Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

Ask Aunty: When is it OK to gossip at work?

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you knew a secret about a new co-worker, would you share it with your colleagues? Where do you draw the line between harmless gossip and unprofess...

Unravelling the mother wound

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How's your relationship with your mother? If you're a daughter of a baby boomer, that question might hit particularly hard. There's a conversation e...

Travelling the world with dementia

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

More than 446,000 Australians are living with dementia. For many, it's a diagnosis that can turn your world upside down. But it doesn't mean life st...

How to protect your money after a breakup

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Aussies couples are moving away from joint finances, and are choosing to be more financially independent in their relationships instead, a new report...

Social Studies: Gen Zs are embracing nanna crafts and analogue hobbies

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Analogue hobbies are having a moment again — crochet clubs, scrapbooking and journalling are all over social media.These once old-fashioned pastime...

Could Australia adopt Finland's plan to end homelessness?

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past three years, homelessness in Australia has grown by at least 10 per cent. Meanwhile in Finland, a strategy known as Housing First has ...

"Lovely day, isn't it?" The big benefits of small talk

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How's your day been? Any plans for the weekend? What do you do for work?Small talk might feel trivial, but in her new book Once Upon A Stranger, prof...

Buyer Beware: Why we crave human-made in the AI era

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On the internet, a tiny piece of punctuation has become an unlikely battleground.The extra-long hyphen known as the em dash (—) has developed a rep...

The hotline to call when you've been a Witness to War

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For many Australians, the images of war and suffering flooding our screens aren't just distant headlines.Unless you've lived it, it's hard to describ...

Parenting teenagers experimenting with their own sense of self

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Our teenage years are often a phase of experimentation and discovery as we figure out who we are and where we belong.Adolescence can also be a time t...

Why you can remember old song lyrics but forget why you walked into a room

15 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Whether it's the lyrics to a song from 25 years ago, or the entire script of a classic movie, our memory has a habit of holding onto things we don't ...

School's in session for e-bike education

15 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When you think of teaching your kids about road safety, you probably picture them behind the wheel of a car.But as e-bikes and e-scooters have taken ...

Does a positive outlook help you age better?

15 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Over the hill". "Past your prime". There are plenty of cliches about ageing being all downhill.But a long-term Yale study suggests the opposite may ...

Staying sane while co-parenting with your ex

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Breaking up can be brutal, especially if you have children together. Navigating feelings of anger, sadness, betrayal and shock without bringing the k...

Ask Aunty: In defence of a wrongly accused cat

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When your pet is accused of a crime, how far should you go to clear their name?This week Katherine asks the Aunties where the line is between nosey n...

Ask Aristotle: Should adults sacrifice their privacy to protect kids from porn?

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Australia introduced age-verification rules designed to stop young people accessing online pornography. But proving you're an adult could ...

Could Fortnite therapy help improve young men's mental health?

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Video game therapy is an emerging service in the Australian mental health space.Practitioners are offering services from Fortnite therapy to counsell...

The argument against sharing a bed with your lover

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Are you happily married, but sleep divorced? Even when sleeping in a different bed from your partner improves your relationship, your sleep and your...

Teen girls are missing from our parks and playgrounds. Why?

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Skate parks, playgrounds and BMX tracks are everywhere — but teenage girls are barely using them. An Australian survey found they make up just 6 pe...

Work In Progress: Tips from Esther Perel on navigating conflict in the workplace

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Office politics can be tricky. From petty disagreements with colleagues, to working with a power-tripping boss, workplace conflicts can bleed out of ...

Denise Scott survives breast cancer and takes on the Sydney Opera House

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It was a moment in the shower that changed everything for comedian Denise Scott.She knew it was bad immediately, and a few appointments later it was ...

How a living funeral helped a family say goodbye

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you could be in the crowd at your own funeral, listening to all the people who care about you talking about how much they loved you, would you go?...

Head and Heart: When is it OK to judge people?

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As humans we're hard wired to make decisions based on first impressions, but sometimes we get it wrong.And when we're the ones being judged, it can f...

What's behind the push to expand the childcare subsidy and pay it to parents instead?

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australia spends billions of dollars a year subsidising childcare centres. But what if that money flowed to parents, instead of providers?The debate ...

