Podcasts by Life Matters - Separate stories podcast
Further podcasts by ABC Radio
Podcast on the topic Beziehungen
All episodes
John Hattie on how to help students creatively flourish from 2022-04-21T09:42
It's clear that most parents would love to help their children become their most creative selves. What's less clear is the best way to help them do that. But esteemed Professor of Education John Ha...
Listen
Life Matters turns 30: Sir Ken Robinson from 2022-04-21T09:26
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation with British creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson from 2009. He believed we are all born with creat...
Listen
Emmanuel Macron, masculinity and body hair standards from 2022-04-21T09:06
While politicians and actors alike have long sported a thick carpet of chest hair and a lush moustache, other men go to great lengths to maintain bare skin. How does societal pressure shape our ide...
Listen
Food For Thought — meal prep from 2022-04-20T09:41
Meal prep. Those two words can strike fear in even the most talented of home cooks. How can you ensure you eat what you make? Life Matters culinary correspondent Alice Zaslavsky shares her advice f...
Listen
Life Matters turns 30: Open relationships from 2022-04-20T09:27
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation about open relationships from 2013. Whatever the reason, for some of us, being in a relationship ...
Listen
What's the point of micro-parties? from 2022-04-20T09:06
Tiny parties might have quirky names and agendas, seem oddly specific, or be built around a cult of personality. And their likelihood of getting elected is slim. So what are the benefits of running...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Phil and Uncle Bern's watch from 2022-04-19T09:48
Today's story comes from a much loved former ABC staff member Phil Brennan, who tells the tale of why he wears this precious object - the watch that once belonged to his beloved Uncle Bern.
Listen
Talkback — the reality of living with covid from 2022-04-19T09:06
We're getting used to seeing high covid case numbers reported each day around the country, with no definitive end in sight to this coronavirus pandemic. Australians were told we needed to begin 'li...
Listen
Is motherhood really the most important job in the world? from 2022-04-18T09:35
To have or not have a child is a very big decision, and younger generations in particular are grappling with it in the face of a changing climate.
Listen
Life Matters turns 30: Amanda Smith from 2022-04-18T09:32
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you former presenter Amanda Smith reflecting on some her highlights while hosting the program.
Listen
Indira Naidoo on the healing power of nature from 2022-04-18T09:06
When broadcaster Indira Naidoo lost her younger sister to suicide in 2020, her entire world caved in. Consumed by grief in the middle of a pandemic, she looked everywhere for solace, and found it i...
Listen
Life Matters Turns 30: Breaking Bad star R.J. Mitte on acting and kick-ass advocacy from 2022-04-15T09:34
From the 30th birthday archives, actor, advocate, brother, son and a runway model for Vivienne Westwood’s show, R.J. Mitte talks candidly.
Listen
The power of creative writing to connect and engage older Australians from 2022-04-15T09:06
The old saying putting pen to paper still carries a lot of power when it's put into practice. A project called Aging Creatively: Creative Writing As A Tool for Healthy Aging began in 2015, and thou...
Listen
For 23 years, she ran the ran the cattle station by her husband's side. Then she left the job. And him from 2022-04-14T09:42
For decades, Sally Warriner worked on a huge cattle station in the Northern Territory. She was responsible for employing staff, overseeing the office-work, mediating disputes, running the boarding ...
Listen
Life Matters turns 30: Angie Bowie from 2022-04-14T09:27
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation with Angie Bowie from 1993. In this feisty interview Angie sets the record straight on her marria...
Listen
Insecure housing crisis in recently flooded communities from 2022-04-14T09:06
Thousands of homes were inundated by flood waters just seven weeks ago in Northern New South Wales and South East Queensland. Many of those whose homes were the worst affected are still living in i...
Listen
From refugees to refugee advocates from 2022-04-13T09:37
Life Matters catches up with Nahid Joon and Nooria Wazefadost, seventeen years after their first public appearance as child refugees from Afghanistan who survived the Taliban, the treacherous boat ...
Listen
Life Matters turns 30: Dorothy Hoddinott and the young Afghan refugees from 2022-04-13T09:26
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation from 2005 with former principal of Holroyd high school Dorothy Hoddinott AO and three young Afgha...
Listen
How to talk to teens about vaping from 2022-04-13T09:06
Turns out vaping isn't all that harmless. New research has found that vaping can cause acute lung injury, seizures and addiction. Teenagers are right in the thick of this vape cloud, so how do you ...
Listen
Public toilet justice: our loo access problem from 2022-04-12T09:41
You might not think of the humble public toilet as a rights battleground, but for many, finding safe, clean, accessible toilets is a challenge and can be a hindrance to a normal life. We look at h...
Listen
Life Matters turns 30: was'The Father of Australia', Lachlan Macquarie, complicit in a mass murder? from 2022-04-12T09:27
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation from 2016 interrogating Governor Lachlan Macquarie's part in the 1816 massacre of 14 Aboriginal m...
Listen
Buyer incentives and the price of a mortgage from 2022-04-12T09:06
Although the official cash rate sits near zero, many mortgagors are already preparing for that to change, while federal government schemes for first home buyers have been extended. As some capital ...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Marleen's mother and the missing vase from 2022-04-11T09:49
Precious objects often become so because they have survived through generations of family, and the various lives that have treasured them. For Marleen Susman, the absence of one such object led he...
Listen
Talkback: parties, polls and how we vote from 2022-04-11T09:06
As Australia gears up for a federal election, listeners share what key issues will decide their votes. Plus, how has political polling changed since 2019? And could international tensions shape the...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: the choir member singing from an entirely different songbook from 2022-04-08T09:45
Your son is a member of a male choral group. A female joined the group uninvited, and gradually revealed herself to be a domineering and controlling person. The men are reluctant to challenge her f...
Listen
Life Matters turns 30: James Freud, model behaviour from 2022-04-08T09:29
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation with musician James Freud from 2007. Tragically, just three years later in 2010 he passed away.
Listen
'The system is collapsing': leading medical bodies say the future of general practice is under threat from 2022-04-08T09:06
As the election nears, the country's top medical bodies say Australia's primary health care system is in crisis leading to 'catastrophic consequences' for patients around the country. Peak medical ...
Listen
Watching vicariously: the psychology behind reality tv from 2022-04-07T09:42
Your favourite reality shows can provide a refreshing perspective on the issues you might recognise in your own world, but can dissecting relationships on TV turn into something toxic?
Listen
Life Matters Turns 30: Former PM Malcolm Fraser creates a new life from 2022-04-07T09:26
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you the 1997 interview with former PM Malcolm Fraser, as he talks to Norman Swan about leaving the land, tackling in...
Listen
Why scare campaigns are such a big feature of politics from 2022-04-07T09:06
Scare campaigns have been a steady election feature for decades, but do they change hearts and minds when it matters the most? And how do we make decisions come election time?
Listen
Twenty-six years since Dolly: cloning, stem cells and community suspicion from 2022-04-06T09:39
When UK scientists successfully cloned Dolly the sheep, the potential benefits around human health and eradicating genetic born disease seemed just over the horizon. However, in 2022, public accept...
Listen
Life Matters turns 30: Cloning Dolly from 2022-04-06T09:26
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation with British embryologist Sir Ian Wilmut from 1998. He led the team at The Roslin Institute in Sc...
Listen
How long is it'normal'to grieve? from 2022-04-06T09:06
Does grief have an end date? How we react to losing someone is an individual experience, but intense grief that lasts more than a year is now considered a mental health condition and has been added...
Listen
The chaos and joy of parenting with ADHD from 2022-04-05T09:42
Comedian Rose Callaghan became a new mum during the pandemic, but when it came to having a baby as someone with ADHD, she couldn't find a roadmap. She shares how she mined her experience for her n...
Listen
Life Matters Turns 30: Mary Robinson from 2022-04-05T09:26
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation with Mary Robinson from 2012. Perhaps best known as Ireland's first female president, and former ...
Listen
Where are we at with climate justice? from 2022-04-05T09:06
People here in Australia and around the world are experiencing the consequences of climate change in real time, including displacement from their homes. How are we dealing with climate change and i...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Fenella's Bird in the Box from 2022-04-04T09:49
For some of us, an object is precious because of where it comes from. For others, it's the object itself. For Fenella Batt it's both.
Listen
Talkback: Is now the perfect time to end workplace ageism? from 2022-04-04T09:06
If you’ve ever hit the job market later in life, you’ll know it’s not an easy experience to have to go through. But with unemployment rates low, are there new opportunities for older jobseekers, an...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: my co-worker insists on calling the customers'love','hon'and'darling'and I hate it from 2022-04-01T09:45
One member at the customer service counter you share addresses every customer using the terms 'Love, 'Hon' or 'Darlin'. She also repeatedly calls you 'Love' and you cringe every time you hear it. I...
Listen
Life Matters Turns 30: Pamela Stephenson on husband Billy Connolly from 2022-04-01T09:28
As part of our 30th birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation with Pamela Stephenson from 2001. Pamela had just released the biography Billy, an exploration in...
Listen
Your teenager is part of the ‘most sleep-deprived generation in history’ from 2022-04-01T09:06
If you’re a parent of a teenager, you probably worry about a lot of things - drugs, drinking, sex... Well research suggests you might need to add one more thing to that list... sleep. Teens today a...
Listen
'But Papa, we're just about to catch one!': Why fishing is so addictive from 2022-03-31T09:43
If you don't fish, the idea of standing on a windy beach, possibly in the rain, for hours on end, can seem like downright torture. For master fisherman Bob Kearney, that sounds like heaven. Bob say...
Listen
Life Matters Turns 30: Paul Keating as Prime Minister from 2022-03-31T09:27
New research indicates many of our larger towns and cities are failing to provide adequate public transport to those who need it most, our 30th birthday archive interview features former PM Paul Ke...
Listen
How to entice commuters back onto public transport from 2022-03-31T09:06
In a bid to help stop petrol prices from rising further, the fuel excise has been halved until September. What impact will it have on public transport systems that are already not serving the peopl...
Listen
Life Matters Turns 30: Jane Fonda from 2022-03-30T09:40
As part of our 30th Birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation with actor Jane Fonda from 2006.
Listen
Talkback - your budget questions answered from 2022-03-30T09:06
The 2022 federal budget promises to ease the cost-of-living burdens that have been hitting us hard of late. We answer your questions and look at what it will mean for the upcoming election.
Listen
When Y2K threatened, futurist Mark Pesce fled to Hawaii from 2022-03-29T09:42
The Australian Government, business, and some of us were incredibly anxious about the threat of the Y2K bug to our way of life. Futurist Mark Pesce was so worried he decided to take refuge with fri...
Listen
Life Matters Turns 30: The threat of Y2K in 1999 from 2022-03-29T09:27
As part of our 30th Birthday celebrations on Radio National, Life Matters brings you a conversation from 1999 on the global threat posed by the Y2K bug. At the time, world governments, businesses a...
Listen
Growing up in the country from 2022-03-29T09:06
Country Australia is often romanticized as some kind of idyllic paradise of rolling hills and wide open spaces. But where do the droughts, plagues and floods fit in? What about the tragedies, the c...
Listen
Talkback: Has COVID-19 modernised our death rituals for better or worse? from 2022-03-28T09:06
When a loved one tells you they don't want a funeral when they die, but family members feel compelled to mark their passing with a service, it can be difficult to know what to do. Has COVID-19 chan...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: who gets the cat? from 2022-03-25T09:45
You and two friends, who are a couple, share both a house and a cat. The couple have decided to go their own way despite the plan to all live together long-term. You've formed a close bond with the...
Listen
Who do our children perceive as'leaders'? from 2022-03-25T09:31
What is a leader? An Australian-first research project and art exhibition has asked hundreds of Melbourne children to draw and describe what a 'leader' looks like to them, revealing unconscious bia...
Listen
'It can be a life-ruining event': could mould be destroying your home and your health? from 2022-03-25T09:06
In the wake of a flood or record rainfall, the priority is to get the water that's come into your house back outside. But, once the water is gone, it can leave behind a nasty surprise. Mould. And, ...
Listen
Road resilience in extreme weather from 2022-03-24T09:43
Normally when we hear the word resilience, it's usually associated with people and their strength of character. But Ken Slattery is calling on all levels of government to make our roads more resil...
Listen
Talkback: pets as family and the value of animals from 2022-03-24T09:06
How people value animals has changed. We no longer consider them in purely utilitarian terms. Cats, dogs, horses, and other animals have become part of the family. But should we reconsider how much...
Listen
Mark Berridge aims to be a fraction stronger from 2022-03-23T09:42
It was the start of just another busy day in his corporate job before flying to the U.S. to present to a client. However, after weeks of preparation, Mark Berridge never made that flight. Like so m...
Listen
Food For Thought — eating hang-ups from 2022-03-23T09:27
Nearly everyone has a particular food they just can't stand. But food baggage isn't only for children, people can be picky eaters well into adulthood. Life Matters culinary correspondent Alice Zasl...
Listen
How to fix the outer suburbs from 2022-03-23T09:06
Our main cities' fringes are growing faster than anywhere else in the country, but liveability isn't keeping up with housing growth, causing high costs of living, a lack of amenities like schools a...
Listen
Thinking deeply about skin from 2022-03-22T09:42
Old, clear, soft, brown, pimply, tanned, freckly.... For better or worse, the skin we're in affects how we move through the world. Phillipa McGuiness puts the spotlight on the body's largest organ...
Listen
Do boycotts actually work? from 2022-03-22T09:27
Consumers are shunning Russian goods like vodka in protest of the Ukraine invasion, but can individual purchasing power make a difference? We look at why we participate in boycotts and what it take...
Listen
Lateral violence amongst nurses from 2022-03-22T09:06
The nursing profession has a problem with lateral violence which is defined as peer to peer bullying. Researchers say it was first written about in the early 1980s. But suggested solutions have fai...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Mark Waller gives thanks to his staples from 2022-03-21T09:48
Mark Waller reflects on his most precious objects and the role they played in saving, then changing, his life.
Listen
Talkback: Fuel shock and how high petrol prices will affect you from 2022-03-21T09:06
Rising petrol prices have added to the living cost woes of many Australian households. Prices for unleaded petrol are upwards of $2 per litre in major cities, while the federal government has resis...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: road etiquette, I drive at the speed limit but others get annoyed with me from 2022-03-18T09:45
You drive at the speed limit, much to the frustration of others on the road. You are regularly tailgated by other drivers. Do you continue, given you're driving at the limit? Or do you get out of t...
Listen
Reviving skills and building social connections in the fashion industry from 2022-03-18T09:29
The fashion industry is renowned for underpaying and overworking its technicians, valuing cheap and fast production over ethical and sustainable manufacturing. But The Social Outfit in Sydney has w...
Listen
Neuroscientist Matt Walker wants to help you fall asleep'like you're landing a plane' from 2022-03-18T09:06
Professor Matthew Walker's TED talk on sleep has been viewed 15 million times. He says there are a few simple ways to wind down at the end of the day and 'gradually descend onto the firm bedrock of...
Listen
Scammers and con artists and why they get away with it from 2022-03-17T09:42
The stories of fraudsters like Bernie Madoff and Elizabeth Holmes have fascinated us for years, but why do we find con artists so fascinating and what psychological tricks do they use to dupe us?
Listen
Why Aimée Lutkin wants you to stop asking her if she's single from 2022-03-17T09:27
After putting herself through 'dating boot camp', editor at Elle magazine, Aimée Lutkin is ok with being single. But, she's not ok with how people respond to her as a single person. In her new book...
Listen
Returning to the office: the pros and cons of being back from 2022-03-17T09:06
After almost two years of mostly working remote, more businesses are putting pressure on their employees to get out of their homes and back to their cubicles. So, who benefits when workers are in t...
Listen
Is it OK to lie to a person with dementia? from 2022-03-16T09:41
This a curly question: If someone in your family has dementia, is it ok to lie to them? We examine the morality of lying to someone who has dementia, as part of much wider research into how our age...
Listen
Using art to solve problems from 2022-03-16T09:27
Art historian and lawyer Amy Herman believes looking at art and using 'visual intelligence' can help with solving problems and critical thinking. The former head of education for the Frick Museu...
Listen
How long COVID is putting the spotlight on chronic fatigue syndrome from 2022-03-16T09:06
Long COVID will impact tens of thousands of Australians, so how do we manage it? We could take a hint from the 250 thousand people living with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Deborah, Dad and the clove boat from 2022-03-15T09:49
When Deborah Nixon's father returned from Indonesia, he brought back a precious object that only became more treasured when Deborah found herself working in the same place.
Listen
Talkback: can the insurance system handle more natural disasters? from 2022-03-15T09:06
Climate change is making "1 in 1000 year events" more common, and more financial support will be needed as disasters become more frequent and severe. Are private insurers up to the job? Or do we ...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: the book club queen bee from 2022-03-11T09:43
The book club you've belonged to for almost 30 years has a member who sees herself as a 'font of all knowledge'. She deemed the most recent book 'too sad for all her friends' and sent it back to th...
Listen
Talkback: Could changing your glucose intake change your life? from 2022-03-11T09:06
We've all heard the endless list of what we should cut out of our diets to improve our health, but biochemist Jessie Inchauspe says that if, instead, we focus on how we consume this one important t...
Listen
Future proofing Australian technology by teaching kids AI from 2022-03-10T09:42
Artificial Intelligence is not just about robotics, we now use AI technology in much of our daily lives. Former Google Vice President Hugh Williams is on a mission to ensure every teenage school s...
Listen
'I was wildly, deeply attracted to him': How Benedict Cumberbatch set this writer free from 2022-03-10T09:27
A few years after having her second child, writer Tabitha Carvan suddenly realised that her exciting pre-baby life had almost completely disappeared. But then she started a new relationship with… B...
Listen
The reasons behind your growing grocery bill from 2022-03-10T09:06
A little bit more here and there really adds up – especially when it comes to household necessities, like groceries. So why are we paying more at the checkout? And, coupled with rising inflation, c...
Listen
Life Matters turns 30! We need your help from 2022-03-09T09:57
This year marks the 30th birthday of Life Matters! We'll be playing some of the landmark interviews from the last three decades but you're the reason we've made it to 30 so you've got a job as well.
Listen
How Jack the Silly Yak is helping children understand food intolerance from 2022-03-09T09:42
Alex Mangano is a writer, singer and illustrator. When she was 13 years old, Alex was diagnosed with three different auto-immune diseases. So she decided to help other children feel more comforta...
Listen
Family estrangement and why people cut ties from 2022-03-09T09:26
What are the consequences when you decide to cut contact with a relative? Clinical psychologist Tamara Cavenett explains when to estrange, when to resolve and what to do if you've been cut off.
Listen
How reporting bias changes how we think about war from 2022-03-09T09:06
The Ukraine and Russia conflict has dominated the news cycle of late, but has the coverage been disproportionate? We look at how the coverage compares to that of conflicts in other parts of the ...
Listen
Lo Carmen on the self-inventing women who inspired her from 2022-03-08T09:42
The actor and singer-songwriter reflects on the constellation of remarkable women that have influenced her life and art in her memoir Lovers Dreamers Fighters.
Listen
The case for menstrual and menopause leave from 2022-03-08T09:26
Symptoms of period pain and menopause can be debilitating for some people, so what can you do when pain hits at work? As more workplaces adopt menstrual policies, we look at the benefits and potent...
Listen
Living without apology from 2022-03-08T09:06
Public speaker and author Kemi Nekvapil has reflected deeply on the idea of power. She argues that we have a lot more control over our own lives than we may have been led to believe.
Listen
Talkback — Kindness of strangers in times of crisis from 2022-03-07T09:06
We hear a lot about the "Aussie spirit" and nowhere was that more on show than during the devastating and unprecedented floods which rained down on Queensland and New South Wales over the last week...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: do you intervene in a dispute between two children who are not your own? from 2022-03-04T09:44
You are waiting to pick up your child after school when a young student comes up and sits nearby playing with a toy car. Another child approaches and sounds like he is teasing. After a few words ba...
Listen
Long time journalist fills the local news gap by using Facebook in her flood affected community from 2022-03-04T09:32
This week's floods in Queensland and NSW have highlighted the huge impact the loss of local regional newspapers have had on the information available to smaller communities across the country. Howe...
Listen
Ten years on from Gonski, has its time finally come? from 2022-03-04T09:06
It's been ten years since the Gonski review was released, but many educational experts say it has never been properly implemented. They argue that topping up education funding for the most disadvan...
