Life Matters - Separate stories podcast
Episodes
The reasons "brainrot" might not be truly unproductive
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ballerina Cappuccina, Chimpanzini Bananini, Bombardiro Crocodilo ... do these names mean anything to you?If you know what I'm talking about, you've p...
What does Victoria's landmark treaty mean for the rest of the country?
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Three decades after a federal treaty was first promised - but never materialised - Victoria has introduced the first ever treaty legislation into its...
How to rekindle a long-lost friendship
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all have one - a friend we once cared deeply about but somehow lost touch with along the way.Research shows most of us would love to reconnect, bu...
Why everyone you know is signing up for a marathon
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If it seems like everyone you know is running a marathon or a half-marathon, you're probably not mistaken.Last week, the entries opened for Brisbane ...
Why the public fascination with female perpetrators?
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson will spend at least 33 years behind bars for the deaths of three family members via an infamous death cap mu...
How to handle pressure like a pro athlete
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Finals season is here, and AFL and NRL players are facing some of the most high-pressure moments of their careers.But you don’t have to be an athle...
Unstitching the meaning behind work uniforms
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's the role of workplace uniforms? Last week, Qantas announced Australian fashion designer Rebecca Vallance would design its first new uniform in...
The death of the main drag
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever visit a new city... or new part of your own town and realise ... "there's nothing unique here, I could really be anywhere in the world"?T...
Could better planning laws fix fast food over-saturation?
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where you live affects your health in so many ways, and as our cities grow we're building new houses, new shops, new amenities from scratch. So why d...
The book that changed David Marr's life
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ABC Radio National has launched its Top 100 Books of the 21st Century. Over the next few weeks, you can vote for the books that you believe belong on...
The way we volunteer is changing. Can service clubs survive?
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From Lions Club playgrounds to Rotary rotundas and sausage sizzles galore, the contribution of local service clubs is visible in every community. Bu...
Too busy to read? There's a retreat for that
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you disappeared into a book for hours?Between work, family and a never-ending to-do list, it can feel almost indulgent to read...
Ask Aunty: How to deal with a chatterbox child
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If someone shares something that's TMI (too much information) it can be a little awkward… But what happens when it's your child's nine-year-old b...
Yes, you can change your personality (kind of)
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us may have thought about changing parts of our personalities. Journalist and staff writer at the Atlantic, Olga Khazan, actually did it. Aft...
To catch a (tennis cap) thief: What does a moment of bad behaviour reveal?
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A hat-snatching CEO takes an autographed tennis cap from a young child at the US Open and all hell breaks loose.So, what does a moment of bad behavio...
The risks of romance in the workplace
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The workplace has long been the place where people meet, mingle, and date... even marry. According to a 2023 survey by the Society for Human Resource...
Navigating a mature career change
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's an immense amount of pressure we place on teenagers - putting in uni preference forms, signing up to an apprenticeship, and making a career deci...
The debate over our flag's meaning
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of people attended the March for Australia rallies on the weekend... and one of the most common sights in the crowds was the Australian fla...
Could better design solve our housing crisis?
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australia’s housing crisis is a complex challenge - but what if it was also our biggest opportunity?In a new ABC Radio National series, The Home Fr...
Phone calls from prison are expensive. Should they be free?
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For most people, calling a loved one is part of daily life. But in prison, the high cost of phone calls can cut people off from vital family support...
How to break out of the "trauma dumping" cycle
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've all been there. You're gearing up for some light small talk with your colleague and all of a sudden you're hearing intimate details about their...
How are modern families sharing the domestic load?
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Even in 2025, it's still the women who are doing the bulk of the laundry, the cooking, the school lunches and running the family's social calendar. T...
Beep, blip, buzz: is a noisy world making us less safe?
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From washing machines and dishwashers to smartphones and fitness trackers, our lives are filled with beeps, dings and buzzes designed to get our atte...
Caring for a loved one who won't get better
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you're caring for a loved one who's unwell, the light at the end of the tunnel is obviously their recovery.But what about cases where that won't...