What would you do with an extra week of annual leave?

08 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Are your favourite things about work the breaks you get to take from it?Weekends, clocking off after an eight-hour shift, and taking paid holidays.Th...

Can a frozen delivery replace Meals on Wheels?

08 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Meals on Wheels has been around for more than 70 years, providing much more than food to the older Australians who rely on the service. But in a gro...

The terror of teaching teens to drive

08 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Learning to drive is a rite of passage for many Australians, but when it's your turn to be the teacher you might question whether you're actually qua...

Let's talk about sex: from duty to the erotic menu

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you had to rank your sex life between 1 to 10, where would you land? According to a recent survey, nearly half of Australians are unhappy with th...

Ask Aunty: Discovering a partner's infidelity after their death

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What would you do if you discovered while grieving your partner that they had been unfaithful? How do you process the mixed emotions of betrayal and...

Is dynamic pricing coming to Australian supermarkets?

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Do you pay attention to unit prices at the shops?Maybe you even know the exact time your local supermarket discounts things so you can swoop in and g...

Stuck with a toxic coworker? Here's what to do

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ever experienced a toxic workplace?Nearly two thirds of Australians have — and 42% of them left their job because of it, according to SEEK research...

The end of letters

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australia Post has warned the day will soon come when it delivers its last letter, with the rising cost to provide the service outstripping demand.Wh...

Why 'AI literacy' is the biggest online challenge since the internet began

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The way we interact with digital spaces has changed dramatically since the inception of the internet.With the spread of artificial intelligence, the ...

Has online learning sucked the life out of university?

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Crowded lecture theatres. Hours spent sprawled on the lawn between classes. Late nights watching bands at the uni bar.For generations these were stap...

An epidemiologist and Antarctic sound collector on how art changes lives

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Think about a piece of art that moved you — perhaps it triggered a treasured memory, or transported you to a different time and place.When we talk ...

Zero-alcohol drinks are booming — but are they really harmless?

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It wasn't long ago that zero-alcohol drinks were a niche product. Now they're everywhere, including on supermarket shelves, looking almost identical ...

Buyer Beware: The subtle manipulation of earworms

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We've all been there, when a song pops into your head and suddenly you're humming it without even thinking.But earworms aren't always innocent, adver...

How 'frugal chic' and no-buy trends are changing our relationship with our clothes

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australians are among the highest consumers of textiles, per capita, in the world, buying an average of 55 garments of clothing per year.The over-con...

The voices we find attractive and what that says about us

01 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

New research has explored which voices we find more attractive and how our sexuality might shape the kinds of speech that turns us on. Though, it mi...

Could your next favourite band get their start in a charity venue?

01 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It has never been harder to be a small live music venue in Australia.You've got multinational companies squeezing the market, an onerous regulatory e...

Are we so worried about living longer that we're not living well?

01 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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.It ranges ...

If we want to tackle debt, we need to drop the shame around it

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, 47 per cent of Australians with debt struggled to make their repayments. So if you've ever felt that quiet panic when a payment is due, yo...

Ask Aunty: When is it OK to break up a friendship?

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When an age-gap friendship starts to feel a little tiring, and you're finding you have less in common, is it time to break up? And how do you manage...

What would universal child care mean for your kids?

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Australia is having a reckoning moment for the 1.5 million children enrolled in child care.Over the last week there have been hearings at the Senate ...

My Two Cents with Mick Thomas

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For My Two Cents, hear how veteran rock and roller Mick Thomas of Weddings, Parties, Anything and The Roving Commission, makes his money decisions.Th...

'Two things can exist in the same space': Talking about the reality of Tourette's after the BAFTAs

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the aftermath of the BAFTA awards, one moment has eclipsed the stories behind any of the films that were recognised on the night. As two Black ac...

Ask Aristotle: The philosophy behind mind swaps and head transplants

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you could place your head on a different body, would you?From Frankenstein's monster to centuries of philosophical thought experiments, writers an...

Work On It: Why a council backflipped on its four-day work week plans

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Late last month, news broke that the Launceston City Council was considering a four-day work week for its staff – that's four days' work for the sa...