Listen
How the pandemic gave rise to micro weddings and elopements from 2022-03-03T09:43
They were once secretive – at times scandalous – affairs, but the pandemic has given couples an excuse to ditch the big wedding in favour of elopements. So, what should you know if you're planning ...
Listen
Stockman, bull-chaser, artist, best-selling children's book author: the many lives of Matt Ottley from 2022-03-03T09:27
Matt Ottley has experienced the world in many guises from flamenco guitarist to jackaroo. But in his new project, The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness, Matt taps into a part of himself he has...
Listen
Ukrainian Australians on fear, hope and how to help from 2022-03-03T09:06
As the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this week called for his country to be admitted to the European Union amid continued Russian attacks, Ukrainian Australians watch anxiously, awaitin...
Listen
'Why I came back home': a Tasmanian Trailblazer has a plan from 2022-03-02T09:41
Like so many young people Eleanor McCormack left her home town of 16,000 people in northern Tasmania seeking further education and employment in another part of the country. She couldn't wait to g...
Listen
Your Money Explained — bank accounts for children from 2022-03-02T09:28
Sticking 50 dollars in a card or a money box is so last century, as the usefulness of cash decreases. But you still might want to help the children in your life learn about saving and build a nest ...
Listen
Wendy McCarthy on feminism then and now from 2022-03-02T09:05
'Quietly influential' feminist, teacher, speaker and director Wendy McCarthy AO has spent her 60 year career in the business of change, fighting for Australian women in all manner of places, from p...
Listen
Talkback: What's it like to raise children as a disabled parent? from 2022-03-01T09:31
If you're a parent with a disability, then that can add a whole new layer to what is a pretty demanding job in the first place. We take your calls on what the experience taught you, and we also hea...
Listen
Is it the Great Resignation, the Great Reshuffle or just exhaustion? from 2022-03-01T09:20
Has the so-called Great Resignation happened or is it more like the Great Reshuffle? Some might describe it as the Great Exhaustion!
Listen
Fatal floods and mass evacuations in northern NSW and Queensland from 2022-03-01T09:06
In NSW and Queensland, thousands of homes are now under water, due to record rain and flooding on a scale never seen before, especially in Lismore.
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Noela Dawes and her pragmatic precious object from 2022-02-28T09:48
In today's Life in 500 Words, Noela Dawes takes a slice of her rural life, warts and all, and reveals her most precious object.
Listen
Talkback — LGBTQIA+ Australians'fight for rights from 2022-02-28T09:06
LGBTQIA+ rights have come a long way since the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1978. The decades since have seen homosexuality decriminalised and same sex marriage legalised. Advocates s...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: Caught between a boss and a hard place, do I tell my work colleague why he's not getting the promotion he craves? from 2022-02-25T09:47
One of your work colleagues has been complaining to you about his lack of recognition at work. He sees others around him getting promoted while he is being ignored. The manager has spoken to you ab...
Listen
Regional Australia has the lowest unemployment in the country, so why is it so worried? from 2022-02-25T09:30
The Reserve Bank is forecasting Australia's national unemployment rate will fall below 4% in the next year. What you may not know is that's already occurred in our regional areas. Right now it stan...
Listen
Dr Carl Erik Fisher was studying to treat addiction issues. Then he realised he was struggling with his own from 2022-02-25T09:06:45
Soon after graduating medical school, Dr Carl Erik Fisher found himself in a psychiatric ward having suffered a drug induced manic episode. It was in the same hospital where he'd previously intervi...
Listen
Talkback — growing up as an outsider from 2022-02-24T09:26
Not everyone fits in at school. If you ever felt like an outsider, how was that for you, and how do you reflect on that time now? Fiona Scott Norman has explored what it was like for 22 famous Aust...
Listen
Vaccination gaps and living without mandates from 2022-02-24T09:06
As COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease across much of the country, vaccination has emerged as Australia's frontline defence against the virus. But what could that look like, amid concerns over plat...
Listen
Why tiny houses aren't everywhere, yet from 2022-02-23T09:42
If you're struggling to afford a full size home, have you considered the pros and cons of purchasing and living in a tiny house? The tiny house movement began a few years ago, but regulations arou...
Listen
Food For Thought — the lunchbox from 2022-02-23T09:27
Packing a lunchbox that your child will eat is no small feat, but can food policing go too far when it comes to healthy eating in the schoolyard? Life Matters culinary correspondent Alice Zaslavsky...
Listen
'Not that kind of guy': how domestic violence stereotypes put people in danger from 2022-02-23T09:06
New research has found that one in three men who've murdered a partner or ex did not fit our stereotypical societal idea of an abuser. So how can we respond to the true complicated reality of domes...
Listen
'What's for dinner?'and other important questions to ask your teens from 2022-02-22T09:42
Teacher and author Daisy Turnbull believes that in asking questions, not just setting rules, you can open up a world of communication with your teenagers.
Listen
Ruin lust - why we're obsessed with abandoned spaces from 2022-02-22T09:27
As the Beijing Winter Olympics draw to a close, many of the ostentatious venues are likely to fall out of use, becoming overgrown urban ruins and a playground for intrepid explorers. We investigate...
Listen
How is COVID-19 affecting Indigenous Australians? from 2022-02-22T09:06
Some of Australia's most vulnerable people are in the midst of dealing with a widespread outbreak of COVID-19, as the virus spreads in the Northern Territory. Soon Western Australia, where there ar...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Rachel Buchanan and The Falcon from 2022-02-21T09:48
In our final True Confession, Rachel Buchanan tells her story of learning to drive just at the time her parents updated their car from a hearse to something much more powerful.
Listen
Talkback — would you change to a four-day work week? from 2022-02-21T09:06
The pandemic has made many of us reconsider where and how much we work. Work arrangements that once seemed impossible, like the four-day work week, could now be possible. A shortened week is an app...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: A child in my care ran on the road, is it my responsibility to tell his parents? from 2022-02-18T09:43
While walking back from the park with your young son and his mate in your care, the ball his friend is bouncing rolls onto a busy road. The child runs out after it and to your horror he almost gets...
Listen
The spicy flavours and strong family connections of Blachung from 2022-02-18T09:28
Blachung is a fishy and spicy condiment, popular around parts of Asia. In Darwin, many Aboriginal and First Nations families have been enjoying Blachung for generations. But it is not just a thing ...
Listen
How to make a national park from 2022-02-18T09:06
Over the last year, new national parks have been announced by nearly every state government in the country. The idea of more maintained wilderness to wander through, camp in, and inhale sounds wond...
Listen
Stress, sludge and the subscription economy from 2022-02-17T09:43
With many streaming services and apps only available to subscribers, owning has become a rarity. But are subscriptions doing you more harm than good? And why is it so difficult to cancel them?
Listen
Hold on to your noses! We're in the middle of a sensory revolution! from 2022-02-17T09:27
How has the pandemic changed the way you smell, taste, touch, see, and hear the world? Professor Mark Smith is one of the world's most esteemed sensory historians, and he argues that the pandemic h...
Listen
The NDIS and determining value for money from 2022-02-17T09:06
Australians with autism, intellectual and psychosocial disabilities have spoken out about having their NDIS funding reduced, after receiving letters determining the payments weren't "value for mone...
Listen
I've had COVID, so what's the best way to regain strength and fitness? from 2022-02-16T09:42
You've been breathless, exhausted and your whole body ached. With more than 2 million Australians testing positive for COVID in the last two years, how you get your body, mind and spirit back to he...
Listen
The power of conversations from 2022-02-16T09:27
Despite our move towards using technology for communication, we know that actual conversations with other human beings are valuable and can even be life changing. Journalist and former host of ABC ...
Listen
Do we still need single-sex schools? from 2022-02-16T09:06
As the nation debates whether single-sex schools should have the power to discriminate against trans and gender-diverse students, it's probably worth asking, why segregate students by gender at all...
Listen
Talkback: holding onto grudges from 2022-02-15T09:27
They say "to err is human, to forgive is divine", but most of us aren't following that wisdom. We hear about your grudges and learn how to finally let go.
Listen
E-scooters are a sustainable way of getting around, but how can we adopt them safely? from 2022-02-15T09:06
Whether privately owned or available for hire, the use of electric scooters as a mode of transport is becoming more common in Australia. We look at how e-scooters fit into the sustainable transport...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Gill Kenny takes the high, dry road from 2022-02-14T09:49
In today's Life in 500 Words, writer Gill Kenny combines last year's theme of 'true confessions' with this year's theme of a 'precious object', and the need to give that object up for a better life.
Listen
Talkback — how we learn about love from 2022-02-14T09:06
Relationships are easier for some of us than others. Who are your role models when it comes to learning about healthy relationships? Does literature, movies or TV help or hinder your understanding ...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: How do you make'you smell'sound nice? from 2022-02-11T09:43
You often catch up with a friend for dinner and it seems every time he has a pungent body odour. So far you've tried to ignore it and just enjoyed seeing him, but it's intense. Although he's very f...
Listen
Busks, farthingales and stomachers - the untold story of women's undergarments from 2022-02-11T09:28
Most perceptions of women's garments and undergarments from centuries ago were they were created for the male gaze, and their wearers suffered greatly. It was the time of bustles, corsets, bum rol...
Listen
Can this inventor and entrepreneur make Australia the world’s first fully-electrified, fully-renewable energy economy? from 2022-02-11T09:06
One thing most people can agree on when it comes to solving the climate crisis is that it all seems pretty complicated. But inventor, entrepreneur and one of the world’s most influential voices on ...
Listen
Big data and its role in your life from 2022-02-10T09:42
Data brokers and tech companies know even more about you now than they did before the pandemic. But what is happening to our information and what are the risks for us as individuals?
Listen
Grace Tame calls for better-funded sex education in schools from 2022-02-10T09:26
In yesterday's powerful National Press Club address, former Australian of the Year Grace Tame spoke of three "key asks to better our nation". One of them was a call for more funding for "prevention...
Listen
North Queensland prepares to welcome back international tourists as borders open from 2022-02-10T09:06
International visitors will be allowed back into Australia later this month after nearly two years of border restrictions. Those in the Queensland tourism industry say they face an uphill battle to...
Listen
Talkback: what's happened to your local newspaper? from 2022-02-09T09:27
If you live in rural, regional or remote Australia what's the state of play with your local newspaper? The role of these often tiny newspapers in local life has changed forever with the rise of onl...
Listen
How COVID may impact kids'development for years to come from 2022-02-09T09:06
While kids and teens are finally back at school, and some normality is returning, we may just be starting to see the long-term impacts of the past two years on children's development and mental hea...
Listen
The Dreaming Path: Indigenous thinking to change your life from 2022-02-08T09:42
Paul Callaghan reached his mid-thirties with all the trappings of a great Australian success story. That was until his 35th birthday brought with it a breakdown. It was reconnecting with his tradit...
Listen
Can charity challenges help you change your habits? from 2022-02-08T09:27
Charity challenges like FebFast or Dry July ask you to give up a vice or train for a physical event for a good cause. They can also help kickstart some healthy habits, but how many participants kee...
Listen
How homelessness takes 30 years off your life expectancy from 2022-02-08T09:06
When you don't have a stable place to live, your health can be severely affected. Using a decade of data drawn from services who work with those li...
Life in 500 Words: Deborah's intimate confession from 2022-02-07T09:48
Sometimes in life, bad things can happen, one after the other. Deborah wrote to us over a year ago now to tell us about the most difficult time of ...
Talkback — Australia's backlog of elective surgeries from 2022-02-07T09:06
Elective surgery has been paused in most states and territories owing to COVID-19, but with surgeries set to resume in some capacity in NSW and Vic...
Too Hard Basket: my ex-partner wants back in but from past experience I'm wary. Do I give him another chance? from 2022-02-04T09:43
A man you thought was the love of your life came to be a narcissist, pathological liar, freeloader and cheat. After numerous years he has appeared ...
Wendy Mitchell says there’s still room for joy when you have dementia from 2022-02-04T09:28
A diagnosis of dementia is often greeted with fear and despair. But author Wendy Mitchell, who has younger onset dementia, says many forget that de...
Destiny is about to become a doctor; she wants thousands more to follow her path from 2022-02-04T09:06
When Destiny Kynuna was growing up, she didn’t know any Indigenous doctors. Very soon she’s about to become one. Part of how she got here has been ...
Talkback: Letting go of the never-ending to-do list from 2022-02-03T09:27
Productivity used to be the driving force of Madeleine Dore’s life. She tried every self-help, life hack available. She also spent half a decade in...
Attracting and keeping aged care workers from 2022-02-03T09:06
As aged care workers call for a pay rise and international border closures continue to cause headaches for care providers, the sector faces a growi...
Helping someone who hoards from 2022-02-02T09:41
Although it's often associated with older adults, hoarding can start much earlier than we might think. So, what should you do if a friend or family...
Your Money Explained — fixing your home loan interest rate from 2022-02-02T09:27
The cost of living is on the rise and there's talk of an interest rate hike in the future as well. So if you have a home loan, you might be thinkin...
Who's responsible for keeping rentals cool? from 2022-02-02T09:06
If you're a renter, it's hard to cool down your home in the hot summer months without major changes like installing air-conditioning, ceiling fans ...
Why a sedentary lifestyle doesn't have to mean a sedentary brain from 2022-02-01T09:42
We all know that too much sitting can be bad for both our physical and mental health. However international research suggests the news is mixed for...
Investing with a conscience from 2022-02-01T09:27
So you want your investments to reflect your ethical values, but where do you begin? For journalist Nicole Haddow, the pandemic and 2019-20 bushfir...
Doing a fuss-free, maximum accuracy rapid antigen test from 2022-02-01T09:06
Millions of Australians, including teachers, parents and children around the country are using RATs this week and will be doing so for the foreseea...
Life in 500 Words: Bec's Tale of the Plasticine Rabbit from 2022-01-31T09:53
When it comes to your True Confessions, often it's those tiny moments in childhood that have got you writing and recording for us here at Life Matt...
Talkback — we're free to move, but many are in their own 'shadow lockdown' from 2022-01-31T09:06
Are you keeping yourself locked down in the Omicron storm? Mobility data shows that people in major cities have been staying home, even though they...
Too Hard Basket: The borrower from 2022-01-28T09:43
Your neighbour, while visiting, often asks to borrow something. Recently she asked for a loan of a precious toy that belongs to your son. After agr...
Science and art speak together in a first for Australia from 2022-01-28T09:28
In a first for this country, a new building celebrates the sparks that fly when art meets science. Australia's first ever Science Gallery opened in...
Are private schools worth the big bucks? from 2022-01-28T09:06
A new study has found students at private schools perform no better on NAPLAN than their public and catholic school counterparts once a student’s f...
Grecian sweat, Swedish calisthenics, Indian bodybuilding- the amazing history of human exercise from 2022-01-27T09:28
Sweat: the History of Exercise charts writer Bill Haye's course through the gymnasia of Ancient Greece and Rome, to the rare books section of a New...
Your smartwatch and the path of overdiagnosis from 2022-01-27T09:06
Your smartwatch, phone and other wearable technology can tell you a lot about how you live. But with many models now claiming to be able to measure...
Can elite sports learn more from the communities that support them? from 2022-01-26T09:31
Today on Life Matters we talk to players and community leaders who say they've seen the way sport can change culture from both the ground up and fr...
Alex Blackwell on fighting for a fairer cricket from 2022-01-26T09:06
Cricket is one of the few professional Australian women's sports, with a team that has outperformed their male counterparts on the world stage. But...
What is the best age for children to learn to swim? from 2022-01-25T09:42
Many learn-to-swim schools offer lessons for children as young as six months, and parents often feel under pressure to get kids started in swimming...
Owning your time: how to set boundaries and stick to them at work from 2022-01-25T09:26
Amid lengthening workdays and work-life blur, can you set boundaries and stick to them at work? HR specialist Karen Gately shares the secret to own...
How will the Online Safety Act protect you? from 2022-01-25T09:06
Many Australians have experienced online abuse. But now there's another option to address it, the esafety commissioner's powers have been made stro...
Life in 500 Words: Lindy's three confessions from 2022-01-24T09:48
When Lindy Collins heard we were looking for true confessions she took us at our word - not once, not twice, but thrice!
Lindy recorded he...
Talkback — schools are going back, but what's the plan for managing COVID spread? from 2022-01-24T09:06
It's not too long now before school goes back. It's a massive logistical task to get children back to school at the best of times, let alone when C...
Life in 500 Words: Catherine Bell is a doppelgänger for Cynthia from 2022-01-21T09:53
Sometimes true confessions reveal themselves long after an event took place.
You can sit with it unspoken, and therefore unheard, for yea...
06 | The Good Divorce — splendid not blended families from 2022-01-21T09:38
Life goes on and people re-partner, but with a 60 percent divorce rate for second marriages, when is it time to get back on the horse with a new am...
Talkback: Making room for silence in a noisy life from 2022-01-21T09:06
For many of us, as we've had to move our work into our homes surrounded by noisy kids and neighbours, life has gotten a lot less quiet. If this is ...
Life as a positive nihilist from 2022-01-20T09:44
Is Nietzsche a good role model for younger folk today? One writer thinks so. She's authentically young, she's read his work, and she says there's a...
05 | The Good Divorce — money money money from 2022-01-20T09:30
Money is more than just notes and coins. For some, money represents security, it can be used as a weapon, and apart from the kids, is the thing man...
He was a 'tough-as-nails' war correspondent. But it was becoming a 'Nippers-dad' that changed his life from 2022-01-20T09:06
When long-time foreign correspondent for the New York Times Damien Cave moved to Sydney to run the Times' new Australian bureau, he thought it woul...
Oral McGuire on restoring country and the commercial future of local food from 2022-01-19T09:45
There's a land management and food production system using old ways that's back in practice in south west WA.
It stands in stark contrast...
04 | The Good Divorce — breaking up without breaking down from 2022-01-19T09:29
We hear how to keep your sanity AND keep your divorce out of the courts. Because as we all know, the only thing that achieves is a new swimming poo...
Finding time to breathe in the midst of a busy life from 2022-01-19T09:06
Does this sound like a typical weeknight to you? You "finish" work, then run a few errands, field phone calls and texts from friends and family, ma...
Story Doctors, Boori Monty Pryor from 2022-01-18T09:45
Boori Monty Pryor is a former Australian Children's Laureate and award winning author. His new book is Story Doctors, a book that takes us on a poe...
03 | The Good Divorce — the kids are alright, aren't they? from 2022-01-18T09:29
High conflict divorces can have devastating long-term effects on the children involved. But even crossed arms, sighs and eye rolls when talking abo...
How to get a recession-proof, COVID-proof, future-proof job from 2022-01-18T09:06
If you were made redundant last year or you’re after a career shift, how can you land yourself a job that's meaningful, secure and as future-proof ...
02 | The Good Divorce — conscious uncoupling from 2022-01-17T09:42
Is the good divorce an urban myth or a realistic goal for mere mortals? Interview with Katherine Woodward Thomas, author of Conscious Uncoupling: 5...
Trails not scales — taking body positivity outdoors from 2022-01-17T09:29
If you don't look like someone who regularly exercises, a gym or a public park can feel like a space ripe for judgement. But this outdoor adventure...
Talkback — taking control of your smartphone use from 2022-01-17T09:06
It's just about impossible to carry on modern life without at least one smart phone and maybe a laptop or tablet thrown into the mix as well. So ho...
Breaking Up: the humour, the science and the misery from 2022-01-14T09:45
The break up of an intimate relationship just bloody hurts, and who knows that more than anyone else?
Gay women. They lead the world in r...
Life in 500 Words: Jeanette faces her worst fear from 2022-01-14T09:41
Jeanette had been mortally afraid of what was buried in the darkness.
However, she couldn't escape it's clutches any longer.
Thi...
Talkback: How volunteering enriches our lives from 2022-01-14T09:06
Research from the Australian National University shows the volunteer sector was badly damaged over the last 12 months and, unlike the Australian ec...
Life in 500 Words: Yvette lays her guilt to rest from 2022-01-13T09:54
In your true confessions for our Life in 500 Words, Yvette Dempsey takes us back to a moment that has been with her for some time.
...
Going fishing with TV host and New Zealand's "first bloke" Clarke Gayford from 2022-01-13T09:41
Clarke Gayford is best known around the world as the partner to New Zealand PM, Jacinda Ardern. But to New Zealanders, he's known as the avid fishe...