When "coming out" will no longer be necessary for queer people
31 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For many queer people, coming out is something they'll have to do again and again - every time they meet a new person or make a new group of friends ...
Lizzy Hoo's favourite book of all time
31 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ABC Radio National has launched its Top 100 Books of the 21st Century. Over the next few weeks, you can vote for the books that you believe belong on...
How do you stop a child from committing a crime?
31 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new report has detailed the consequences of catching critical issues that cause young people to offend too late. The cost of detaining young peopl...
What's the point of university?
31 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Across the board universities are under immense pressure. But if cracks in the system are so widespread, how hard should we be fighting to save them?...
Ask Aunty: the passive aggressive ex-mother-in-law
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dealing with in-laws can be tricky enough, but what are the rules when it comes to handling your not-so-helpful ex-in-laws?
How to have difficult conversations
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all avoid conversations we think might go badly. But, could this be holding us back? And how can we move that tricky conversation out of our heads...
What's behind Australia's rise in gun ownership?
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australia is often held up as a global example for strong gun laws because of the sweeping reforms after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. But since th...
Should we still have beauty pageants in 2025?
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Miss Universe Australia was crowned - 21-year-old Lexie Brant will represent us in Thailand in November.Lexie admits there's a stigma arou...
How can we stop banks bailing on regional Australia?
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's a small town on the west coast of Tasmania locked in a David and Goliath battle to save their last bank.If the bank closes Queenstown locals ...
Australia is building more data centres. What does that mean for communities nearby?
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Online banking. Social media scrolling. Streaming your favourite TV show. These everyday digital activities rely on massive, physical data centres th...
What is a "sovereign citizen"?
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Overnight it's emerged that the man accused of fatally shooting two police officers in Victoria, Dezi Freeman, is a self-identified "sovereign citize...
Running a half-marathon when you can't see the road ahead
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Running a marathon, a half-marathon, even a 5K, is no small thing. The training, the early mornings, the commitment can take a lot out of you.Now, im...
The pain (and joy) of being an empty nester
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's no shortage of advice for the early years of parenting - everything from pram choice to sleep training to toddler tantrums.But what about the...
The uncomfortable truth of the 'class ceiling' at work
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australia prides itself on the idea of a fair go.However new research from Diversity Council Australia shows that social class influences who gets ah...
Swifties, Beliebers, and the cult of celebrity
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you a Swiftie? Maybe a part of the Bey-hive? Or perhaps you never stopped being a Ring Nut or a Belieber. When Taylor Swift announced her new al...
How the arts can become a better place for people with disability
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jordan Fyfe is a disabled artist, researcher and advocate who is currently finishing her PhD, and an ABC Top 5 Arts Resident for 2025. Her research f...
Big payday and bigger losses: the new market for gambling advertising
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every year Australians lose more than 32 billion dollars to gambling.Since online gambling entered the realm it's never been easier to spend big, and...
Science says couples who meet online are less happy
24 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did you meet your partner? If your answer is "online", sorry to be the bearer of bad news - but research says you're probably less happy than you...
The upsides for housing if we get downsizing right
24 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all want the housing crisis to end, but are you willing to sacrifice your house if it could help others live the dream you had?The downsides to do...
Osher Günsberg's new project to start a mental health conversation
24 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Osher Günsberg is one of best-known names in Australian entertainment. He's a television and radio host, a podcaster and an author.He is also known ...
'You are Enough!' - a world expert's message to perfectionists
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Internationally-renowned psychologist, Dr Thomas Curran says healing from perfectionism is about learning you are worthy of love just as you are.
Ask Aunty: what to do when your nemesis sends a gift
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When an ex friend-turned-enemy from years past reappears in the present, with a present, how do you know if it's an opening for repair?
What NDIS changes mean for your autistic child
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For 12 years, the NDIS has helped countless people live better, more dignified, more supported lives.It's also been marred by overwhelming cost, over...