New generation speaking ancient languages

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

International Mother Language Day passed over the weekend, and the chorus of those celebrating is growing louder with 22 per cent of Australians spea...

Why the Tricketts want sport chat to refocus on the little wins

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Sport is woven into the fabric of Australia's culture.Whether you're cheering on your favourite team through the footy season, or watching Olympians ...

How to restore trust in the medical system for the endometriosis community

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

An investigation by the ABC's Four Corners program has unveiled serious allegations against a renowned Melbourne gynaecologist.Former patients of Dr ...

Head and Heart: Should you ever pressure test a new relationship?

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Whether it's travelling together or building flat pack furniture, a little pressure can test a romantic relationship and help you decide whether or n...

Is a sense of belonging the key to social cohesion?

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new report into multiculturalism shows that for migrants, a sense of belonging in the postcode where you live is key, and comes quicker than a sens...

Breathing new life into country towns

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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.Across regional Australia, commun...

How do you rate your neighbours?

22 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine if you could get a glimpse of your neighbours before you signed a lease or bought the house, would you still move in?We've all had a run in w...

How wind phones are making space for grief and connection after death

22 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After someone you love dies, it's often the small things that hit the hardest. A song on the radio. Driving past their favourite picnic spot. Reachi...

The book that sparked a feminist rage and changed Bri Lee's life

22 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Bri Lee is an academic, activist and author who wrote her most recent manuscript entirely by hand. She shares the story of the book that, upon first...

How to deactivate your nervous system and feel positive about the world again

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you've found yourself stuck in a state of overwhelm and despair, you may feel it's a rational response to the state of the world. But experts say...

Ask Aunty: How to avoid a war with your neighbours over street trees

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When the humble nature strip becomes the site of a neighbourly turf war, things can get tense. So how do you keep the peace and avoid the awkward in...

Friction-maxxing: an ode to doing things the "hard" way

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dinner delivered to your door, one click and a package is on its way, location sharing so you don't have to text your partner to ask when they'll be ...

Why kids are starting to 'yap' like their grandparents

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Keeping up with Gen Z slang can feel like decoding a secret language. But some of the buzziest words right now aren't new at all.The American Dialect...

How far would you go to protect your local swimming pool?

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Cast your mind back to the local pool of your childhood: the scent of chlorine in the air and a bag of mixed lollies on the hot concrete.After the 19...

The cave experiment: Five days in total darkness

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Research shows our average focus time on one task has dropped from about 2.5 minutes in the early 2000s to around 40 seconds today. So what would ha...

The libraries that shaped us — and how they're changing

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

One of the oldest libraries in Australia, the State Library of New South Wales, is marking a significant milestone this year. And as part of its 200...

Withering takes on Wuthering Heights — what makes a good adaptation

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The 1847 novel Wuthering Heights has inspired dozens of screen adaptations, the latest of which is out now.And if it feels like no one can agree on w...

Why you should take your leisure time seriously

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With model kits for mindfulness and adult colouring books flying off the shelves, it seems the COVID-era craving for quiet, comforting hobbies has re...

Can we really avoid the supermarket giants?

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Down down, prices are down … but are they?Coles has appeared in federal court this week, accused by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commiss...

Should stores be allowed to scan your face?

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In most busy public places, CCTV cameras are so common that you're almost certain to spot one, even if you hardly notice them anymore.But would you f...

The fantasy series that changed Luke Bateman's life

15 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you've made it through your summer reading list already, you might be looking for some inspiration on what to pick up next. This week, #BookTok c...

Mindset coach Ben Crowe on shifting perspectives to change your life

15 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Crowe is one of the most in-demand professional mentors and leadership coaches in the world, and after years working with elite athletes from Ash...

Looking beyond the health star rating to help choose the food we eat

15 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Is coming out as queer any easier in 2026?

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

You're sitting at the kitchen table, heart racing. You've replayed this moment 100 times in your head: what to say, how to say it, how they might rea...

Ask Aunty: Can you tell your grandkids what you really think about their parents?

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When one of your kids gets divorced, it may seem obvious whose side you should take. But how do you navigate the family dynamics when talking with yo...

Why do we care so much about hair?

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We talk about good hair days — and bad ones — as if they're small things. But for people who are losing their hair, it isn't small at all.It can ...