Delivering babies and raising hell – Caroline de Costa on 50 years of obstetrics and activism from 2022-01-13T09:06
The past 50 years have seen incredible changes in obstetrics and the ability for women to control their fertility. While today some women have many...
Tarnagulla: the little town that won't give up from 2022-01-12T09:50
There's a tiny old gold mining town in country Victoria called Tarnagulla, about 40 kms from Bendigo. Like many small places across our nation it's...
'It's not you. It's your strategy': how to use science to stamp out your bad habits and make a change from 2022-01-12T09:36
We're half way through the year, which means many of us have just realised we're probably not going to fulfill the resolutions we made on New Year'...
The Flats and what the Queen did not see on her 1954 Australian tour from 2022-01-12T09:22
In 1954, a young Queen Elizabeth embarked on her first tour of Australia, including townships in regional Australia that would never again experien...
Breaking free from trauma from 2022-01-12T09:06
Trauma expert and research psychologist Dr Sarah Woodhouse shares how to recognise when past traumas are holding you back and how you can reclaim y...
Life in 500 Words: Jenni's wedding confession from 2022-01-11T09:53
Being a grand parent comes with responsibilities and privileges.
Jenni knows only too well.
Ingrid Horrocks on swimming with family in a time of ecological crisis from 2022-01-11T09:37
New Zealand author Ingrid Horrocks has always enjoyed swimming, but she became concerned about the health of her local waterways. Ingrid embarked o...
The psychic tests from 2022-01-11T09:25
Would you consult an oracle or astrologer to get life advice or are you inclined to view anything supernatural with suspicion? Garry Nunn, a journa...
Talkback — What advertising has taught you about periods from 2022-01-11T09:06
We examine the evolution of period advertising in the last 100 years, from sanitary napkins to moon cups, and ask, what have advertisements taught ...
Amal Awad on her spiritual journey through the New Age from 2022-01-10T09:41
Author Amal Awad describes herself as a "sceptical believer" when it comes to her own spirituality - she is not afraid to ask questions but she doe...
'Balance is overrated': Jenny Valentish on why she pushes her body to the 'edge of annihilation' from 2022-01-10T09:25
When journalist Jenny Valentish took up kickboxing, the feeling of sparring was so euphoric it soon became her “singular pursuit in life”. It also ...
What it means to be a man from 2022-01-10T09:06
When a "harden up" mentality is seen as part of what it means to be a man, it's no wonder it can be tough to open up about your emotions, despite m...
Taking up running in later life from 2022-01-07T09:45
70-year-old ultramarathon runner Ross Johnston began ‘trail running’ when he was over 60 and at a crossroads in his life. He talks about the differ...
Discovering an online community of sewers from 2022-01-07T09:29
When Producer Jennifer Macey was gifted a sewing machine, she fell down a rabbit hole on social media. She began looking at pictures of other home ...
Paul Jennings untwists his life from 2022-01-07T09:06
Unreal!, Unbelievable!, Uncanny!, Unbearable!, Unmentionable! and now 'Untwisted'. Paul Jennings has written more than one hundred stories during h...
Justine Cullen: Magazines, motherhood and misadventures from 2022-01-06T09:48
Fashion magazine editor Justin Cullen did her year 10 work experience at Elle Magazine and went on to work there for 28 years. She brought diversit...
He had time to think 'slab avalanche'. Then he was in free fall… from 2022-01-06T09:35
When Nic Lowe set out to trek across the treacherous terrain of New Zealand's Southern alps, using only the traditional oral maps of his ancestors ...
Uncovering the friendship between two Elizabeths - Macquarie and Macarthur from 2022-01-06T09:22
Author Sue Williams delves into the unlikely friendship between Elizabeth Macquarie and Elizabeth Macarthur, and imagines what might have been in h...
Too Hard Basket: Can I ask for my Christmas wrapping back? from 2021-12-17T09:45
Your friend has made Furoshiki Christmas wrapping for her presents. She's spent $300 on linen and dedicated several hours to handmaking a variety o...
Talkback — the first dish you made when you left home from 2021-12-17T09:06
For some, cooking is an art. For others, it's a means to an end. But, for all of us, our journey with cooking has to start somewhere. Do you rememb...
The psychology behind why you regress to your teenage self at Christmas from 2021-12-16T09:42
You might be well into adulthood, but all it takes is a visit home to see you revert to your moody teenage self. It's a phenomenon that's so common...
'It’s not you, it’s me!': How to break up with your phone, but still stay friends from 2021-12-16T09:29
One of the things you may be looking forward to over the holidays is having a break from your phone and the other screens in your life. But, if cut...
What progress has been made in addressing sexism and violence against women in 2021? from 2021-12-16T09:06
The issues of sexism and sexual violence against women were brought to a head in Australia this year, thanks in part to the actions of three women ...
The husband poisoner from 2021-12-15T09:42
In post Second World War Sydney there were several cases where people fell prey to mysterious illnesses, often fatally. Evidence gathered after the...
No time for a workout? What if it's just 20 seconds? Introducing the "exercise snack" from 2021-12-15T09:27
Remember when exercise experts told us that we had to do twenty minutes of exercise before we would start getting any benefits? Well, research has ...
The prospects for constitutional change and implementing an Indigenous Voice to Parliament from 2021-12-15T09:06
Some had hoped that legislation on a First Nations Voice to Parliament would be released before the 2022 Federal Election. But the prospect of meet...
If you're an insomniac with sleep apnoea, seek treatment now! from 2021-12-14T09:42
New research from Flinders University has found that people dealing with both insomnia and sleep apnoea face a much stronger likelihood of death th...
'Like living with 100 grandparents' NSW International Student of the Year Joshua Wan from 2021-12-14T09:26:54
A physiotherapy student from Hong Kong, Joshua Wan has just been awarded NSW International Student of the Year in recognition of his incredible vol...
Omicron and bringing the vaccine booster rollout forward from 2021-12-14T09:06
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has fast-tracked its original wait time for a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot from si...
Life in 500 Words: Sally Malfroy Gets Away With It from 2021-12-13T09:50
While the cats away, the mice will play – that's the old adage.
When she was a young girl, Sally Malfroy put it into practice with what co...
Talkback — solo travel adventures from 2021-12-13T09:06
Travel is top of mind for many of us right now, with summer holidays upon us. Whether you stick closer to home or venture far and wide, have you ev...
Too Hard Basket: My neighbour monopolises the conversation with stories of her children and grandchildren from 2021-12-10T09:45
After inviting a neighbour in for a cup of tea post-lockdown, she proceeds to speak only about her adult children and grandchildren. You've never e...
Making live music more accessible from 2021-12-10T09:28
Live music venues are places of performance, joy, celebration and community, yet some aren’t always open to everyone in our community. People with ...
Understanding Australia’s newest ‘relationship phenomenon’ - older, long-term couples who live apart from 2021-12-10T09:06
It’s long been assumed that a relationship becomes “official” when a couple finally move in together. But the latest HILDA data reveals a sizeable ...
Has the world hit peak meat? from 2021-12-09T09:43
Despite the environmental footprint, more people around the world are eating more meat. But is there a point where greater prosperity doesn't lead ...
Afraid of making a change? Try these evidence-based ways to conquer your fears from 2021-12-09T09:27
Research shows that people tend to stick with the status quo rather than try something new, even if it’s not the right decision. So why can change ...
Vaccinating young children against COVID-19 from 2021-12-09T09:06
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has given provisional approval to use the Pfizer vaccine against COVID for younger children, aged 5 to 1...
A black box flight recorder, for Earth from 2021-12-08T09:42
One could argue that this planet's climate is in danger of crashing, so doesn't it make sense we have a black box flight recorder for Earth?
Talkback: changing place names from 2021-12-08T09:06
Places and their names can be very meaningful to the people connected to them. But what happens when some in a community are uncomfortable with a h...
Productivity Commission recommends better protections for our right to repair from 2021-12-07T09:43
Whether it be your mobile phone, washing machine, or a million dollar piece of farm machinery, the right to have it repaired as cheaply and effecti...
Could Australia be more pet friendly? from 2021-12-07T09:27
A lot more people became pet owners during the pandemic and, as we get out and about more, we're thinking about how to incorporate our animal compa...
Retaining and attracting teachers after COVID-19 from 2021-12-07T09:06
As NSW public school teachers strike for the first time in a decade, schools around Australia are grappling with the dual issues of attracting and ...
Singing to Dad from 2021-12-06T09:48
The pandemic has separated so many of us from loved ones. Sallie Beaumont's dad, Derek Beaumont, is in a care home in the United Kingdom. Sallie ha...
Talkback: planning a sustainable Christmas from 2021-12-06T09:06
We tend to indulge over the festive season, whether that's buying gifts or filling up the fridge, but without the right planning, unwanted presents...
Too Hard Basket: when a club member leaves, taking the passwords with them, what do you do? from 2021-12-03T09:45
A member of your club has resigned. This person has some important paperwork, including passwords for mailing lists and websites. They have refused...
A close up look at the working lives of people with disability from 2021-12-03T09:25
For people living with disability, the workplace can put up a lot of unnecessary obstacles. For the International Day of People with Disability, we...
Seniors exercise parks could change health outcomes for older Australians from 2021-12-03T09:06
Playgrounds are not just for kids. Seniors exercise parks enable adults of all abilities to challenge themselves. The ENJOY Project evaluates the i...
Can you be addicted to food? from 2021-12-02T09:42
Despite one in six people reporting addictive patterns of eating, food addiction isn't something that can be clinically diagnosed. Researchers are ...
Is your brain sabotaging your work-life balance? from 2021-12-02T09:26
As you start to plan your work life for 2022, you might be considering what's best for your kids, your partner, or your boss. But, renowned neurosc...
Can regulating the online world protect users from harm? from 2021-12-02T09:06
Children and adults both, currently face a very real risk of harm when they're online, especially when it comes to social media. But things are bei...
Lust, love and loss examined in our history of war from 2021-12-01T09:42
Times of war can both magnify and distort the human relationships that occur during that conflict. Sometimes those relationships endure after a war...
Is there any such thing as a truly 'wild' animal anymore? from 2021-12-01T09:27
As human populations expand into what was once the territory of wild animals, we've drastically altered their natural environment and living condit...
Australia restricts access to vaping, but supporters remain adamant on benefits from 2021-12-01T09:06
Supporters of e-cigarettes claim vaping is the easiest and most effective way for long-term smokers to kick the combustible habit and improve their...
Talkback: travel plans and COVID-19 from 2021-11-30T09:23
Planning a trip overseas or interstate in the not too distant future? As if things weren't tricky enough, we're back to even more uncertain times w...
The vaccine haves and have-nots from 2021-11-30T09:06
As Australia's vaccination rate continues to climb, around the world, the absence of of mass vaccination has raised questions about the emergence o...
Life In 500 Words: Wil Sprake's Death of Half Arsed from 2021-11-29T09:47
In today's True Confession, Wil Sprake has written a story that lifts the lid on her family life growing up in Western Victoria. She recounts a few...
Talkback: Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide from 2021-11-29T09:06
Defence force veterans have much higher rates of suicide than the rest of the population. Today marks the start of public hearings for a royal comm...
Too Hard Basket: when your flatmate's dog disrupts your life from 2021-11-26T09:44
Your flatmate has a new dog that barks constantly and can't handle anyone coming to the house. This is encroaching on your life and you're becoming...
Staying safe in water after time out from swimming from 2021-11-26T09:28
In some parts of Australia, kids missed out on a lot of swimming lessons in 2020 and 2021. Now, not all children are returning to lessons. Some in ...
How to get moving again after a long year of sitting in one place from 2021-11-26T09:06
As 2021 wraps up, a lot of us might feel that we've spent the whole year sitting in one place. Public health experts say 'you're not alone!'. We're...
Talkback — how much the loyalty tax is costing you from 2021-11-25T09:29
Whether it's insurance premiums, mortgage rates or health cover, the longer we stay with a provider the more 'loyalty tax' we tend to pay. Inertia ...
The future of vaccine mandates for work and play from 2021-11-25T09:06
The Austrian government will be the first in Europe to make COVID-19 vaccinations "mandatory for all".
In Australia, there's high rates o...
Mo-Hair: a suit made of moustache hair starts a conversation about men's health from 2021-11-24T09:42
In the 1950s and 1960s, if you wanted to stand out from the crowd, you dressed in a mohair suit. Mohair comes from the Angora goat, but a new handc...
How the sunk cost fallacy is holding you back from 2021-11-24T09:27
If you've continued in a job long after you should have quit, persevered with a relationship when you're miserable, or even had trouble throwing ou...
Targets and visibility needed to increase employment rates of those living with disability from 2021-11-24T09:06
Australians who have a disability are much less likely to be in work than someone without a disability. The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, ...
How 15 minutes of mentoring per week can transform school outcomes for teens from 2021-11-23T09:44
A just released study called ProjectHOPE found that distressed teens needed only 15 minutes of mentoring per week from a caring adult to improve th...
Migrant women in business from 2021-11-23T09:27
Luz Restrepo says she was 'a professional woman who never thought she would become a migrant', until she found herself needing to seek political as...
Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world, so why aren't more of us making sun protection a priority? from 2021-11-23T09:06
New research from Cancer Council Australia has found sun protection still isn't a part of a daily summer routine for 28 per cent of us, while derma...
Life In 500 Words: Kristen Lang gets triggered by trucks from 2021-11-22T09:50
When Kristen Lang emailed us her true confession, it came with a disclaimer: "I'm not sure my words will quite fit your focus, but for what it's wo...
Talkback — voting for an independent candidate from 2021-11-22T09:06
There's a long history in Australian politics of local independents standing against major party candidates, and sometimes they even win the seat a...
Too Hard Basket: The saga of the silk pillowcases, re-gifting gone wrong from 2021-11-19T09:43
Sasha made some silk pillowcases for a friend's birthday a few years ago. Another mutual friend then gave Sasha a birthday gift of two silk pillowc...
How do we grow and eat food in a net zero world? from 2021-11-19T09:28
Food production, food waste and consumer demand contribute significantly to the world's total greenhouse emissions. How do we effectively change ou...
Creating your own materials is the 'ultimate empowerment' says inventor of 'green steel' from 2021-11-19T09:06
Off the back of COP26, some are feeling disheartened. Others, like inventor Veena Sahajwalla, are excited about building on the solutions to the cl...
Greenwashing and how to escape it from 2021-11-18T09:42
Buying sustainably isn't always straightforward, especially when so much of the product marketing we see is more spin than substance. So, is recycl...
Majak Daw on being given a 'second chance at life' from 2021-11-18T09:26
Growing up in war-torn Sudan, Majak Daw would never would have imagined that one day he would become the first African-born player in professional ...
Minimising distress for families of missing children from 2021-11-18T09:06
When a child goes missing, it's distressing for everyone. All the media attention creates a sense of fear in the wider community about whether or n...
Talkback: the light and shade of staying single from 2021-11-17T09:27
We discuss what "single-positivity" might feel or look like when the pressure from family or friends to "couple-up" remains a hot issue.
...
Looking after COVID-positive patients at home from 2021-11-17T09:06
With lockdowns over for much of the country, more and more of us will contract COVID, despite increased vaccination rates. Some people will end up ...
Kaz Cooke: A history of bad and bonkers advice to women from 2021-11-16T09:42
'Exercise for women is dangerous and un-lady like' or 'every girl ought to wear an apron all day - it stamps her character as careful, economical a...
Eating endemic plant species to fight malnutrition from 2021-11-16T09:26
Agricultural scientist Bruce French has dedicated his life to helping people in the developing world grow viable and nutritious edible plants. He's...
Australia's big immigration reset from 2021-11-16T09:06
International border closures have seen deep labour shortages spread across Australia, in sectors from hospitality to healthcare. New South Wales b...
Life in 500 Words: Jeanie Adams and her son Mark from 2021-11-15T09:50
When Jeanie Adams was having another child, she thought it made sense to make sure everything was going to be ok.
However, even before she...
Talkback: the great resignation contemplation and the role of work from 2021-11-15T09:06
Whether you've spent the last two years on the frontline, or you're heading back to your workplace in the new year, you may be reconsidering the ro...
Too Hard Basket: Do I change jobs after 25 years as a first responder? from 2021-11-12T09:43
Renee is a police officer with 25 years experience in front line duty. She has recently been diagnosed with PTSD. At 50 years of age and as sole pa...
The stage calls for Crystal Love from 2021-11-12T09:28
Crystal Love is a proud sistergirl from the Tiwi Islands. For over 30 years, Crystal has been performing as a drag queen, showgirl and stand-up com...
How much do you have to earn to be happy? New research nails down the magic number from 2021-11-12T09:06
They say you can't put a price on happiness, but, according to new research, you can. And it turns out that price is beyond what most Australians c...
The joy of reading with my dad, the 96-year-old survivor from 2021-11-11T09:42
When Melbourne was forced into lockdown last year, author Frances Prince decided to start a daily reading ritual with her dad, a 96-year-old Holoca...
Talkback: regional banking from 2021-11-11T09:06
More than 400 bank branches closed in the last financial year, and about a quarter of those were in regional areas. The federal government has asse...
Ausmusic Month: can you make a crust when you're an Australian musician? from 2021-11-10T09:42
In Ausmusic Month, with venues able to welcome us back, we examine how independent local musicians have weathered the COVID storm and ask how do we...
Author Susan Orlean on being a little 'animalish' and how a lion ended up in her apartment from 2021-11-10T09:27
Author Susan Orlean's first foray into writing, aged six, was a story called Herbert the Near-Sighted Pigeon. In the decades since, she's continued...
Australia’s border policies still leaving international students in limbo from 2021-11-10T09:06
Many Australians are beginning to return home from overseas, but thousands of international students remain stuck outside the country, with some fa...
While most of the world shut down, Ken Haley kept travelling from 2021-11-09T09:43
Long time traveller Ken Haley had barely left Australia bound for a year long odyssey through Cuba, Central America and the Caribbean when the worl...
A haircut free of charge and free of judgement from 2021-11-09T09:27
We often say, "when you look good, you feel good", and after that, anything could happen! But, for those experiencing disadvantage, there are many ...
Mental health and who has the right to insurance from 2021-11-09T09:06
More people have sought support from mental health services during the pandemic, but if you've seen a psychologist or gotten treatment, you could p...
Talkback: How does birth order affect the way things happen in your family? from 2021-11-08T09:06
"That's typical second child behaviour" or "she's so well behaved, she must be the first born". There aren't many of us who haven't heard these kin...
Too Hard Basket: I get no emotional intimacy from my partner, what can I do? from 2021-11-05T09:44
Diana and her partner of three years are both fit and healthy 73-year-olds who have many shared interests and the best sex life either one has ever...
The science and joy of meditation from 2021-11-05T09:28
Neuroscientist Steven Laureys was unconvinced about the benefits of meditation. A personal crisis and an encounter with a Buddhist monk prompted hi...
Fixing Australia's appalling record on Indigenous literacy from 2021-11-05T09:06
It’s been estimated more than 40 per cent of Aboriginal adults in Australia have low literacy. In some communities it can be up to 80 or even 90 pe...
Pearls and pantsuits: The psychology of power dressing from 2021-11-04T09:42
Pearls. Pantsuits. Shoulder pads. What you wear can speak volumes without saying a word. So, why does fashion matter? And what's the psychology beh...
Clem Ford on what happens when your relationship and your feminist ideals are incompatible from 2021-11-04T09:26
When Clem Ford was touring the country with her first book talking about how to live as an empowered woman, at home she was anything but. Her son w...
People living with disability concerned as Australia opens up from 2021-11-04T09:06
Australia’s vaccination rates are going up, but those people living with a disability have not always kept pace with the general population. Resear...
Walpole's poles get the green light for sustainable power from tiny pumped hydro from 2021-11-03T09:43
For literally decades, the tiny southern town of Walpole in Western Australia has been crippled with blackouts, often dozens of times a year. It le...
Shining a light on AJ Clementine from 2021-11-03T09:28
AJ Clementine says she was born "in a magical shell that looked, on the outside, like a perfect little boy". But AJ spent her childhood and teenage...
Have non-COVID patients on surgery waitlists become the second-class citizens of the hospital system? from 2021-11-03T09:06
"Non-urgent" elective surgeries in NSW have restarted after being shut down due to the last Delta outbreak. But, the AMA says that, even before the...