The Salt Path: the ethics of lying in a memoir
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lying, fibbing, telling a furphy. When it comes to stretching the truth, a lie is a lie.A popular author has been accused of fabricating parts of her...
Ditching legalese to make the law fairer
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's a common complaint - the language used is court is super-confusing for the average person, and muddies what's already a tricky system to navigat...
Half a million Aussies want help to quit drugs. Why can't they get it?
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Drug overdoses now kill twice as many Australians as road crashes. Yet half a million people are turned away from drug and alcohol services each year...
Is the Olympics an opportunity to act on the housing crisis?
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Olympics are coming back to our shores in 2032, and a new paper is highlighting the need for the Brisbane games to focus on their housing legacy....
Why Robyn ran the City2Surf topless
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Among the ninety thousand people who ran Sydney’s City2Surf fun run, Robyn Smith was impossible to miss.She ran topless - not for shock value, but ...
How has your job changed you?
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After ten years as a paramedic Tim Booth can’t look at a sandwich, a trampoline or even a dishwasher the same way.He’s collected countless bizarr...
The huge plastic problem we can't agree on how to solve
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're basically cling-wrapping the planet in plastic.Since the 1950's production has boomed. Every year another 450 million tonnes of plastic is prod...
The gender pay gap starts with pocket money
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's not just a workplace problem - the gender pay gap extends to pocket money too.Research shows that, on average, boys earn more pocket money than ...
The dark side of wellness
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Green juicing, ice baths, pilates influencers, wellness apps, sleep trackers.The obsession over health has - quite frankly - become unhealthy.It's a ...
The human heart of productivity
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today the nation's best and brightest are taking part in a three day economic roundtable focused on one thing: productivity.
Is a road user charge for electric vehicles fair?
17 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Electric vehicles now make up a record 10 per cent of new vehicle sales in Australia - which not only reduces emissions, it reduces the federal gover...
The argument for pets on planes
17 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pushed in designer strollers, pampered at doggy daycare, fed a hand-made all-organic diet - our pets are gaining status, with many people treating th...
What nightmares are trying to tell you about your health
17 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can you recall your most vivid nightmare? Are you suffocating, running out of breath? Have you lost your ability to speak? New research from the U...
Hidden adoptions: the push to tell people who they really are
17 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you were adopted, but didn't know it, would you want the government to tell you?From the 1940s through to the 1970s, it was common for unmarried m...
Ask Aunty: unwanted holiday invitation from the in-laws
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We often make compromises for a family holiday. But when it comes to your in-law's holiday traditions, how much compromise is reasonable?
When does the end of a long-term relationship begin?
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Divorce or separation is often framed as one distinct moment that has a domino effect on everything that comes after. But what about 'the before'? ...
Seeing a pharmacist could soon be part of your visit to the doctor
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the role of pharmacists expands, there's a push to place them inside GP clinics to provide on-the-spot medication advice.It's a common model in th...
Why we're being targetted by the "Gen Z stare"
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you were a kid, your parents probably told you "don't stare, it's rude!"But, if you've been on social media the last couple of weeks ... it seem...
How the shortage of after school care impacts families
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Outside school hours care is a lifesaver for parents who can't clock off in time for school pick up every day, but access to this kind of service is ...
Citizen science is booming, but does it really help?
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From recording frog calls to photographing fungi, everyday Australians are contributing biodiversity data like never before.But with millions of obse...
How do you help a loved one drawn to extremist groups online?
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
According to the Australian Federal Police, children as young as 12 are being radicalised by extremist groups online. And now terrified families say ...
The musical that made Todd McKenney a father
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Performer Todd McKenney's decades-long career on stage has reached a full circle moment.He joins the cast of the Andrew Lloyd Weber classic 'Cats' on...
Your rights as covert filming becomes easier
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine you're walking down the street and a smooth-talking stranger approaches you with a cheesy pick-up line. It's a random interaction, but one t...
Should the health star rating system be mandatory?