How sharing a gold medal became the sweetest success story

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In most elite sports, the ultimate goal is winning. But what happens when you share the gold medal with a competitor?At the Milano Cortina Winter Oly...

Ask Aristotle: What would you do if you were stranded on a desert island?

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you were stranded on a desert island with your peers, would you work together to survive, or would things quickly descend into chaos?This scenario...

Is tiny house living as simple as buying a DIY flat pack?

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tiny homes are booming — manufacturers are springing up across the country, and you can even pick up a basic DIY kit from your local hardware store...

Why time feels like it speeds up as we get older

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists are turning to optical atomic clocks to measure time with unprecedented precision. Of course, that still won’t help you figure out how ...

Our love-hate relationship with running

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How often do you have to push yourself to do something you know will do you good, even when it feels like a struggle?That’s what running is like. E...

Taking over the family business alongside six of your siblings

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Around 70 per cent of Australian businesses are family-owned — from married couples running the local restaurant, to multi-million-dollar companies...

The fight for queer parties and nightclubs

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

From its beginnings as a protest march in Sydney's inner city, Mardi Gras has become an internationally renowned celebration of LGBTQIA+ life.Except ...

Head and Heart: Why do we find it so hard to say no?

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The holidays are over, but the aftermath isn't. Maybe you said yes to a few things in the moment – and now you wish you hadn't.Messages start comin...

Why surgeons can listen to AC/DC, but it might distract you at work

08 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have a productivity playlist? Whether it's lofi beats, hard rock or classical music, research suggests that listening to music while we work c...

Tradie trajectory — what does it take to succeed in a trade career?

08 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As the national skills shortage bites, the trades are attracting more people looking for a new career. So if you want to swap collars and get on the...

Why cycling feels less safe for women

08 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Cycling can ease congestion and boost our health, but whether people ride often comes down to how safe it feels.The way our cities are designed shape...

Ask Aunty: Do you have to love your friends' pets?

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If your good friend has a new life partner, you would, of course, be welcoming when they come visit. But what if their special someone has four legs,...

What does it mean to feel at home?

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When you think of your home, what springs to mind? Is it four walls and a roof, or something far more personal, like the smell of your favourite meal...

Social Studies: What's in a name and why are they all Charlotte and Noah?

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Giving your child a name that suits them can feel like an impossible task, and we turn to our own cultural touchpoints for inspiration.So what does i...

It's not about the money — Scott Pape's vision for kids' financial education

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Could the grass be greener? Reimagining the verge garden

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Picture this: there's a set of tram tracks running down the middle of an inner city road, with a strip of lawn either side. On one side it's pristine...

Love, loss and expressing yourself in your third age

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What age did you consider yourself "too old" to wear certain outfits? Did you feel too old to try on certain identities — ones you once felt comfor...

Rethinking what it means to survive cancer

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Sound therapy to turn down the volume on tinnitus

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For some people, it's a high-pitched ringing. For others, it's like cicadas buzzing, clicking, and hissing.

How to convince your boss to let you work from home

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

More than a third of Australian employees regularly work from home – but for many, flexible work arrangements are informal and depend on how open-m...

Buyer Beware: What price would you pay for authenticity?

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If there were two basically identical products sitting in front of you, but one of them cost $20,000 and the other cost $100, how would you decide wh...

Why do we keep dropping the ball on women's sport?

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Whether it's the AFL, NRL, soccer or basketball, you can now find women in most major sports from the community level all the way up to the professio...

How do we make active commuting the easy option for more families?

01 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

School's back, families are settling into their routines, and whether or not you have kids, there's one thing that means: traffic. A new survey show...

An ode to the friendships and community we find at the dog park

01 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

An open patch of grass, a park bench or two, and as many slobbery tennis balls as you can imagine. The dog park is a magical place for some of our f...

Could a cuppa with a stranger be the missing link in patient care?

01 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When John Davey became a quadruple amputee, he spent eight months lying in a hospital bed before a chance meeting in rehab showed him the true meanin...

Simone Stolzoff wants to help you nurture your non-work self

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For many of us, who we are is primarily defined by what we do. But growing research shows this kind of work-centric identity comes at a cost.So are t...