Merlin Sheldrake's entangled life from 2021-11-02T09:36
Merlin Sheldrake's personal obsession with fungi has taken him to the jungles of Panama. This world renowned fungus scholar has also experimented w...
Life in 500 Words: Bill Boyd almost ran away with a Christian hippy musical from 2021-11-02T09:31
Bill Boyd has a true confession to share. It could have changed the pathway of his life forever. There is a new theme for Life In 500 Words in 2021...
Helen Garner on writing, shame and finding space to thrive from 2021-11-02T09:06
Helen Garner's third volume of diaries sees her holding onto her marriage while trying to find a room of her own. She shares the importance of writ...
Talkback: Who do you look to for climate change leadership? from 2021-11-01T09:06
World leaders are preparing to meet in Glasgow for a two-day summit, kicking off the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference. But politicians aren't the...
Standing out in a small town from 2021-10-29T09:53
Kyle Andrews wears makeup and full drag in the main street of his home town of Clermont, central Queensland.
...
How to transform your insomnia into a mind-blowing, soul-shaking, philosophical experience from 2021-10-29T09:38
After years of trying sleeping pills, therapy and the latest herbal remedies, Marina Benjamin decided to reimagine how she saw her insomnia.
...
Food is Love: how Judy Kolt survived World War Two from 2021-10-29T09:22
Judy Kolt was three years old when her parents fled to Warsaw to escape Hitler's onslaught. It didn't work. Her story is in a new recipe book from ...
Game based training boosts results for children with learning difficulties from 2021-10-29T09:06
A new game based training tool has proven effective in improving focus, attention spans, and social behaviours for younger children with learning d...
A month living deep inside an Icelandic fjord helped Heather Shannon 'sit with imperfection' from 2021-10-28T09:43
Many of us struggle with perfectionism in our lives. But not many of us find a way to challenge that critical voice in our heads. Musician Heather ...
"Ladies We Need To Talk" - the book from 2021-10-28T09:27
From pubic hair to polygamy, female orgasms and choosing a life that's child or marriage free; there are many topics in women's lives that are tabo...
How forgiving is Australia when it comes to the gambling industry? from 2021-10-28T09:06
Victoria's Royal Commission into Crown Casino this week labelled the Casino operators' conduct "disgraceful". Despite evidence of links to criminal...
In the kelp forests with the student of My Octopus Teacher from 2021-10-26T09:32
You may have seen the Oscar winning documentary My Octopus Teacher, which traced the relationship between South African filmmaker and diver Craig F...
Life in 500 Words: Jackie Egger's controversial grandfather from 2021-10-26T09:26
For some of us, our grandparents are a source of comfort, support and encouragement, but that wasn't the case for Jackie Egger. Jackie's grandfathe...
Hospitality and tourism operators stare down summer amid staff shortages from 2021-10-26T09:06
As patrons make dinner bookings and holidaymakers prepare for summer vacations, hospitality and tourism operators face unprecedented labour shortag...
Talkback: Opening up and life after lockdown from 2021-10-25T09:06
With locked down states opening up and travel on the horizon, Life Matters takes your calls on booster shots, roadmaps and what countries like the ...
Too Hard Basket: My neighbour is offended by the way I've clad my gate. What do I do? from 2021-10-22T09:43
Ken has clad the driveway gate to give himself some privacy from dog-walkers while tending the veggie patch, sometimes in his underwear. The troubl...
Talkback: How can you make sure your solar deal is a good one? from 2021-10-22T09:06
The solar industry is booming, but new stories have emerged of customers being charged exorbitant prices or sold faulty products. How widespread is...
Wicker baskets, unions and pork chops: The history of the picnic from 2021-10-21T09:43
The pandemic has seen a public resurgence of picnics in locked down states, but they haven't always been so accessible – or even held outdoors. Fro...
Should it be easier for you to access the pill? from 2021-10-21T09:27
Recently the Therapeutic Goods Administration looked into whether women should be allowed to buy the contraceptive pill over the counter, without a...
What's the best way to handle school refusal? from 2021-10-21T09:06
What do you do if your child says they don't want to go to school? It's been estimated more than a quarter of students will engage in school refusa...
More than a quarter of a million people have watched this man do his job from 2021-10-20T09:43
Mark Merrett is a third generation farmer who, every week, posts a video on his YouTube channel showing people what he does to run a mixed sheep an...
The value of musical play for babies and toddlers from 2021-10-20T09:27
"This is the way we brush our teeth, brush out teeth, brush our teeth ... this is the way we brush our teeth, so early in the morning". Sound famil...
Extracurricular activities most beneficial for those least able to afford them from 2021-10-20T09:06
New research from Flinders University has found activities like organised sport, dance and drama outside of school can be beneficial for all childr...
Chantelle Otten: Breaking the taboos around sex education and sexual health from 2021-10-19T09:42
Psychosexologist Chantelle Otten is a on a mission to empower people when it comes to their sexuality. Her book is called The Sex-Ed You Never Had...
Rare flowers and golden butterflies from 2021-10-19T09:26
In the world of magic, women have traditionally been the sidekicks, or decoration. But a new exhibition is highlighting the pivotal role three Aust...
From toys to timber: Why everything is in such short supply from 2021-10-19T09:06
If you keep refreshing your inbox, wondering where your Christmas order has got to, you're not alone. Consumers around the world are seeing a short...
Life in 500 Words: Selena's Melbourne Cup melancholy from 2021-10-18T09:49
All of us like to be liked, and for Selena de Lang and her sister, they went through a surge of popularity when they were in school. But oh what a ...
Talkback: Accountability mechanisms and trust in politicians from 2021-10-18T09:06
Concerns about integrity and accountability amongst politicians are running high right now. Two state-based anti-corruption bodies are conducting h...
Too Hard Basket: My biological clock is ticking but my partner won't commit until I develop a relationship with his parents from 2021-10-15T09:43
Lucy is almost 35 and wants to have a child. Her partner says he has an engagement ring, wants to marry her and have a family together. But he won'...
When a place for decluttering becomes a site for helping and giving back from 2021-10-15T09:30
Social media is often viewed as a waste of time. But as people became more isolated during Sydney’s lockdown, little acts of kindness started creep...
What on earth is hydrogen and is it good or bad for cutting emissions? from 2021-10-15T09:06
If you've been tuning in to any of the latest news about the government's soon-to-be-released plans to get to net zero, you've no doubt heard the H...
The pitfalls of tiny homes and micro spaces from 2021-10-14T09:42
Tiny homes and micro apartments have been touted as the solution to Australia's housing crisis, homelessness, and excessive consumption, but is liv...
Why coming out is still a thing in 2021 from 2021-10-14T09:26
Gay rights and gay life has come such along way in the last decade that sometimes it may seem like homophobia is 'so 2010', but actually, still tod...
How well-prepared are places with low Covid numbers for the lifting of restrictions? from 2021-10-14T09:06
If you're living in a state that has had few covid cases, and short lockdowns, how are you feeling about "opening up?" Sydney had its "freedom day"...
Talkback: You had a bad day, now what? from 2021-10-13T09:27
You've hit a wall. The neighbour's dog won't stop barking and your boss is being a pain. Then you destroy your favourite shirt in the wash and you ...
What does living with COVID look like in childcare? from 2021-10-13T09:06
Children under the age of 12 remain unvaccinated, and childcare centres continue to be listed as exposure sites for coronavirus, a scenario that is...
Why did I buy that? Fashion mistakes, life lessons and leopard print from 2021-10-12T09:42
Have you ever caught yourself thinking 'why on earth did I buy that?' Former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia, Kirstie Clements has written a gui...
Bronwyn Oliver's Life in Shadows from 2021-10-12T09:25
A new ABC documentary recalls the life and work of the late sculptor Bronwyn Oliver and how she became one of Australia's great 20th century artist...
NSW's lockdown exit: The first 24 hours from 2021-10-12T09:06
After more than 100 days of lockdown, a large number of COVID-19 restrictions have been eased in NSW, with those who are fully vaccinated now able ...
Talkback: looking after the mental health of carers from 2021-10-11T09:06
As a carer, your own needs often come second to the person you're looking after. In the longer term, that can have a really detrimental effect on b...
Too Hard Basket: You see someone throwing rubbish out their car window in your street, how do you react? from 2021-10-08T09:47
While turning her car into the driveway, Robyn sees a vehicle pull up opposite her house and proceed to dump their used food and drink containers o...
08 The Fitzroy Diaries | Warning: Gayle’s punch from 2021-10-08T09:20
What would Fitzroy be without the occasional street party? Life’s good, and it might not stay this way forever, and who knows what’s coming, but a ...
Forget the lotus position. Kids’ mindfulness practice can simply be about learning to play from 2021-10-08T09:06
Meditation may be all the rage these days, but child psychology experts say what's more important than teaching a formal practice is giving kids (a...
07 The Fitzroy Diaries | Everybody loves Darren from 2021-10-07T09:35
A walk with an old friend, a romance confirmed, and the making of a citrus cake. Honestly, does life get any better than this? Even with all the fl...
Planning catch-ups with loved ones? Will you be asking about their vaccination status? from 2021-10-07T09:06
As we learn to live with COVID-19 in the community, case numbers will soon be on the rise across Australia. That has many people worried about mixi...
06 The Fitzroy Diaries | A new friend who is also an old friend from 2021-10-06T09:34
Fitzroy’s mood seems to be lifting, as a little bit of hope seems to fill the air. Phone numbers are swapped, and the idea of a party starts to tak...
Life in 500 Words: Mark Edmonds saves his family from 2021-10-06T09:30
All this year we've been welcoming your true confessions you've recorded and sent to us as part of our ongoing Life in 500 Words series.
T...
Concern disaster payments may taper before real economic recovery begins from 2021-10-06T09:06
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says COVID disaster payments will reduce once the states and territories reach 70 per cent and 80 per cent vaccination ta...
05 The Fitzroy Diaries | Neighbourhood rescue from 2021-10-05T09:26
A glorious run, alone in the world, turns into a neighbourhood rescue, in which walls are climbed, ambulances are called, and useless ladders are h...
'Well Hello': Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb on friendship, kindness and the chatterati from 2021-10-05T09:06
Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb might be known as hard-hitting journalists, but their podcast sees the pair take a different path, one of books and f...
Talkback — COVID-19 modelling, forecasts and the move out of lockdown from 2021-10-04T09:06
As some states prepare for life after lockdown, case numbers have continued to climb, with Victoria and the ACT both reporting record daily case nu...
Too Hard Basket: My manager keeps calling me 'love' and I don't like it from 2021-10-01T09:44
Your senior manager keeps calling you 'love' in the workplace. You don't like it and you finally found the courage to ask her not to, but she has d...
04 The Fitzroy Diaries | Maths is all around us from 2021-10-01T09:23
There are teddy bears in windows, and numbers in our ears, and maths is all around us. And that’s just on the morning walk. The only sure thing is ...
Greg Mullins on fighting bushfires and climate change from 2021-10-01T09:06
Former Commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW Greg Mullins was only 12 years old when he experienced his first big fire. Fighting bushfires was a norm...
03 The Fitzroy Diaries | The woman in the jellybean car from 2021-09-30T09:33
Does time even exist? Did last week actually happen? Is it midday already? And what about that time, all those years ago, when you had your best fr...
02 The Fitzroy Diaries | Just two things from 2021-09-29T09:42
Can the number of cardboard boxes in a house destroy a family? It feels like it, despite the fact that they seemed to offer the hope of hours of fu...
Your superannuation checklist from 2021-09-29T09:27
With 13 superannuation funds failing the federal government's performance test, more than 1 million Australians will soon receive letters urging th...
How long will the contact tracers keep tracking once lockdowns ease? from 2021-09-29T09:06
NSW has released its roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions, with the state to be largely open by December, when 90 per cent of the adult populat...
01 The Fitzroy Diaries | An appointment from 2021-09-28T09:35
It's raining in Fitzroy. Everyone’s inside, where it feels like they've been stuck forever. How can you have nothing to do and nowhere to be and st...
Lorin Clarke talks about the making of Fitzroy Diaries from 2021-09-28T09:26:31
For the podcast faithful, even if you've never set foot in the actual inner-city Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Fitzroy Diaries is a happy place. So,...
Could the mouse plague return? from 2021-09-28T09:06
Months after horror images of sheds and homes being inundated with mice were splashed across newspapers and television screens, experts warn the ro...
Talkback: Should vaccinations be mandatory? from 2021-09-27T09:06
Mandatory vaccinations are becoming more common in Australian workplaces, as well as in public and private spaces. How will this work practically, ...
Too Hard Basket: I'm having a fling with a much younger man, do I keep seeing him? from 2021-09-24T09:48
Angelina is in her late forties, divorced, and a parent of two boys. After many years without intimacy she recently began a relationship with a man...
Bushwalking: a quirky history and murky future from 2021-09-24T09:32
There’s evidence of it occurring in 1788. It became a mystery adventure for groups of people in the 1930s. Now the simple act of bushwalking has be...
How our fear of death has shaped human civilisation, pop culture and everything else from 2021-09-24T09:06
From the Crusades and the Renaissance to the invention of TikTok and the election of Donald Trump; what do all these events have in common? Two ren...
Mac and cheese? Yes, please! How to reinvent childhood comfort food from 2021-09-23T09:42
Flaky sausage rolls. Creamy macaroni. Steaming wontons. There's nothing like familiar food to take you back to your childhood. But how can you rein...
Mum writes kids' book to give her children 'a way out of grief' after she passes from 2021-09-23T09:28
When Karen van Den Hooven, at 37, was given five months to live, her top priority was helping her children deal with her death. She was able to do ...
Adam Grant wants to know if you've been feeling a little 'blah' lately from 2021-09-23T09:06
Organisational psychologist Adam Grant, whose TED talks have had more than 25 million hits, says he has been feeling a little "blah" lately. That's...
Falling asleep to First Nations storytelling from 2021-09-22T09:43
What sends you to sleep at night? Perhaps reading before bed is your thing or keeping the window open so you can look up at the stars. We take a l...
Talkback: Do you think your loved one will get home this year? from 2021-09-22T09:06
Thousands of Australians remain locked out of the country, and caps on international arrivals remain low, due to ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in NSW ...
The school that tried to end racism from 2021-09-21T09:40
We know racism exists, so why do we find it so hard to talk about? And how do we go about reversing racial bias? A ground-breaking pilot program im...
When disasters start to add up from 2021-09-21T09:06
New research from the Australian Red Cross has found that over a third of people surveyed have lived through more than one disaster in less than tw...
Life in 500 Words: Linda Foulsham and the stranger from 2021-09-20T09:48
It was 1954 and Linda, aged nine, took her three-year-old sister to their regular playground. What happened next is testament to Linda's quick thin...
Talkback: autoimmune disease, when your body turns on itself from 2021-09-20T09:06
More than a million people in Australia live with autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, lupus and many others. Wha...
Too Hard Basket: My 'singles buddy' has burst my bubble from 2021-09-17T09:43
You live alone and have a singles bubble buddy you catch up with regularly. Recently, you told him about a job you'd applied for and he then presse...
The business of volunteering in community development from 2021-09-17T09:28
Passion and business expertise: that’s what volunteers like Liane Arno and Matt Stone bring to their roles with Australian Business Volunteers, whi...
Thank God lockdown's over! I can finally get my divorce! from 2021-09-17T09:06
At the end of 2020, many couples breathed a sigh of relief thinking their relationship had survived the worst of the pandemic. But, as we near the ...
Talkback: COVID-19 vaccines, your questions answered from 2021-09-16T09:06
COVID-19 vaccination rates in Australia are climbing, yet there are some in the community who still have genuine concerns about getting vaccinated....
Nostalgia for the television we watched as kids is here to stay from 2021-09-15T09:42
When thinking about the shows that had an impact on us as children, it's often the Australian television we remember most. Local productions such a...
ADHD, TikTok and the cost of being diagnosed in adulthood from 2021-09-15T09:27
For years, experts thought ADHD only existed in children, and that the condition presented in certain symptoms more common in boys than girls. That...
Eliminating waste and reimagining products through the circular economy from 2021-09-15T09:06
Many of us are trying to cut down our waste, but for large scale change to occur, businesses and governments need to be on board. Businesses say th...
Young magician generates 'good vibes' online from 2021-09-14T09:41
As a young boy Ash Magic struggled to fit in and focus at school, whilst living with ADHD and anxiety. As an 11 year old Ash saw a street performer...
Australia starts rolling out a third vaccine — Pharmacists to administer Moderna from 2021-09-14T09:06
Australia will receive one million doses of the Moderna vaccine as early as this week, in a rollout that will see community pharmacies at the foref...
Life in 500 Words: Deb is a self confessed radio tragic from 2021-09-13T09:48
Debbie Noyek grew up in Ireland fascinated by the magical world of radio, and the people and music it brought to her at night in her bed. In this t...
Talkback: The invisible grief of involuntary childlessness from 2021-09-13T09:06
In societies like Australia where parenthood is highly valued, those without children often feel shut out. But, unlike those who choose not to have...
Too Hard Basket: My 11-year-old son won't do any exercise, how do I motivate him? from 2021-09-10T09:43
Your son has been told by his GP that he is a bit overweight. He doesn't like moving much and becomes stressed and resentful when you suggest he ge...
Playgrounds for every child, no matter where from 2021-09-10T09:28
In 2007, Marcus Veerman was living in Thailand when a local NGO asked if he would help them build a playground. 14 years later, his social enterpri...
City dwellers are being lured by small town dreams. Can the regions cope? from 2021-09-10T09:06
As work flexibility has become more common and the drain of life under lockdown continues, regional cities and towns around the country are seeing ...
Talkback: Remembering September 11 from 2021-09-09T09:27
Two decades on from the September 11 terrorist attacks, we take a look back at how Australians remembered the events of that day, and what happened...
What role do rapid antigen tests have in the next phase of our pandemic response? from 2021-09-09T09:06
The Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has expressed his hope that the TGA will soon approve rapid antigen tests for use at home. These tests are co...
Inside Australia's busiest railway network from 2021-09-08T09:42:04
If you've been a regular train traveller, you've probably seen all manner of things unfold. From breakdowns and delays, peak hour frustrations, or ...
Leaving money to charity in your will from 2021-09-08T09:27
How are your charitable donations tracking right now? There's been a decline in gifts in wills over the past two challenging years, according to th...
Will hospitals be able to cope with a surge in COVID patients? from 2021-09-08T09:06
NSW hospitals are preparing for a surge of COVID patients soon and health workers around the country are watching closely. Eighteen months into the...
Keeping children safe on Twitch from 2021-09-07T09:26
As children and young people spend more time online, they are increasingly vulnerable. Streaming services like Twitch have strict rules for users a...
Victoria's 'vaccine economy' future from 2021-09-07T09:06
The Victorian government has announced the state is heading towards a 'vaccine economy', with an industry pilot program already in development. Vic...
Talkback: addressing perfectionism and learning to say no from 2021-09-06T09:06
Do you find yourself saying yes to other people's requests, even when you are overwhelmed and over committed? Journalist Grace Jennings-Edquist bel...
Too Hard Basket: my neighbour's air-con is disturbingly invasive from 2021-09-03T09:43
Your ex-neighbour built a house and placed the double height air conditioner opposite your back door but has now sold the house. Prior to the sale,...
Five housemates, a lockdown and a giant pile of dirt: The story of Australia's COVID gardening boom from 2021-09-03T09:06
Lockdowns suck, but, when you're feeling low, inspiration can come from the most unexpected of places. And for Hannah Waters, it came in the form o...
Embracing the early start from 2021-09-02T09:45
Finding time to spend on yourself is not always easy, but a new club aims to help you do just that, by meeting together at 5.30 am each day. Member...
Can I pay for dinner with my postcode? from 2021-09-02T09:06
Australia likes to trade on being a classless society, but economic data on where we live would indicate otherwise. How did this geographical rich/...
Celebrating Indigenous Literacy Day from 2021-09-01T09:42
To celebrate Indigenous Literacy Day, we speak with an artist and an academic who just happen to be brothers. For younger brother Gregg, while he "...
Rebranding stoicism for a better world from 2021-09-01T09:27
Modern Stoicism has become shorthand for life hacks and self-help listicles for the aspiring tech entrepreneur, but one author says ancient Stoic p...