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The health star rating system - designed to help us make healthier choices - has been in place for a decade now.The scheme is currently voluntary, so...
The truth behind "pretty privilege"
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Free drinks at a bar. A promotion at work. Getting out of a parking fine.Attractive people often benefit from special treatment. It's a benefit that'...
Why Australia's latest tourism push might not work
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Irwin and Nigella Lawson are among the famous faces who make an appearance in Australia's latest tourism campaign. But will the $130 million ...
From cartoon sperm to consent: the evolution of sex education
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fifty years ago, Where Did I Come From? landed on Australian bookshelves and changed the way kids learned about sex.How has sex education changed sin...
What's the cost of your commute?
10 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As we grapple with the cost of living, more and more people are contemplating the cost of the commute.In Victoria, the state government plans to ensh...
The life of a home-grown spy
10 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
International missions, covert operations and code cracking. It's the sort of thing we gobble up in spy movies... but tell ourselves probably doesn't...
Protecting your image in an AI world
10 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've seen AI used to craft deepfakes of people, and in Denmark, there has been a change to copyright laws - to give people the right to their own li...
Ask Aunty: How to deal with cashed-up mates
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When finance and friendship is mixed... it can get awkward.So, what happens to a friendship when your bank balances don't match?
Kumi Taguchi on how she was shaped by her family history
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For much of her life, journalist Kumi Taguchi refused to engage with the family history that had been passed on to her.But, eventually, she says, she...
The digital divide leaving some Australians behind
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you one of the lucky few who can still go into a physical building to do your banking?From self check outs at supermarkets and QR codes…. to pr...
What would it take for you to ditch streaming services?
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Would you give up the convenience of having the world's music, movies and television shows at your finger tips, if it meant paying artists fairly?Rec...
The app making it easier for carers to ask for help
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Caring for someone at the end of their life can feel all-consuming and overwhelming, but asking for help can be hard.Now an Australian-made app can e...
When honesty isn't always the best policy
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kylie Jenner recently responded to a fan's online question about her breast implant surgery detailing the work she'd had done. Vogue heralded the rev...
The wild world of Australian conspiracy theories
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conspiratorial thinking has spread through the megaphone of the internet, and Australians aren't immune.Now it's the subject of a new book, Conspirac...
Parents' instincts are important. Hospitals are now listening
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Are you worried they're getting worse?"From September 30, parents of children in NSW public hospitals will be asked that question, to ensure concern...
Why women are joining the We Do Not Care Club
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chin hairs, smiling and making others happy. These are just some of the things the worldwide We Do Not Care Club have struck off their list.The club ...
When someone goes missing - what's life like for those left behind?
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week is Missing Person's Week. Every year, 50,000 missing persons reports are filed in Australia. Luckily, most of those people are found. But f...
Bludgers! Bogans! Snags! What our 'Strine language says about us
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the moment you open your mouth, you're telling people about you - not just with the meaning of the words you're saying... but with the actual wo...
Why group chats are impacting our friendships
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Online group chats are an increasingly common part of modern friendships.So, do these "bubbles on a screen" help or harm our friendships?
The challenges of protesting in Australia
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the weekend, in the midst of torrential rain 100,000 protesters shut down the Sydney Harbour Bridge calling for an end to the war in Gaza. But i...
What your wall art reveals about you
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australia's national art collection and leasing program, Artbank, is celebrating its 45th birthday this month.It has more than 11 thousand works by A...
What's behind the influencers dubbed "hot priests?"
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Forget the pulpit -- are influencers the new missionaries?A thousand influencers who are also clergy descended on Rome last week ... and some were du...
"Repairability" ratings considered to deal with Australia's e-waste
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sick of buying products that don't last, or are hard to repair?The average Australian creates 20kg of e-waste each year - that's triple the global av...
Could Aussie kids be given the "right to be forgotten" online?
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In amongst the stack of laws and regulations under development to keep kids safer online is the Children's Online Privacy Code, which could include a...