what comes to mind?Whether it's a tiny one-room demountable, or a state-of-the-ar...
Activating the outdoor gym
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wanted to use an outdoor gym but weren't sure where to start?It's a sentiment that many people share and a new program from the Adelaid...
How much can you really save growing your own produce?
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever tended to a homegrown tomato, you'll know the joys gardening can bring.And with the price of groceries climbing, many are looking to g...
What does true respite for carers look like?
10 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There are three million carers in Australia looking after a loved one who's unable to care for themselves anymore.But what happens when carers need a...
Ask Aunty: Justice for a teddy bear crime
07 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the Aunties help out a listener whose beloved teddy bear was destroyed by the neighbours' dog. When the eye-watering bill for repairs come...
Navigating the parent-child relationship into adulthood
07 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever have that moment where a minor interaction with your parent makes you feel like you're suddenly a child again? Or have you, as the paren...
Why blood donation is the last true act of altruism
06 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Every day, thousands of Australians rely on blood transfusions to not just survive, but to live a normal life.And while it's estimated one in three o...