Will the merger of the Family Court improve it? from 2021-09-01T09:06
Today, the Family Court of Australia merges with the Federal Circuit Court, in a move the Federal Government says will cut costs and speed up proce...
Are our farmers really getting a bad rap? from 2021-08-31T09:41
Our relationship with who grows our food is fraught to say the least. In Australia we want our farmers to grow sustainably, and yet we still demand...
What we've learned about women's health over 30 years from 2021-08-31T09:26
The traditional role of women has often been as caregivers, putting the needs of others before their own. A lot has changed, when it comes to recog...
When COVID-19 arrived in Goodooga and NSW's Indigenous vaccination gap from 2021-08-31T09:06
Despite being one of the groups prioritised for the vaccine, COVID-19 vaccination rates for Indigenous Australians continue to lag in almost every ...
Life in 500 Words: the silence of my father from 2021-08-30T09:48
If you're of a certain age, you may have found one of your parents has always been loath to share with you their difficult experiences growing up d...
Talkback: family relationships affected by misinformation and cults from 2021-08-30T09:06
The pandemic has highlighted how tricky it can be to maintain relationships when belief systems diverge and truth is contested. Have you ever felt ...
Too Hard Basket: My later-in-life boyfriend won't commit from 2021-08-27T09:43
Annie is a divorcee in her late sixties, now with a very nice man. She feels some resentment towards him as he won't commit enough to want to marry...
How a breach in human rights inspired a cookbook for connection and recovery from 2021-08-27T09:28
Cooking, recovery and connections have taken on extra significance in the last 18 months. Those three words also happen to be the title of a cookbo...
"Don't just see the disability. See the whole person": How the Paralympics continues to shift perceptions from 2021-08-27T09:06
The Olympics are always about so much more than sport. The Paralympics are no different, prompting conversations about how people with disabilities...
What shows like 'Luxe Listings Sydney' say about our voyeuristic obsession with high-end real estate from 2021-08-26T09:42
At a time of lockdowns, record house prices and a plethora of new property reality programs, it's little wonder more of us are resorting to real es...
Eating disorders are on the rise, but this new treatment centre provides hope from 2021-08-26T09:07
Getting the right kind of treatment for an eating disorder is not easy, as Serena Riley knows only too well. Following her recovery, she went on to...
Talkback: How have you spent time in nature lately? from 2021-08-25T09:25
Whether you're an avid bushwalker, a keen gardener, a bird watcher, or an outdoor exerciser, there are plenty of ways to spend time in nature. But ...
How can we protect kids from coronavirus in schools? from 2021-08-25T09:06
The latest outbreaks of COVID-19 in Australia, and around the world, have shown that children are not immune to the Delta variant. While there are ...
Prosopagnosia, you might remember the name but not the face from 2021-08-24T09:43
Imagine knowing a person but, when you see their face, you don't recognise them. This is called Prosopagnosia, and it might surprise you to know th...
'Double-consent' for cosmetic injectable treatments from 2021-08-24T09:26
More and more skin clinics are offering cosmetic-injectable services like anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers to help clients of all ages ac...
Ever wanted to know how much your boss makes? from 2021-08-24T09:06
Companies in the US and UK must produce a CEO pay ratio to show how many multiples of the average worker's wage goes to the top brass. Should it be...
Talkback — Complying with lockdown and a pandemic of fatigue from 2021-08-23T09:07
As daily Covid-19 cases climb again into the hundreds, state premiers have continued to lash out at the decisions of those ignoring lockdown rules....
Too Hard Basket: Should you pay your sibling to help you out? from 2021-08-20T09:45
You and your husband are starting a café. He has said he'll fly his younger brother up to help set up shop, saying "I'll pay him, of course." Howev...
Talkback — Cat curfews and cat bans from 2021-08-20T09:06
A Victorian city council has made international headlines for passing a 24 hour 'cat curfew' in their area, with opponents accusing them of "tearin...
Why people fake it all on the internet from 2021-08-19T09:42
There are many ways to fake who you are on the internet, from catfishing to creating sock puppet accounts and curating an impossibly perfect life. ...
Alison Bechdel’s lifelong quest for for transcendence (and big muscles) through exercise from 2021-08-19T09:27
Cartoonist Alison Bechdel, best known for her graphic novel turned Broadway musical 'Fun Home', has garnered a cult following for her ability to br...
Improving the vaccine rollout for the Indigenous population from 2021-08-19T09:06
Until now, the lack of coronavirus cases amongst the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has been a success story. But as the Delta st...
The gift of giving food in lockdown affected communities from 2021-08-18T09:43
Whether it's takeaway at your favourite restaurant, learning to bake sourdough or cooking for a neighbour, food has brought comfort and joy across ...
For richer or poorer from 2021-08-18T09:27
It might sound archaic to talk about social class. More suited to 'Downton Abbey' than modern day Australia. But does class have the power to shape...
Are those COVID-19 press conferences doing us more harm than good? from 2021-08-18T09:05
It's become an all too familiar ritual for some of us, checking the daily COVID-19 numbers, listening to the Premiers' press conferences and then t...
Exploring a world of possibilities with assistive technology from 2021-08-17T09:42
Assistive Technology can be a game changer for someone living with a disability. Now that the NDIS is funding “reasonable and necessary” supports, ...
Nick Bracks on how he recovered his mental health from 2021-08-17T09:27
Being the son of Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks only added to the pressure young Nick put on himself to be the best. His quest to be a profession...
From 'finfluencers' to crypto: First-time investors get financially savvy from 2021-08-17T09:06
Guided by 'finfluencers' — finance influencers — and a host of handbooks and online resources, more Australians are taking charge of improving thei...
Talkback: Changing how we grow and eat food to stop climate change from 2021-08-16T09:06
The IPCC report has highlighted the urgency of climate action, and one area where emissions need to drop is agriculture. So, here in Australia, how...
Too Hard Basket: My friend's husband is in the grip of the anti-vax and QAnon movement from 2021-08-13T09:43
Your friend's husband has been drawn into the anti-vax and QAnon movement and is forbidding her to be vaccinated. She's unable to have a rational c...
How playgroups can play a vital role in shaping our communities from 2021-08-13T09:28
Research shows playgroups can play a vital role in shaping the future of our children, offering not only social benefits but economic ones too. We ...
We listen to the scientific advice on COVID-19. Why do we ignore it on climate change? from 2021-08-13T09:06
COVID-19 and climate change; on both these global crises, scientists have offered us a clear path out. Why then, have Australians heeded the advice...
Touching the wall from 2021-08-12T09:45
Writer and broadcaster John Connell started writing a few years back and hasn't stopped since. Formerly an unfit smoker, he's now a fitness advocat...
How Bill Edgar became the Coffin Confessor from 2021-08-12T09:26
Bill Edgar earns an unconventional living by letting the dead speak; interrupting funerals to deliver messages from beyond the grave. It's a world ...
Making the Sydney lockdown work, for everyone from 2021-08-12T09:06
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is flagging the possibility of easing restrictions in some parts of Sydney as early as next month. She says that if ...
Talkback: our dog park relationships from 2021-08-11T09:24
Every day across Australia thousands of dog owners take their canines to spaces where they can run, play and interact with other dogs. Sometimes, ...
Most Australians support a guaranteed basic income from 2021-08-11T09:06
A new study by Anglicare has found that 77 per cent of Australians back the idea of providing a permanent form of basic income, to ensure every per...
The secret letters of a prisoner-of-war that tell a story of enduring love from 2021-08-10T09:41
Doug Heywood was just sixteen when he found a stash of unopened letters. Many of them were love letters from his father Scott to his mother Marge, ...
Why are men lagging behind in COVID-19 vaccination rates? from 2021-08-10T09:06
According to the Australian Immunisation Register, fewer young men have been vaccinated across all age groups, until the age of 60, compared with w...
Life in 500 Words: Ruth shouts out 'who's there?' from 2021-08-09T09:48
So often in our lives the reason we don't confess is because we fear being judged.
However, Ruth Henderson is putting that behind her in t...
Talkback — Census 2021 from 2021-08-09T09:06
The nation's most important survey is about to come to life. It happens every five years, and the last one made news for all the wrong reasons, as ...
Too Hard Basket: Swearing in the workplace from 2021-08-06T09:43
You work in a male-dominated trade business where swearing happens all the time, even at management level. One employee has raised concerns about s...
Why you might feel panic right now and what to do about it from 2021-08-06T09:06
Up to 40 per cent of us will experience a panic attack at some time in our lives. And, thanks to the heightened levels of stress in the community r...
The Indigenous students who attend elite boarding schools from 2021-08-05T09:42
'Off Country' follows several Indigenous students as they leave their families to navigate the classrooms of one of the oldest boarding schools in ...
Where you from? from 2021-08-05T09:26
For some of us, being asked about where you come from is a loaded question. Marlanie Haerewa grew up in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. ...
Designing Australia's vaccine passport so it works for everyone from 2021-08-05T09:06
The Prime Minister is hoping the prospect of vaccine passports will encourage more of us to get vaccinated, and sooner. Right now if you're fully v...
Can the Olympics inspire us to improve our mental health through exercise? from 2021-08-04T09:41
This year, the couch happens to be the only place to play spectator at the Olympics. And while that couch beckons us to watch another race, the Oly...
Talkback: how are lockdowns affecting aged care residents and loved ones? from 2021-08-04T09:06
Several NSW aged-care residents have contracted the Delta strain of coronavirus, as that state continues to grapple with the latest outbreak. More ...
Fighting homelessness, one conversation at a time from 2021-08-03T09:26
On any given night, there are more than 116,000 people experiencing homelessness across Australia. Lucas Patchett, co-founder of Orange Sky Austral...
'At risk' 12-15 year-olds approved for Pfizer vaccine. Here's who is getting it first and why from 2021-08-03T09:06
Pfizer's vaccine was already approved for people 16 and older — but from Monday 9 August, Indigenous children and those with underlying health cond...
Life in 500 Words: Lorraine Thomson is told it's OK from 2021-08-02T09:48
You may already know this year's Life in 500 Words theme is true confessions. Lorraine Thomson sprung one such confession on her father when she wa...
Talkback: Millennials, milestones and who gets to own a home from 2021-08-02T09:06
Home ownership has been out of reach for many younger Australians for years now, but the COVID-19 pandemic has seen house prices soar to new height...
Too Hard Basket: A surprise party is planned for your husband and you're not invited, what do you do? from 2021-07-30T09:43
Your husband turns 50 this year and you'd spoken to your sister-in-law about a plan to throw him a surprise party. You've since had a falling out a...
Is 'AI art' something to be feared, or a genuine collaboration between artists and machines? from 2021-07-30T09:28
You might have once said “my kid could have done that!" But what if your computer could, instead? Computers are being taught to paint in the style ...
Is COVID-19 information overload causing bottlenecks in our community response? from 2021-07-30T09:06
The spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant has changed the speed of our pandemic problem-solving. In some parts of the country, new rules, new callou...
Talkback — financial support for those affected by lockdowns from 2021-07-29T09:06
Covid-19 and rolling lockdowns have put pressure on people all over Australia. It's most acute in Sydney right now, and there are disaster payments...
The Pineapple Project episode 8 — holidays from 2021-07-28T09:42
Work hard, save up, get tired, have a relaxing holiday to get over all that, and then repeat. But the holiday costs so much you have to work more t...
Luna the therapy dog goes to school too from 2021-07-28T09:27
A good listener, a calming influence, and all-round "good dog", Luna is having a big impact on the daily lives of students and teachers at Rosebery...
Strokes affect us all, but First Nations people are at greater risk from 2021-07-28T09:06
Every nine minutes, a person has a stroke in Australia. While we are becoming better at recognising the signs of stroke, experts say that too many ...
Sarah Walker on 'the first time I thought I was dying' from 2021-07-27T09:41
Sarah Walker's book debut is a series of essays in which she explores subjects such as body image, anxiety, sex education and grief. It's called Th...
Wage advance apps get you fast cash, but there's a catch from 2021-07-27T09:26
Payday loans are going high-tech with a number of "wage advance apps" on the market. You download the app, make an application and can access part ...
Class of 2021: locked down, not out from 2021-07-27T09:06
The class of 2021 have spent much of Year 12 as they did Year 11; in and out of repeat lockdowns. Now, that cohort are approaching their final exam...
Talkback: What is your link to the Olympics? from 2021-07-26T09:06
The Olympics are underway right now in Tokyo. The Games can seem very removed from anyone who has not competed in sport at a high level. But it is ...
Too Hard Basket: Loud sex next door is keeping me up all night from 2021-07-23T09:43
Your neighbours are either trying for a baby, or have just recently discovered sex. Every evening whilst you are trying to sleep, you're woken by t...
The politics of hair from 2021-07-23T09:28
Many people who have grown up in Australia with curly or afro hair have been told in schools and workplaces that their hair in its natural form is ...
How a trip to the Reject Shop got Hayley Wilson to the Olympics from 2021-07-23T09:06
Hayley Wilson bought her first skateboard for $10 at the Reject Shop when she was seven years' old. Now she’s at the Tokyo Olympics. How did she ge...
Do you self-identify as an empath? from 2021-07-22T09:42
You're exceptional at reading social situations and hyper sensitive to what others are feeling, but does that make you an empath, or highly sensiti...
Anna Sale didn’t know how to open up. Then her marriage broke down from 2021-07-22T09:27
On her award winning podcast Death, Sex & Money, Anna Sale's job is to get people to confront the hard truths. But she didn't grow up as someone na...
Can vaccine passports help us prevent spread of the delta variant? from 2021-07-22T09:06
In Melbourne, spread generated by two big sporting events has highlighted just how much more easily the delta variant can be transmitted. In other ...
The Pineapple Project episode 7 — pets from 2021-07-21T09:38
Pets bring us great joy, but have you ever had an unexpected vet bill? It can be pretty painful. A growing pet industry tells us to buy special exp...
TikTok star Nathan Lyons is bringing bully beef back from 2021-07-21T09:27
In a few short months, TikTok sensation Nathan Lyons has gained legions of fans after videos of his home recipes went viral. Now, the man behind th...
Limited income protection for migrant workers in latest lockdowns from 2021-07-21T09:06
Three states are now affected by lockdown as they battle outbreaks of the delta variant. Federal Government assistance is available to those employ...
Why the anti-self-care hero is having a moment from 2021-07-20T09:43
With demanding workloads and continued lockdowns, "self-care" and "wellness" may not be realistic options. Is kindness a better framework than the ...
Rebekah hadn't been on a date for 10 years. This is how she found love. from 2021-07-20T09:27
When it comes to putting yourself out there on the dating scene, confidence is key. But, what if you've been single for a very long time, and you'r...
Does where you live affect how safe you feel? from 2021-07-20T09:06
Older people are likely to be more fearful of crime, but that's only part of the story. In some areas, younger people are just as afraid. Does wher...
Talkback — access to coronavirus vaccines from 2021-07-19T09:06
With active outbreaks in Australia, many people are trying to bring forward their plans to get vaccinated. Whether it's Astra Zeneca or Pfizer that...
Too Hard Basket: What do you do if your child wants a Michael Jackson themed birthday party? from 2021-07-16T09:44
Your nephew comes from a musical family. He is obsessed with Michael Jackson. He loves the dancing and often dresses up as him. He wants a Michael ...
Why Australia is home to so many micronations from 2021-07-15T09:44
Micronations, tiny little countries, usually self-declared, have been set up for all sorts of reasons. To build a driveway, to swear loyalty to the...
How to like your life - Bridie Jabour’s tips for millennials from 2021-07-15T09:28
When Bridie Jabour walked away from an almost-fatal accident, she was filled with a euphoric zest for life. That’s rare for anyone, but no one more...
Understanding burnout and how to avoid it from 2021-07-15T09:06
Daily life can be exhausting, let alone living through a coronavirus pandemic. But when do those feelings of exhaustion and lethargy become somethi...
The Pineapple Project episode 6 — fitness from 2021-07-14T09:38
Our health and wellbeing is priceless, right?! Keeping fit can cost so much: gym memberships, active wear, sports equipment, shakes and supplements...
The centenarian series questioning productive and meaningful life from 2021-07-14T09:26
Peter Wegner's centenarian series explores how well we age and what it means to live a productive and meaningful life. The fortune of coincidence w...
Combating vaccine misinformation in the middle of an outbreak from 2021-07-14T09:06
Many Sydneysiders dealing with the latest outbreak of COVID-19 are considering their options around vaccines, such as speeding up their second dose...
What we know about acne and how to treat it from 2021-07-13T09:42
It's uncomfortable, it makes you feel self conscious, and, when it becomes severe, it can really affect your mental health. Most of us think we kno...
Resetting our brains to interrupt unhealthy addictions from 2021-07-13T09:26
If you've ever experienced some form of behaviour around addiction, you know treatment can take time. Researcher and author David Gillespie writes ...
Businesses call for answers amid Sydney COVID-19 lockdown from 2021-07-13T09:06
The federal and NSW governments will today announce more support for people and businesses struggling financially due to the extended COVID-19 lock...
Life in 500 Words: Elly Varrenti re-visits her well worn confessional from 2021-07-12T09:48
Sixteen years ago, today's true confessor began laying her life out on her audio sleeve.
So in effect, this is a true confession about, we...
Talkback: Older and homeless from 2021-07-12T09:06
In a perfect world, retirement means living the good life, but for thousands of older Australians, their later years bring anxiety and shame as the...
Too Hard Basket: The neighbour's child keeps coming over even when he's asked not to from 2021-07-09T09:46
Your neighbour's five year old boy always wants to play at your house. Once a week is fine but he is always there. To add to that, he is bad manner...
A history of why we work too hard, and how we can change that from 2021-07-09T09:23
Work has become such a major part of modern life that it consumes many of us and the amount of time we spend working often comes at a cost to our h...
More Indigenous-led childcare centres could help close the gap from 2021-07-09T09:06
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are more likely to start school developmentally behind other children in their age group and experts...
Life in 500 Words: Fuzzy vs the Crown from 2021-07-08T09:53
What do you do when your landlord is a government, and they are knowingly breaking their own laws? Well, if you're Fuzzy Trojan, you fight back. Th...
A history of alarm clocks (and time itself) from 2021-07-08T09:42
This year marks 700 years since the construction of the very first musical alarm clock. It was built in an abbey in Northern France and it played a...
Walking Together: Richard Seden and Bianca Barling-Seden from 2021-07-08T09:26
Richard Seden and Bianca Barling-Seden share the story of their relationship and what they have learned from each other.
Talkback: 'Hey dude, wanna hang out?' How this middle-aged dad learned to make man-friends from 2021-07-08T09:06
Journalist Billy Baker didn't think of himself as a loser, but when he sat down to count the friends he still kept in touch with, he realised he co...
Teaching children how the news works from 2021-07-07T09:32
How can we empower children to think critically about the media, and even become the news hounds of the future?
...
Walking Together: David Wardong Collard and John Holley from 2021-07-07T09:20
David Wardong Collard and John Holley share the story of their working relationship and friendship.
Making more rental properties pet friendly from 2021-07-07T09:06
Pets are an important part of life for many of us. But if you're renting, having a furry companion join you in your new home can lessen your chance...
Red Lead: the cat with nine lives from 2021-07-06T09:44
In his latest book, Roland Perry celebrates the courage and loyalty of an extraordinary naval cat named Red Lead, who survived shellfire, torpedoes...
Walking Together: Corey Tutt and James Dixon from 2021-07-06T09:32
Corey Tutt is the NSW Young Australian of the Year for 2020 and the founder of Deadly Science. He met his friend and mentor, alpaca shearer James D...
Talkback — letting young children take risks from 2021-07-06T09:06
Would you let a six-year-old go out to collect something from the bakery, if they had to cross a busy road to do it? That's a real task that a youn...
Walking Together: Matilda House and Jane Vincent from 2021-07-05T09:47
Ngambri-Ngunnawal woman Matilda House and farmer Jane Vincent share the story of how they met and their enduring friendship.
...
Why ten year old girls need our attention from 2021-07-05T09:33
Turning ten used to just mark a child's first double-digit birthday, but for girls turning ten these days, it's more likely to feel like the beginn...
How we'll be working in 2021 and beyond from 2021-07-05T09:06
If you're one of those people who began working from home during the pandemic, you're probably thinking about how you'll work this year. Some are k...
Too Hard Basket: My wife has come out as polyamorous and wants an open marriage from 2021-07-02T09:43
Your wife has recently come out as bisexual and polyamorous, and opened up your marriage of almost two decades. You are only interested in being wi...
Boxed up books are headed to First Nations communities from 2021-07-02T09:28
Access to new and culturally appropriate reading material is paramount when it comes to closing the gap targets for literacy and numeracy in First ...
Have you raised a 'praise addict'? from 2021-07-02T09:06
Spare the rod, spoil the child; that was the mantra for many parents of a certain generation. Now participation certificates are all the rage, but ...
Spontaneous sex is out. Scripted sex is in. from 2021-07-01T09:43
The best sex is on the kitchen floor, on the kitchen table, anywhere spontaneous, right? That’s what movies have long told us. But the sex therapis...
Brilliant, bad and a little bit mad: behind a villain's appeal from 2021-07-01T09:29
From Maleficent to Cruella, villains aren't just the ones we love to hate – with a sympathetic origin story, they're outpacing modern heroes for ou...
Mixed messaging and vaccine confusion — what you need to know from 2021-07-01T09:06
If you're under 40, you might be scratching your head right now as you contemplate when and how to get vaccinated. We speak to a 24 year old who is...
The Pineapple Project episode 4 — food from 2021-06-30T09:36
We cannot live without food, but perhaps we can live without three coffees, a $25 brunch and a takeaway pizza because we couldn’t be bothered cooki...
Talkback: embracing and celebrating frugality from 2021-06-30T09:06
Nazeem Hussain, comedian and host of The Pineapple Project, has been thinking a lot about his spending habits lately and the emotional states that ...
Matthew Evans on why we should all care more about soil from 2021-06-29T09:26
If you're not a farmer and you're not into gardening, you probably don't really spend much time noticing what's right under your feet. But perhaps ...
How will Australia curb the spread of the Delta COVID-19 variant? from 2021-06-29T09:06
As health authorities implement restrictions to curb the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19, overseas data suggests it is sp...
Life in 500 Words: Carole understands now from 2021-06-28T09:48
Sometimes we don’t understand another’s perspective until we’ve experienced what they have. Carole Needham has done that, and she wanted to share h...
Hidden struggles of grandparent carers from 2021-06-28T09:06
Grandparent carers are the fastest growing group providing out of home care for vulnerable children.
Too Hard Basket: My friend's partner hit on me, what do I do? from 2021-06-25T09:43
Your long-term relationship comes to an end and, while finding a new place to live, you spend a couple of nights a week at a friend's house. While ...
What would Norman Swan do? from 2021-06-25T09:06
If there was anyone in the world you could call up to ask for health advice, who would it be? For many of us, it would be Radio National's Dr Norma...
Why op-shopping is so much harder if you're plus-size from 2021-06-24T09:42
For larger people, shopping, in general, is difficult. Finding plus-size vintage clothing is even more so. Why does pre-loved clothing rarely come ...
Difficult conversations we're dying to have from 2021-06-24T09:06
A new national study shows that 60 per cent of us will die in hospital but we're at risk of not receiving appropriate end-of-life care, because pat...
The Pineapple Project episode 3 — fashion from 2021-06-23T09:39
Every year Australians on average throw out or recycle 27 kgs of clothes. Not pieces, kilograms. And here’s another shocking stat, they replace it ...
Life in 500 Words: Cathy goes to confession from 2021-06-23T09:35
Cathy Mardon played up as a teenager. Big time. But that wasn't when she was caught by her parents! This is her true confession.
...
Incontinence effects one in four but we are still hopeless at discussing it from 2021-06-23T09:06
Around 10 per cent of men and up to 38 per cent of women will experience urinary incontinence, meaning one in four of us will face this issue in ou...
Incontinence affects one in four but we are still hopeless at discussing it from 2021-06-23T09:06
Around 10 per cent of men and up to 38 per cent of women will experience urinary incontinence, meaning one in four of us will face this issue in ou...
Outback kids know a thing or two about remote learning from 2021-06-22T09:42
If your kids have been home-schooled over the last 12-months, you'll appreciate the trials and tribulations of turning the kitchen table into a cla...
Angela Maxwell's epic six year solo walk around the world from 2021-06-22T09:26
Forget a mile! Try walking six years in the shoes of solo adventurer Angela Maxwell. Leaving her home in the US state of Oregon in 2014, Maxwell wa...
9 to 3 — transforming the traditional school day from 2021-06-22T09:06
From 2022, the NSW government is set to begin optional trials in primary schools which could see schools change their hours, including beginning th...
Talkback: How comfortable will you be in retirement? from 2021-06-21T09:06
The Australia Talks National Survey, one of the largest social science surveys of its kind in Australia, captured the views of more than 60,000 Aus...
Too Hard Basket: 'Waiter, there's a fly in my soup' from 2021-06-18T09:43
You recently ordered food from your favourite restaurant, one you've been going to for nearly a decade, and, to your horror, there was a fly in you...
Talkback: Your right to repair from 2021-06-18T09:06
If any products you've bought break, did you know that you have a legal right to have them repaired at a reasonable cost? And the Productivity Comm...
When did you last prune your 'friendscape'? from 2021-06-17T09:42
There's a lot of information out there on how to make friends but not as much about ditching those friends who are no longer making us feel good. S...
Victoria Devine on taking charge of your financial future from 2021-06-17T09:26
What's the difference between good debt and bad debt? How can you escape lifestyle creep? And what does 'fake rich' mean? She's on the Money's Vict...
One dose of this, a second dose of that — mixing coronavirus vaccines from 2021-06-17T09:06
Global supply challenges mean some countries have approved "schedule-mixing" of Covid-19 vaccines. We may eventually have to do the same. So what a...
The Pineapple Project episode 2 — phones from 2021-06-16T09:42
Smartphones have become essential in a very short space of time. But do we really need that 64 Megapixel camera, 5G or that must-have upgrade?
Listen
Fishing for mental health is helping all kinds in this Melbourne community from 2021-06-16T09:27
When Glenn Cooper was in a wheelchair some years ago he spent his days on the Frankston pier fishing. During this time, strangers would always come...
How do migration and refugee laws work in Australia? from 2021-06-16T09:06
There has been renewed focus this week on the inner workings of migration law, when it comes to people seeking asylum in Australia. This follows th...
Good Indian daughter: How I found freedom in being a disappointment from 2021-06-15T09:42
Ruhi Lee was born in India and raised in Australia. Her childhood was one of straddling two cultures, and one that meant being born female came wit...
Price of insurance premiums in superannuation on the rise from 2021-06-15T09:27
Most of us pay for life insurance by default via our superfunds, but don't really understand or assess what cover we might need. Some recent change...
Too Hard Basket: Is gifting flowers and chocolates to your employees for Mother's Day discriminating against others in the workplace? from 2021-06-11T09:43
Your friend was enraged and walked off the job when the manager gave all mothers working on Mother's Day a gift of a flower and chocolates. She acc...
Every body dancing – Shining the spotlight on dancers who live with disabilities from 2021-06-11T09:28
DirtyFeet is a dance company offering inclusive opportunities to dancers at every level of ability and skill. As part of its work, the company runs...
'I'm not rich! I just make the average — $200k' from 2021-06-11T09:06
When the ATO released the latest tax stats, many of us were probably surprised by what we saw, as research shows that we are terrible at guessing o...
Climate change action, intersectionality, de-gendering COVID: It's all part of Gen Z's new feminism from 2021-06-10T09:41
In 2021, 86 per cent of young Australian women consider themselves feminists. That's ten per cent more than in 2019, according to Australia Talks. ...
Why secondary exposure to hate crime leads to more hate from 2021-06-10T09:26
What effect does hate crime have on bystanders and those who read or hear about it? Researchers say despite large scale crime events evoking empath...
Reviving our city centres from 2021-06-10T09:06
Our Prime Minister has urged workers to head back to the office, in a bid to increase economic activity in CBDs. So what works best in your life - ...
The Pineapple Project episode 1 — Break free from 2021-06-09T09:41
Do you live paycheck to paycheck? Do you keep buying new clothes, or upgrading your phone, or blowing your budget on a holiday? Today we start recl...
Doctors warn Medicare rebate changes could cause chaos and hit hip-pocket nerves from 2021-06-09T09:06
A major review of the Medicare Benefits Schedule has seen thousands of clinicians assess every medical procedure that attracts a rebate from the Fe...
Telehealth and the pros and cons of using virtual care from 2021-06-08T09:43:10
Since living through the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual care services like Telehealth have become a new normal.
So much so, t...
Registering as an organ donor is not hard, but getting your family on board can be from 2021-06-08T09:27
According to the recent Australia Talks National Survey, 81 per cent of respondents say they would be somewhat or very likely to donate their organ...
Dude, where's my class? from 2021-06-08T09:06
While much of Australia is opening up, some universities have continued to run tutorials and seminars online. That's despite Federal Education Mini...
Talkback — the right to travel refunds from 2021-06-07T09:06
While some of us fantasise about travelling overseas again, there are still many people who have sunk money into holidays that never happened, beca...
Too Hard Basket: I've discovered my husband has a secret savings account from 2021-06-04T09:43
Your husband has been found to have a separate savings account you didn't know about. For your whole relationship, you've been putting everything i...
The rise in gender neutral fashion among younger generations from 2021-06-04T09:28
A new generation of young people are choosing "gender neutral" fashion to express themselves, both globally and here in Australia. What today is ca...
Will we ever be a nation of globetrotters again? from 2021-06-04T09:06
Globetrotting has long been a core part of the Australian identity, but COVID-19 changed that. Will the archetypal Aussie traveller live again? Wha...
What's behind your life crisis? from 2021-06-03T09:43
Feeling introspective? Burdened with a sense of existential dread? Contemplating taking drastic action, like quitting your job or leaving your spou...
Lockdown 4.0 — what's the business impact of the Victorian outbreak? from 2021-06-03T09:06
It's happening again - the latest covid outbreak in Victoria has led to another 7 day lockdown extension. The owners and managers of three affecte...
Can your boss force you to get vaccinated? from 2021-06-02T09:06
As Victoria tries to contain its latest outbreak of COVID, concern is growing about the low rates of vaccination among aged care and disability wor...
When the Past Awakens: A migrant story, a mother's story from 2021-06-01T09:42
For Helena Kidd, the window into her mother Maria Avraam's life came unexpectedly when she found an old notepad in a drawer. Written in Greek was a...
Looking beneath the surface of homelessness from 2021-06-01T09:26
British hairstylist Joshua Coombes wants us to really see people experiencing homelessness and hear their stories. The social movement he started i...
Vaping laws, smoking and regulation from 2021-06-01T09:06
What can Australia do to address smoking rates and the rise in vaping? And will new vaping laws, set to to be introduced later this year, wean peop...
Life in 500 Words: Gloria finally hears her father's story from 2021-05-31T09:48
All of us deal with loss and trauma in different ways. In this Life in 500 Words, Gloria Latham talks about her upbringing with a parent whose own ...
Talkback: Is Australia's population getting too big? from 2021-05-31T09:06
The Australia Talks National Survey, one of the largest social science surveys of its kind in Australia, asked around 600 questions and captured th...
Too Hard Basket: How do I politely refuse to shake someone's hand? from 2021-05-28T09:44
You've never liked shaking hands and, as things get back to normal, you worry that handshaking is going to make a comeback. How do you politely ref...
Knitted together in a common cause from 2021-05-28T09:28
Climate change can be a tough topic to talk about, but a Christian movement, Common Grace, is aiming to change that. In 2020, Common Grace put out ...
How do we use the latest coronavirus outbreak to increase vaccine uptake? from 2021-05-28T09:06
Victoria is back in lockdown as the number of cases and transmission sites grows. Should Australia grab this opportunity to turn low rates of vacci...
Throwing the spotlight on First Nations fashion designers from 2021-05-27T09:42
This year will see the first curated presentation of First Nations designers to show at Fashion Week, with the line up made up of First Nations mod...
What is it about marriage that still appeals to Australians of all ages? from 2021-05-27T09:26
In the last five decades, our social worlds have seen a lot of change: increasing gender equality, same-sex rights, the internet. Despite this, mar...
Bruce and Jack Pascoe are transforming the way Australians grow and eat their food from 2021-05-27T09:06
A lot of us know Bruce Pascoe as author of the award-winning Dark Emu, which introduced many Australians to the idea of Indigenous agriculture. But...
Putting women on the map from 2021-05-26T09:42
You might be hard pressed to think of a street or a place named after a woman. In Gippsland, in Victoria's east, advocates are calling on local cou...
Talkback: How to deal with misinformation from 2021-05-26T09:06
The Australia Talks National Survey asked around 600 questions and captured the views of more than 60,000 Australians. It found that 94 per cent of...
The first South Sudanese Australian with a Fulbright Scholarship from 2021-05-25T09:42
At school John Kuot's his teachers told him to aim for TAFE instead of university. Now the South Sudanese community leader is heading to the United...
Tattoos for mental health from 2021-05-25T09:26
It's pretty common to see people with tattoos these days, but some of those are especially meaningful for the people who wear them. Fernando Hideki...
Who buys Australian-made? from 2021-05-25T09:06
You might like the idea of buying Australian-made, but does your shopping behaviour support that? We ask what drives consumer purchasing decisions,...
Talkback — Fixing long-term unemployment from 2021-05-24T09:06
The economy might be booming right now, but new figures show long-term unemployment is at a historic high, with more Australians in that category t...
Too Hard Basket: Karate kid's interfering parent from 2021-05-21T09:43
Your daughter and son do karate and you like to watch. The only problem is every time you go, one father talks to you non-stop, distracting you fro...
How moving a rock pushed back the French border from 2021-05-20T09:43
A Belgian farmer recently redrew his country's border with France by moving a marker stone less than three metres. Sound weird? It's just the lates...
How Kathryn Heyman found herself on a fishing trawler at 21 — poor, full of fury and courting death at sea from 2021-05-20T09:26
All her life, Kathryn Heyman had chased danger, coming many times to the brink of death. But it was only when she found herself dangling from a met...
Can your investment dollar really help in the fight against climate change? from 2021-05-20T09:06
When it comes to growing your nest egg, you may be wanting to do that in a way that's environmentally sustainable. The International Energy Agency ...
Bill Crews finds acceptance halfway across the world, in a tent full of strangers from 2021-05-19T09:27
It was a moment in a makeshift tent in a refugee camp in Calais nicknamed 'The Jungle' that changed Reverend Bill Crews life forever. He was surrou...
Emergency doctors and paramedics warn of growing pressure on hospitals from 2021-05-19T09:06
The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine says we are in the middle of an acute hospital access crisis, which is placing patients at risk. Re...
Steven Oliver was a poet and playwright before he became famous from 2021-05-18T09:41
Bigger and Blacker is what Steven Oliver calls his "Faboriginal Fabaret", an ode to the comedian's personal journey in the form of cabaret. And it'...
Why we should transition away from email at work, and how to do it from 2021-05-18T09:26
Imagine a world of work that doesn't involve email. Instead of your work day being ruled by your inbox, the attention-grabbing, attend-to-me-now na...
Brand new sobriety — non-alcoholic drinks surge in demand from 2021-05-18T09:06
It's not just Dry July — sobriety is having a moment, as demand for non-alcoholic spirits, wine and beer soars in big chain bottle stores and behin...
Life in 500 Words: Tony's mother revealed from 2021-05-17T09:48
In our ongoing series, Life in 500 Words, we've been asking for your true confessions for 2021.
Musician Tony Durant sent us his story of ...
Talkback — stories of families separated by international border closures from 2021-05-17T09:06
Flights from India resumed over the weekend and some of the 9,000 Australians stuck there will again be allowed to return. But that will only be a ...
Too Hard Basket: How does a blended family navigate whether or not to visit relatives overseas? from 2021-05-14T09:43
Nina's husband's family are from the UK. They've said they can't afford to fly to Sydney and have asked them to go there over Christmas, restrictio...
Skills shortages take a bite out of regional towns from 2021-05-14T09:28
Job vacancies have had a big jump this year and, in some regional communities, job advertisements have doubled since March 2020. Australia’s closed...
The budget's superannuation changes made simple from 2021-05-14T09:06
On budget night, there were a number of changes announced regarding superannuation, which could impact your nest egg. Plus, come July 1 this year, ...
They said he should be dead. He decided to live – in the body he knew was meant to be his all along from 2021-05-13T09:27
In the Spring of 2016, Kaya Wilson was told he should be dead. In that "near death" moment, Kaya gained complete clarity about a life-changing deci...
We have to improve quality in residential aged care, but how best to do it? from 2021-05-13T09:06
With almost 18 billion Budget dollars allocated to taking better care of senior Australians, how do we ensure residential aged care addresses the d...
The history of Aboriginal trackers in NSW from 2021-05-12T09:42
Aboriginal trackers are a part of crime and police history in Australia. A new book tells the story of the NSW trackers and just how much the polic...
Talkback: What this year’s budget means for you from 2021-05-12T09:06
Treasurer Josh Frydenburg has outlined the Federal budget. Funding will be directed towards aged care, childcare, instant asset write-offs for busi...
Beau Miles never stops being a backyard adventurer from 2021-05-11T09:42
Beau Miles has solo kayaked around a large bit of the African coastline, and run 680 kilometres across the Australian Alps. These days, you can fin...
Why we should get better at disagreement from 2021-05-11T09:26
Have you ever got into a discussion with a friend or relative or colleague that you wished you'd never started? Once you realise you're on opposite...
NAPLAN's back after hiatus, so what's next? from 2021-05-11T09:06
After a year's hiatus, NAPLAN testing starts up again from today, though the test remains divisive. How do other countries measure schooling perfor...
Talkback: Funding mental health services in Australia from 2021-05-10T09:06
There are hopes that funding for mental health services will be increased in this week’s Federal Budget. However, experts remain concerned that any...
Too Hard Basket: How do you uninvite guests to a birthday party? from 2021-05-07T09:43
You have a significant birthday coming up and have booked a pub for the party. Due to COVID-19, the attendance numbers have been reduced at the ven...
Does the so-called fertility cliff exist? from 2021-05-07T09:28
Both men and women's fertility is a game of numbers, but age is not the only factor delaying parenthood.
Right now, in Australia, vaccine alone can't save us, says new study from 2021-05-07T09:06
It's 2021 and. in NSW, there is a COVID-19 outbreak. There's a limited supply of vaccine, and case numbers have climbed to 100 a day. That is the h...
Under One Roof: Mark and Alonso from 2021-05-06T09:27
Mark Kearney and Alonso Navarro are partners living in Melbourne. Together, they're learning about each other's surprising parenting styles through...
Your Health 2030 — balancing profits and public interest from 2021-05-06T09:06
What responsibilities do commercial organisations have when the products and services they sell, result in us becoming unwell? As part of our serie...
Why one couple decided to restore a 75-year-old tall ship for a new life at sea from 2021-05-05T09:42
Tomorrow the recently-restored Derwent Hunter will prepare to set sail for a new life at sea, serving as a venue for cultural education as well as ...
Your Health 2030 — Indigenous culture and wellbeing from 2021-05-05T09:27
Culture is recognised as a key factor in the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. How can this knowledge contribut...
Experts say protecting young people starts with listening and acting from 2021-05-05T09:06
This week’s report into Gymnastics Australia has rocked many, but experts working in child protection say some organisations, sporting or otherwise...
Your Health 2030 — digital disruption and health from 2021-05-04T09:26
What would need to happen for all Australians to enjoy good health by 2030? How developments in big data and the use of artificial-intelligence mig...
Will the government’s new childcare policy result in more parents returning to work? from 2021-05-04T09:06
The federal government has pledged 1.7 billion dollars to slash childcare costs ahead of next week's budget, with the aim of removing the disincent...
Talkback: Your Health 2030 from 2021-05-03T09:06
It is 2030 and every Australian is healthy. That is the vision at the centre of a new manifesto put forward by a group of public health experts thi...
Too Hard Basket: How do I contend with a friend who has a case of verbal diarrhoea? from 2021-04-30T09:43
You have a friend who is excessively garrulous, talking non-stop about matters pertaining solely to herself and her family, but your social group e...
The joy of giving and receiving food from 2021-04-30T09:28
When Covid-19 hit, Parliament on King, a small café in Sydney’s inner west, started serving food, cooked by refugees, through their shopfront windo...
Your questions about getting vaccinated against COVID-19 from 2021-04-30T09:06
From Monday May 3rd, Australians over the age of 50 will be able to get vaccinated. We answer your questions about vaccines and also what being vac...
The joy of cycling in my neighbourhood from 2021-04-29T09:43
Photographer Roff Smith rediscovers the magic of his 'faded' seaside town through early morning bike rides. Now, he's sharing that joy and serenity...
We now know what Scott Morrison thinks about climate change action. But what about Australian voters? from 2021-04-29T09:06
With President Biden's virtual summit last week, the focus is on Scott Morrison's views on climate action. But, when it comes to who will determine...
Inside the Batman room from 2021-04-28T09:42
What makes a person become a collector? Enter the suburban home of Darren Maxwell and you will find one entire room devoted wholly to Batman. It's ...
Has your new work-from-home life meant the end of your sex life? It doesn't have to. from 2021-04-28T09:27
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. But, what if your new work-from-home routine means you and your partner are together every hour, ever...
Are we doing enough to help Australians in India? from 2021-04-28T09:06
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia will send ventilators and other medicals supplies to India, as the country struggles to cope with out-...
Tracing the history of the Scenic Rim on foot from 2021-04-27T09:41
What's the best way to learn the important history and stories of your local region? For writer Benjamin Allmon the only way forward was by walking...
Under One Roof: Chloe and Jim from 2021-04-27T09:32
Twentysomething flatmates James (Jim) Dowzard and Chloe MacKenzie haven't lived together for long, but already they've learned to make room for eac...
The future of how you bank from 2021-04-27T09:06
Hundreds of bank branches have shut their doors or announced their imminent closure since the start of 2020, mostly in Victoria and NSW. As more cu...
Life in 500 Words: Michael's proposal for change from 2021-04-26T09:49
Today's Life in 500 Words is a deep reflection on dealing with the national and state investigations into how we treat each other. Michael Bellas w...
Talkback — what makes a royal commission lead to lasting change? from 2021-04-26T09:06
Since 2010 there have been more than 22 royal commissions established by state and federal governments. But how effective have they been at fixing ...
Too Hard Basket: My new work colleague eats constantly and loudly and is difficult to train from 2021-04-23T09:43
A new employee in my workplace, who sits next to me, eats loudly, picks his teeth and snorts and slurps all day. He is snacking on the hour every h...
The Flying Angel: A story of one RAAF nurse from 2021-04-23T09:28
A new children's book called 'The Flying Angel', tells the story of Marie Eileen Craig, an RAAF nurse who was instrumental in the evacuation of Aus...
How this Indigenous elder of the Australian Army is marking Anzac Day from 2021-04-23T09:06
After a rocky start, Lorraine Hatton spent twenty years serving in the Australian Army both here and overseas. Now she shares her story with young ...
The benefits of old and young together becomes an Australian first from 2021-04-22T09:43
It's brought joy to our screens on ABC TV, and now in an Australian first, the health benefits of mixing older and young people together will be me...
'It's like another mining boom!': Why returning expats are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for business from 2021-04-22T09:06
At any one time, four per cent of the Aussie population are living overseas. Now half of those globetrotters - nearly half a million people - are c...
Taking care of your ageing parents from 2021-04-21T09:27
We plan for our retirement and what we can afford to do once that happens, but not many of us contemplate ahead of time how to look after the inter...
Gig-economy arrangements under scrutiny as Senate committee looks at job security from 2021-04-21T09:06
Many Australians have gotten used to food couriers delivering meals straight to their door. Most of these workers are considered independent contra...
Georgie Carroll, the nurse that saves your life and tickles your funny bone from 2021-04-20T09:42
Georgie Carroll been nursing for two decades and, in all those years of helping save lives and mopping up bodily fluids, you've got to find a sense...
Creating the blockchain workforce of the future from 2021-04-20T09:27
One of the most sought after skills in the world right now is expertise in blockchain, and it's not all about cryptocurrency. Blockchain technology...
Finding answers to the rental boom from 2021-04-20T09:06
Bidding wars, soaring prices and low vacancy rates are becoming commonplace everywhere from Byron Bay to Broome. Could existing overseas models of ...
Evaluating risk and the travel bubble from 2021-04-19T09:06
Australia's first two-way international bubble starts today with New Zealand, but when is the time to open up to other countries? And what do we ri...
Feeling bad about your COVID kilos? Weight loss may not be the answer from 2021-04-16T11:06
With a third of Aussies having gained weight over the pandemic, many of us might be vulnerable to getting caught in the "diet trap". But with more ...
Too Hard Basket: Unwanted playmates at the pool from 2021-04-16T09:43
Since going through chemotherapy, Melissa vows to play more with her children, so for her daughter's swimming lesson they arrive early to play wate...
Super-charging psychology with doses of nature and gardening from 2021-04-16T09:28
Psychologist Simon Lush combines his therapy skills with his horticulture training to work with individuals and groups around mindfulness in nature...
Very special episodes and your health from 2021-04-15T11:42
'Very Special Episodes' were a mainstay on sitcoms in the 80s and 90s, raising awareness of issues like alcoholism, addiction and sexual abuse. But...
The argument for applying a gender lens to the budget from 2021-04-15T11:26
It's been 7 years since an Australian government included a gender impact statement relating to the budget. Women's groups have been lobbying hard ...
Do you have the right to work from home? from 2021-04-15T11:06
If you've been working from home because of COVID, you may have recently been told to come back to your place of work full time, or even a day or t...
Procrastination is not laziness. It's about avoiding ourselves, and it's on the rise. from 2021-04-14T11:31
Due to the Pandemic, the urge to procrastinate is greater than ever, but new research shows that, no matter which way you slice it, procrastination...
Procrastination is not about avoiding work. It's about avoiding ourselves, and it's on the rise. from 2021-04-14T11:31
Due to the Pandemic, the urge to procrastinate is greater than ever, but new research shows that, contrary to popular opinion, it has nothing to do...
Life in 500 Words: Kathy unlocks her brother's memory from 2021-04-14T11:25
Sometimes it just takes the right kind of trigger for the truth to come out. This is what Kathy Coutts was hoping for as she went looking for a gif...
Indigenous health bodies staying the course on vaccine rollout despite challenges from 2021-04-14T11:06
In 2020, Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations played a key role in keeping Indigenous communities safe and informed about coronavir...
Making new friends at any age from 2021-04-13T11:43
Friends can come from all walks of life and be as old or as young as you choose. Ruth is 80 years old and Sienna is 16. They are both from the Coff...
What to do when your reputation is criticised online from 2021-04-13T11:25
We now have ratings and review apps that invite you to comment or give feedback on just about everything, ranging from clothes, restaurants, and ho...
Building for cyclones from 2021-04-13T11:06
Given just how far south Cyclone Seroja has travelled, do we need to update our building codes in new areas to create resilient homes that stand up...
Talkback: Vaccine rollout from 2021-04-12T11:06
Last week, the Federal Government announced that adjustments will be made to the national vaccination rollout plans because of concerns over the As...
Too Hard Basket: My daughter is moving in with her girlfriend but I think the relationship is moving too fast from 2021-04-09T11:43
Denise's daughter met her girlfriend five months ago and they have decided to move in together. This is her daughter's first serious relationship a...
Primary school-aged boys demonstrate the power of respect through song from 2021-04-09T11:28
Each year, a not-for-profit project called RESPECT takes around 150 school boys under the age of 12 and teaches them about the effects of domestic ...
Are national standards needed to achieve the best quarantine system? from 2021-04-09T11:06
Today, more planes will be touching down in Melbourne, as Victoria enters its second day of accepting international arrivals into the revamped hote...
The point of wearing a necktie from 2021-04-08T11:45
Ties don't exist just to dangle in your soup. From fabric adorning the necks of Terracotta Warriors in the third century BC to the skinny ties of N...
The rise and rise of buy now, pay later from 2021-04-07T11:06
Younger Australians are ditching their credit cards in droves, turning instead to 'buy now, pay later' services. But advocates say one in five user...
'I didn't know I was brown until a school friend pointed it out' from 2021-04-06T11:47
Huda Hayek is Lebanese Australian. When she was growing up her culture was not represented in books or media, and at her school she was the only on...
Liz and Ray: A love story from 2021-04-06T11:33
Ray and Liz met when they were both nine years' old. It was love at first sight, and when they parted, they dreamt about each other and wrote love ...
Worried about forgetting things? This world famous neuroscientist wants to help from 2021-04-06T11:06
We tend to think the worst when our memory fails us, but Lisa Genova wants you to stop worrying that those lapses might mean you're headed for a di...
Before you go on that diet, consider your age from 2021-04-05T11:45
With lots of people turning their attention to losing 'corona kilos', diets are front of mind. But did you know that dieting when you're over 65 ca...
How the weekend was won from 2021-04-05T11:31
You might think of a two-day weekend as the norm, but that wasn't always the case. In parts of the world, Mondays were the original (unofficial) da...
Work life balance, now with soul from 2021-04-02T11:06
What things do you do in your life to nourish your soul? Organisations are increasingly calling on divinity consultants to help nurture the spirit ...
Talkback: how do you fake it when it comes to keeping house? from 2021-04-01T11:26
When you think of housekeeping, do you think of the perfect, Martha Stewart type approach or something less glamorous, less feminised and more work...
Brisbane locked down, Bluesfest cancelled — is it time to up the pace of the vaccine rollout? from 2021-04-01T11:06
The latest outbreak has left potential travellers nervous about taking Easter trips, with the potential for getting stuck or having to isolate or q...
What does calm look like? It has four legs and can be pretty slobbery from 2021-03-31T11:40
New research adds to a growing body of evidence that owning a dog can help kids feel happier as well as calmer and more grounded in times of change...
Cashless debit card resumes for those on welfare in trial areas from 2021-03-31T11:06
The halt placed on the cashless debit card scheme during the pandemic has been lifted in the four trial sites around Australia. This scheme sees 80...
Measuring the economics of uncertainty from 2021-03-30T11:06
Greater Brisbane has been sent into a snap three-day lockdown. Is it possible to quantify the impact of a short lockdown on a major city's economy?...
Talkback – JobKeeper ends and JobSeeker shrinks from 2021-03-29T11:06
JobKeeper payments have now ceased and at the end of March the special coronavirus supplement will be dropped from JobSeeker payments. These paymen...
Too Hard Basket: I’ve got the cancer diagnosis but I’m the one having to console my friends from 2021-03-26T10:45
Theresa has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She thinks she's told too many people, having to now manage their feelings, console them and crack j...
Making space for your work and life from 2021-03-26T10:07
Do you really need a sea or tree change to slow your life down, or is this trend an expensive example of what psychologists describe as the 'hedoni...
Can this once 'perfect Catholic girl' ever really cut ties with the Big Guy? from 2021-03-25T10:35
Growing up, Monica Dux was the "perfect Catholic girl". As a blaspheming, atheistic adult, she thought she'd left it all behind. That is, until an ...
Under One Roof: Mike and Fiona from 2021-03-25T10:26
Husband-and-wife duo Fiona Harris and Mike McLeish are partners in life and work. What makes their relationship a success after 21 years of living ...
Sharing your story of sexual assault and how to support someone through it from 2021-03-25T10:06
One in five Australian women over the age of 15 have been sexually assaulted. So the chances are that if you haven't experienced it yourself, someo...
The Memory Lounge from 2021-03-24T10:42
A project called The Memory Lounge is bringing generations together and helping older Queenslanders share their life stories.
...
Could extreme weather make parts of Australia residential no-go zones? from 2021-03-24T10:06
This week's devastating floods in NSW and Queensland have highlighted how vulnerable our lives and property are when big weather events hit. In man...
The care factor: Nursing and friendship in the time of the pandemic from 2021-03-23T10:26
Forming their bond through doing acrobatics together, Ailsa Wild and Simone Sheridan's friendship took on a whole new meaning once the pandemic hit...
NSW Floods: Extreme weather, rising water from 2021-03-23T10:06
As heavy rain continues to slash NSW, closing roads, causing landslides and upending lives, residents share the impact the flood has already had.
Talkback — addressing ageism from 2021-03-22T10:06
More than half of people worldwide are ageist, that's according to a report released by the World Health Organization. Both young and old people ca...
Too Hard Basket: My friend is on a Covid-lockdown downer, how can I help him out of it? from 2021-03-19T10:45
Lisa has a friend who lives in the UK, currently in extended lockdown. They speak regularly, but she's noticed in the last number of calls he's get...
Get Lisa a life, outside work from 2021-03-19T10:06
This Working Life presenter Lisa Leong joins the Life Matters team to investigate life outside work. She's asking the experts to convince her that ...
Forget half-price vouchers! Travel at home for free! from 2021-03-18T10:42
Lots of us turn to the staycation as a kind of "poor man's holiday" or as a kind of consolation prize when we can't afford the real deal. But, trav...
How to freeze your eggs from 2021-03-18T10:27
Having a baby is a big life choice and the timing has to be just right. But women have a biological expiration date on their fertility which can cr...
'Pornography is the wallpaper in teenagers' sexual worlds' from 2021-03-18T10:06
Nearly half of all men and women have seen porn years before their first sexual experience, and a majority are using it as a form of sex education....
Mad Dog: true confessions of a Death Match wrestler from 2021-03-17T10:42
By day, Andy Mccrea is a large but friendly member of staff in a local hardware store. On some nights though, Andy turns into Mad Dog, a rampaging ...
Could accessing super help or harm housing affordability? from 2021-03-17T10:06
The lack of affordability in the housing market has prompted some novel solutions. A group of Liberal MPs, led by Tim Wilson, wants to give people ...
Laura's Choice: a family's journey towards voluntary assisted dying from 2021-03-16T10:26
what would you do if an elderly loved one said they wanted to access voluntary assisted dying? Filmmakers Sam Lara and her mother Cathy Henkel foll...
March 4 Justice and what comes next from 2021-03-16T10:06
Tens of thousands of people have rallied across Australia to call for an end to sexual harassment, misogyny and abuse as part of the March 4 Justic...
Talkback — your pandemic moment from 2021-03-15T10:06
This time last year Australia and the rest of the world realised COVID-19 was a real threat and the World Health Organization had finally declared ...
Can you see things in your 'mind's eye'? No? Then you may have aphantasia from 2021-03-12T10:28
Have you ever heard of aphantasia?
People with this condition– the inability to visualise mental images – are harder to spook with scary s...
Is the government doing enough to convince us all to get our COVID shot? from 2021-03-12T10:06
From Dolly Parton in the US to Elton John in the UK, over the past month, we've seen a whole range of celebrities, governments, and non-profit orga...
How black tubes, sunlight and rooftop technology could make your greywater fit to drink from 2021-03-11T10:42
In most of our houses grey water, or waste water, goes down the drain for treatment elsewhere.
But what if it went up to your roof and the...
"I worked until my body literally broke": A recovering doctor speaks out from 2021-03-11T10:27
After studying for six years and working for another seven to achieve your dream job, it would have to take a pretty shocking incident to force you...
Tourism industry receives rescue package as traveller uncertainty remains from 2021-03-11T10:06
The Federal Government has announced extra support for the tourism industry which has been hit hard by COVID-19. Will it be enough to salvage strug...
Apprenticeship scheme welcomed but critics call for wider focus on youth unemployment from 2021-03-10T10:06
The Federal Government will extend its program of wage subsidies for first year apprentices, paying for up to 50 per cent of wages. The first round...
You've got to be kidding: how to know when your goat's on heat and other tales from life on Todd and Jeff's farm from 2021-03-09T10:41
Todd Alexander and his partner Jeff moved from the inner city of Sydney to 100 acres in the Hunter Valley with just a pair of garden shears and zer...
Author Sarah Krasnostein explores faith, certainty, and belief in her new book 'The Believer' from 2021-03-09T10:26
Author Sarah Krasnostein explores what drives people to believe, and what solace we take from that, in her new book 'The Believer'.
...
Grace Tame on bringing survivors' stories into the light from 2021-03-09T10:06
Grace Tame is the 2021 Australian of the year and she's using her platform to bring awareness to the issue of child sexual abuse. As a survivor her...
The joy of circus from 2021-03-08T10:45
The Women's Circus in Melbourne is celebrating 30 years of getting members to tackle a trapeze and keep in touch with their playful side, and Circu...
Growing up in foster care from 2021-03-08T10:26
Fifteen year old Trinity has been in the foster care system since they were just three months old. Despite contending with the challenges of remova...
How to raise girls who like themselves from 2021-03-08T10:06
On this International Women's Day, authors Kasey Edwards and Christopher Scanlon share what they have learned while raising daughters.
...
Too Hard Basket: how do I break up with my hairdresser? from 2021-03-05T10:44
The hairdresser you have been using for 15 years has had a lot going on in her personal life and it seems has begun to take it out on your hair. Wo...
Life in 500 Words: Lisa's dad makes waves for all the right reasons from 2021-03-05T10:41
Lisa's father was a barrister, and she recalls one of her favourite stories of him making waves as a young lawyer doing pro bono work.
...
How a "bunch of punks in the scummy part of town" became respectable entrepreneurs from 2021-03-05T10:06
Renew Australia works with aspiring business owners and local artists wanting to establish new "bricks and mortar" venues and stores with the expre...
Jem Fuller: travelling vagabond turned workplace consultant from 2021-03-04T10:42
Amongst other things, Jem Fuller has been a fire dancer, motorcycle courier, tattooist, a kindergarten teacher in Taiwan, and most recently has wor...
Has high school sex-ed been hijacked by online extremists? from 2021-03-04T10:26
Laura Bates went undercover as an impressionable young man online seeking dating advice. What happened next will horrify you.
...
People with lived experience of mental illness central to reforming Victoria's system: Royal Commission from 2021-03-04T10:06
Victoria's mental health system is set for a massive overhaul with the release of 65 recommendations from the Royal Commission into mental health s...
01 | The Good Divorce — divorcing in a pandemic from 2021-03-03T10:27
Family therapists and lawyers are reportedly booked out due to a spike in inquiries thanks to the COVID-19 lockdowns, particularly in Melbourne and...
Reducing antipsychotic use in aged care from 2021-03-03T10:06
The Royal Commission into Aged Care heard damming evidence about the impact of antipsychotic medicines. Its report has made recommendations to give...
Childhood obesity: the latest thinking on how to make a difference from 2021-03-02T10:41
An Australian-led, international research study reviewed more than 100 dietary interventions for children and adolescents living with obesity to in...
On the trail of the Kate Kelly story from 2021-03-02T10:30
Author and artist Rebecca Wilson has spent the past ten years researching the enigmatic story of Kate Kelly, Ned Kelly's younger sister.
...
Why house prices are on the rise again and won't be dropping anytime soon from 2021-03-02T10:06
The latest figures show Australian house prices are in the midst of one of the strongest growth phases on record, and that means if you're looking ...
Talkback: learning from the Royal Commission into Aged Care from 2021-03-01T10:06
On Friday, the Aged Care Royal Commission handed its findings to the Federal Government and the final report will be publicly released today. If yo...
Too Hard Basket: the culture clash, how to help a migrant friend establish himself in the film industry from 2021-02-26T10:43
Your friend migrated to Australia with a high level of experience in the largest film industry in the world. They have been unable to get work. You...
Corryong: the fire affected town that's learning to feed itself from 2021-02-26T10:28
Thirteen months ago, the north east corner of Victoria was beset by out of control bushfires, part of the same fire pattern that raged up and down ...
Could cheaper childcare help bring the post-COVID economy back to life? from 2021-02-26T10:06
Last year parents breathed a big sigh of relief when, for the first time ever, childcare in Australia was free. But now childcare fees are on the r...
00 | The Good Divorce — an urban myth? from 2021-02-25T12:30
How many people you know have managed to achieve a "good divorce"? Is it even possible? Over the next six weeks on Life Matters we're going to inve...
Life in 500 Words: Liz's reptilian confession from 2021-02-25T10:26
Liz has been carrying a guilty secret for most of her life, and she is willing to share that secret for this year's theme of True Confessions.
Listen
The importance of teaching consent from 2021-02-25T10:06
How do we teach sexual consent to young people to ensure they become respectful adults?
International students stuck in limbo as new academic year begins from 2021-02-24T10:06
The new academic year is getting underway at university campuses around the country. But thousands of international students are still stuck overse...
Informed consent and the vaccine rollout in aged care from 2021-02-23T10:06
Vaccinations for those living in aged care homes are now underway. Each person offered the vaccine must give "informed consent", before receiving t...
Life in 500 Words: Ann Marie sails into the unknown from 2021-02-22T10:49
Ann Marie Angebrandt was travelling when she was offered a job she couldn't refuse.
That adventure changed how and where she lives.
...
Talkback — dealing with Facebook's ban on news from 2021-02-22T10:06
Many of us learned just how dependent we are on Facebook for news and information when we all woke up to blocks on our favourite pages. How has Fac...
Too Hard Basket: my boss is always spouting his conspiracy theories to me in the office from 2021-02-19T10:45
Your boss has fervent beliefs that go down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole. He directs them straight to you and he is certain he is right. You fe...
The Long Walk from 2021-02-19T10:28
In 1973, Mark Howison, and his father David pulled a cart clockwise around Australia along what is now called Highway 1, a journey of 10,000 miles....
What Australia’s ‘festival crisis’ means for our smaller communities and towns from 2021-02-19T10:06
Over the past year, music and art fans have welcomed the news that some of the high profile festivals they love can go ahead as COVID-safe or virtu...
Taking quarantine out of our hotels from 2021-02-18T10:06
What lessons can we learn from the past about quarantine as we move forward with COVID-19?
Permafrost revelation: a fossilised mammoth sees hope in 2021 from 2021-02-17T10:42
Acclaimed novelist Chris Flynn is one of the contributors to the latest edition of the Griffith Review, Remaking the Balance, which explores our r...
How understanding one statistic became Dr Stephane Shepherd’s life’s work from 2021-02-17T10:27
In 2020, more than a third of the young people in custody in Victoria are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, with African-Aust...
Allegations of sexual assault in Parliament House office prompt calls for reform from 2021-02-17T10:06
Allegations by former federal ministerial staffer Brittany Higgins that she was raped in Parliament House by a colleague, and then felt her allegat...
Should young Australians invest in the 'hype-train' of Bitcoin? from 2021-02-16T10:42
The extraordinary gains in the recent value of Bitcoin, fuelled in part by Elon Musk (Tesla) investing $1.5 billion US in the cryptocurrency, has w...
Sharing the stories of growing up disabled in Australia from 2021-02-16T10:27
Sharing stories of disability and the importance of reclaiming your own space and voice.
What's behind the regional rental squeeze, and will it last? from 2021-02-16T10:06
Real estate is booming in some coastal and 'tree-change 'areas, with house prices increasing at a faster rate than in the cities, making rentals le...
Life In 500 Words: 'Jenny' remembers – by mistake from 2021-02-15T10:48
Any parent will tell you gently steering your children in the right direction ethically and morally can take some finesse.
'Jenny' knows t...
Talkback – dealing with banks and getting credit since the royal commission from 2021-02-15T10:06
It has been just over two years since the banking royal commission findings were handed down, and positive changes have flowed from the implementat...
Too Hard Basket: when a hand-me-down becomes a hand-me-back from 2021-02-12T10:43
A close friend gave you a jumper and recently saw you wearing it. She was quite surprised you had it on and had no recollection of giving it to you...
Breaking the waves at dawn is breaking people open from 2021-02-12T10:28
Every Wednesday in Perth, just before dawn, a crowd of mostly young people appear on a beach designated on Instagram.
At a given signal th...
Online parenting program targets dads from 2021-02-11T10:27
How do you correct misbehaviour in children, while being firm and caring at the same time? Enter the world's first online parenting program aimed a...
The NDIS and what independent assessments could mean for participants from 2021-02-11T10:06
The introduction of independent assessments in the NDIS is causing concern for many living with a disability and their families.
...
Talkback — finding op shop treasures from 2021-02-10T10:27
Have you ever walked into an op shop, something's caught your eye, and when you get it home you discover it's of real historic or collectable value...
Research follows bank data in search of the true cost of gambling from 2021-02-10T10:06
A new study from the UK shows that harms associated with gambling may be far worse than previously thought. Rather than focussing on the recollecti...
Mary Hoang: Darkness is Golden from 2021-02-09T10:42
Mary Hoang has pioneered a progressive and creative approach to psychology incorporating both art and music. This began with her work with street k...
Keeping hotel quarantine safe for workers and the community at large from 2021-02-09T10:06
Hotel quarantine programs are the only thing standing between us and another outbreak of COVID-19 in the community. There have now been several cas...
Life in 500 Words: Deborah's terrible grief from 2021-02-08T10:48
This last 12 months has seen millions of people deeply affected by a disease that will make its presence felt for many years to come.
On t...
Talkback — Can big sporting events ever really be COVID safe? from 2021-02-08T10:06
Given the importance of sport in the social fabric of Australia, what needs to happen to allow us to keep playing sport while remaining COVID safe?...
Too Hard Basket: My neighbour screams and swears at her husband and kids, what do I do about it? from 2021-02-05T10:43
You have a neighbour who screams at her teenage daughters and husband. The language includes swearing, extremely unkind words, and it's full volume...
Medicinal cannabidiol now available over the counter, but only in theory from 2021-02-05T10:28
Low-dose medicinal cannabis is now legal to sell in Australia in chemists without a prescription, thanks to new rules introduced by the Therapeutic...
What could the new industrial relations bill mean for you? from 2021-02-05T10:06
It's starting to look like industrial relations will be a major battleground issue if an election is called this year, with Labor announcing it wou...
Talkback — lessons from horses and other animals from 2021-02-04T10:33
The relationship between humans and horses goes way back, so what's behind that closeness and what can we learn from spending time with these creat...
Life in 500 Words: Noela Dawes and the F word from 2021-02-04T10:26
Noela Dawes is both a parent and an educator, and in this Life in 500 Words she recounts three times when she came across young people who rather e...
Rosie Batty on the personal cost and public face of campaigning from 2021-02-04T10:06
Rosie Batty reflects on how far we have come, and her own personal journey, to shine a light on domestic violence in Australia.
...
What can S & M teach us about the human condition? from 2021-02-03T10:27
Philosopher Damon Young has spent his career reading the greats - Plato, Nietzsche, Arendt - to understand what makes humans tick. But he’s now dis...
Two economists weigh up the wider impact of Perth's lockdown from 2021-02-03T10:06
The lockdown in Western Australia has shown that even if a state has managed to avoid community transmission of coronavirus for almost a year, it m...
What should primary school homework look like in 2021? from 2021-02-02T10:45
With the exception of WA, primary school students are back in the classroom across the country, and for many that can mean homework.
After...
Do we need to keep closing borders? from 2021-02-02T10:06
Hotel quarantine outbreaks have occurred in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and now Perth. So you might think that by now the states and territories wo...
Fish Creek pub breaks the COVID hoodoo from 2021-02-01T10:45
We’ve heard a lot about how pubs have suffered during COVID.
We all know, too, how the performing arts were simply shut down.
B...
Talkback — medicine shortages from 2021-02-01T10:06
Imagine going to the pharmacy to get your prescription filled only to be told the medicine that helps you stay healthy is out of stock, and may not...
Fast Money from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Mark Brandi is desperate to escape the drudgery of his day job. He has dreams of becoming a writer, and he hangs his hopes on success on a TV game show. Wi...
Listen
Meaningful travel from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Has the pandemic made you consider a more meaningful travel experience, when you finally get to go? Perhaps a life-changing event such as illness or divorc...
Listen
Escaping school heat traps from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
New research has revealed surfaces such as unshaded asphalt and artificial grass recorded surface temperatures of more than 60 degrees Celsius during days ...
Listen
Remembering the Sydney 2000 Paralympics from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
It's 20 years now since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, but what are your memories, of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic games? Emma Myers is this year's ABC Regio...
Listen
Talkback — easing out of COVID-19 restrictions from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
As Victorians navigate their way out of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, public opinion around the country has been divided about the severity ...
Listen
Weekend Life Matters: music vs dementia, bushwalking as dollar spinner, Life in 500 Words, from Qantas to grain harvester from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Music therapy for dementia patients can be powerful, however there must be safeguards. Bushwalking used to be a health pursuit. Now it's a multi million do...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: the doctor's appointment on speaker phone in your local cafe from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
You and other customers in a cafe were distracted in your enjoyment of coffee, quiet conversation and reading by an older woman who was apparently a newcom...
Listen
How to rate muesli from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Sydney-based food writer and former underground muesli dealer Nick Jordan was stuck at home in lockdown when he decided to give himself a challenge. To ove...
Listen
Financial handouts to adult children from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
What should you do if your adult child asks for a financial handout? Financial advisor Kate McCallum explains why she prefers loans over gifts and how to n...
Listen
Supporting workplace mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
If you've managed to keep your job during this horror year, what has working life been like for you? Working from home, home-schooling and just getting to ...
Listen
Stood down Qantas pilot finds work in a different cockpit from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
It's nearly harvest time in the eastern states, but grain growers need drivers to run their headers, sophisticated harvesting machinery worth hundreds of t...
Listen
Finding hope for those living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Imagine going for a short walk one day and then the next morning you can't even get out of bed. That's what life is like for some people living with what's...
Listen
The pandemic has brought extra pressure but also unexpected benefits for carers from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Leila and her family know about the challenges of being carers. The pandemic has brought extra pressures, with the family needing to care for her brother w...
Listen
Best practice for using music to benefit those living with dementia from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
How can music be used for those living with dementia without any unintended consequences?
Listen
How new super reforms will affect you from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Superannuation is set to undergo several changes next year, making it easier to compare your returns and fees and separating the accounts that perform well...
Listen
Talkback: Is one million fewer people really such a bad thing? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Treasury says there will be one million fewer people in Australia by the end of next year than predicted, which if correct means the population will be 26 ...
Listen
Weekend Life Matters: grown up bedtime stories, Stan Walker's genetic burden, Doortraits, Clancy the dogs's diary from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
A hit podcast and now book prove adults love bedtime stories, renowned singer Stan Walker opens up about his difficult upbringing and genetic burden for ca...
Listen
How to break up with friends from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Neuropsychologist Dr Hannah Korrel shares why so many of us put up with toxic friends and how to finally ditch the companions who just aren't worth your ti...
Listen
How backward contact tracing could help us get to COVID normal from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Reverse or 'backwards' contact tracing is being pursued in an effort to squash clusters of coronavirus cases. But mystery cases are holding things back and...
Listen
Richard Glover on the inner thoughts of dogs from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
ABC presenter, columnist and author Richard Glover shares the wisdom of his kelpie, Clancy.
Listen
Doortraits: Sydneysiders during the pandemic from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When his work ran out, photographer Jim Barker got creative to document the coronavirus pandemic from a distance. His 'Doortraits' series, a twist on the u...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: cutting another's grass - badly! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
A local community member, who isn't currently in paid work due to some mental health challenges, walks around the local suburb with a lawnmower and whipper...
Listen
What should be the priorities for mental health funding? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
This week's Federal Budget contained nearly $6 billion for mental health, with the government calling it a national priority. It includes money for telehea...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Vivienne cuts right to the bone from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In 2020, while the world has been in turmoil, we've invited you to tell us stories about how you've made waves in your own life. Here, Vivienne Porzsolt sh...
Listen
Stan Walker: Impossible from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Stan Walker is a trans-Tasman R&B singer, actor and activist, crowned the winner of Australian Idol in 2009, a childhood dream hard won. His younger years ...
Listen
Talkback — US election from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
As the world waits for a definitive result in the United States presidential election, we ask you for your reactions. How will a country divided come back ...
Listen
Talkback: your response to the Federal budget from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
While some measures in Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s budget will aid male-dominated sectors, with support for infrastructure jobs and government support to b...
Listen
Can dog poo be used to grow our food? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Australia's 4.8 million dog owners are used to scooping poo, and one researcher hopes to make composting dog poo the next step of responsible dog ownership...
Listen
Examining the past, futures and possibilities for the Australian climate from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
It is part of the human condition to believe the existential angst we're going through right now is at levels beyond the imagining of those in the past. Bu...
Listen
Recalls and responsibility: Making sense of product safety from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
How safe are the products you buy? Currently, manufacturers and retailers have no explicit requirement to ensure that the products they sell are safe, so h...
Listen
Bedtime stories for adults from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Being read to at bedtime is one of the great joys of childhood, but why should adults miss out? Kathryn Nicolai, host of the Nothing Much Happens podcast, ...
Listen
What lessons can Australia learn from the US election? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
After a campaign marred by division and political polarisation, on a scale not seen in recent history, the US election is still too close to call. What les...
Listen
The power of audio description from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
For Cath Mahoney, television is a form of entertainment she has only recently been able to enjoy thanks to the introduction of audio description across som...
Listen
Keeping it together: exam time during the pandemic from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Before Year 12 exams begin in earnest around the country, we ask how families and schools can support their students amid a year of coronavirus disruption....
Listen
Heroes next door from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Samuel Johnson and Hilde Hinton lost their sister Connie to cancer in 2017. Her legacy lives on in the Love Your Sister cancer charity that she and her bro...
Listen
Talkback — how not to be blindsided by menopause from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When it comes to menopause, some women get a harder time of it than others. But no matter how minor your symptoms, they can still come as a surprise when y...
Listen
Linking farms and market gardens with end users from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Would you value your fresh produce more if you knew the farmer who grew it? A former dairy farmer has started a social enterprise to put a face to the farm...
Listen
Your Money Explained — love and money from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Relationships and money - when you combine them, it can be hard to separate what belongs to whom, and who should pay for stuff you share, or things you wan...
Listen
Weekend Life Matters: QR Codes and our privacy, how to retire well, pets later in life, movable housing from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
QR codes allow contact tracers to do their job, but where is our data stored, and who can access it? We pull apart the complexities of retirement, uncover ...
Listen
Talkback: Keeping family recipes from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When a recipe is passed down from one generation to another, it can become so much more than just a meal; it can tell a story of cultural heritage, nostalg...
Listen
Lessons from Victoria as other states move on voluntary assisted dying laws from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Victoria is the only jurisdiction where, if you have a terminal illness, you can seek help to die through voluntary assisted dying laws. But Western Austra...
Listen
Weekend Life Matters: pandemic book shops, headache histories, new words for a new life, water rat lessons, Paul Jennings reflects from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Two bookshops compare notes on launching in a pandemic, the science and history of headaches, new words for a new normal, life lessons from a water rat and...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: should I be asking my adult children to pay board? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
You are a single parent with a household of young adults. The boys, age 20 and 21, are on JobKeeper and will have jobs to go back to after the pandemic. Yo...
Listen
My last wish: the poetry and companionship of Athol Delaney from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Athol Delaney was nearing 80 when his wife died. To fill the space she left behind, he put all his energy into writing poetry. He had written poetry as a c...
Listen
Daniel Keighran VC on following in his grandfather's footsteps from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
If someone asked you who you were, and what you stood for, could you distill it into a few words? For some of us it takes a lifetime. ...
Listen
Our year without a car from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Many of us are trying to cut our carbon footprint and one of the hardest things to change is our relationship with cars. One family has been doing an exper...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Lynn Dainton is rattling cages from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Making waves can be a tough road, when fighting for recognition means challenging medical opinion. That's the road Lynn Dainton went down in her Life in 5...
Listen
Becoming a bookstore owner in 2020 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Two new bookstore owners share what it takes to start a new venture in 2020 and the creative ways they've stayed afloat.
Listen
Bad bosses: do you work for one? Or are you one? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
It's a sad fact that many Australian workplaces contain leaders who have been promoted to that position in spite of their lack of skills in managing other ...
Listen
Talkback: How do you cope with "COVID-normal"? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Most of Australia is heading towards "COVID-normal" mode. We can go to restaurants, gyms and movies, and visit other homes. But there are rules governing t...
Listen
What is the safest way to reopen our borders? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
As COVID-19 case numbers continue to decrease in Australia, some state and federal leaders are considering loosening border restrictions. But what is the s...
Listen
Weekend Life Matters: stranded Australians, bad genes, the poverty prism, the history of the weekend from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Officially, more than 34,000 Australians are trying to fly home. Whether they'll make it by Christmas seems unlikely. Waiting for a gene test can be very d...
Listen
Ink In the Lines: tattooed stories of honour, loss and meaning from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
There are many reasons why people go through the pain of getting tattoos inked into their skin. They are permanent reminders of a life lived, of a moment h...
Listen
Connections and a surprising sense of community: life in Darwin quarantine from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Thousands of Australians are travelling to Darwin during the global pandemic, and many are ending up in mandatory quarantine at the Howard Springs Quaranti...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: when a friend from the past wants to rekindle the friendship but you don't from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
At high school you formed a strong friendship with another girl, but by the time you finished fourth form you were going in opposite directions. Fast forwa...
Listen
Women don't share what can happen to your vagina after you give birth, and they should from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When you're a woman, there are some subjects that you just don't bring up in polite conversation. The state of your vagina is one of them. Giving birth to ...
Listen
Normalising extreme weather from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When do we start to accept extreme weather as our new normal? Through examining tweets, researchers in the United States found that it only took a few year...
Listen
Halloween and the origins of candy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Candy wasn't always associated with a sugar hit. In medieval Europe, it was taken as a vitamin and thought to have medicinal properties. Food historian Sar...
Listen
Is social housing a worthwhile infrastructure investment? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
The Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has promised infrastructure will be one of the priorities in next week's federal budget. There are calls for th...
Listen
How will COVID-19 change the way we live and commute? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
More people working from home has meant fewer cars on the road, less people on public transport, and more local walkers and cyclists. What lessons can we t...
Listen
Making home insurance affordable in a changing climate from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
The wild weather experienced along the east coast this week, and the prospect of a La Nina summer ahead, has insurance experts concerned about the potentia...
Listen
Your Money Explained — investing in ETFs from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When it comes to investing money, there are many roads to travel. The stock market is one way to go, but it can be hard to pick a winner! ABC Business repo...
Listen
Iso, quazza and covidiot: how the pandemic is transforming language from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Why does language transform in times of crisis and what does it say about us?
Listen
What will a child born this year face as a 30-year-old? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yesterday, a gorgeous healthy baby was born at the Gold Coast hospital. Her parents have called her Ayla. Now, drop in on Ayla's life in 10, 20 and 30 year...
Listen
Strengthening families one doula at a time from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Giving birth is a stressful endeavour, but for parents who are isolated, newly-arrived migrants, or those dealing with social disadvantages, that stress is...
Listen
The plan to ditch responsible lending obligations from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Last week's announcement of plans to overhaul responsible lending obligations will make it easier to get a loan, but consumer advocates say it could also l...
Listen
Recession exacerbates financial divide between renters and homeowners from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When the pandemic brought the Australian economy to a standstill, some mortgage holders got calls from their bank asking if they needed a payment pause. A ...
Listen
Australians trying to get home from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
The situation for thousands of Australian residents stranded overseas remains precarious. The Australian government has begun chartering repatriation fligh...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Marcel's fable on the cane toad and the water rat from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Marcel Saxone recently discovered a new survival technique in the Australian Water Rat, and that got him thinking about our present circumstances, and why ...
Listen
Ethical report card for fashion brands from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
What have this year's global shutdowns meant for the livelihoods of garment workers? Baptist World Aid Australia is today launching its annual ethical fash...
Listen
Talkback — understanding medical costs from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Making financial decisions about your health care can be really challenging. Private health insurance premiums will rise this week somewhere between 3 and ...
Listen
Planning cemeteries for the future from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Cemeteries are revered as quiet places where we honour lost loved ones. But when the cemetery ages and no one visits anymore, should that space become some...
Listen
Weekend Life Matters: everyone is at home, middle aged dating for online, teen finances, AI feminising from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
How you handle the dynamics of multi-generational households, online dating for older people, finance know-how for teens, and the feminising of AI voice as...
Listen
As more dine out, venues face battle to keep patrons safe and stay afloat from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Today, Melbourne rejoins the rest of Australia in being able to dine out at pubs, restaurants, and cafes, albeit with strict rules. As the hospitality sect...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: the stranger who regularly rummages through bins for bottles and cans from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
There is a man who wanders around your location going through people's bins on a regular basis to remove bottles and cans, to collect money for them you pr...
Listen
How to cut down on food waste from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Do you want to cut down on food waste in your kitchen? Researchers at Central Queensland University surveyed 5000 Australian households about their food wa...
Listen
Decluttering, mindfully: The art of the Spring clean from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Spring is here and so is the urge to declutter, but how can we clean mindfully during a pandemic?
Listen
Author Rick Morton on money from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Rick Morton grew up with no money and no financial back up. His memoir 'One Hundred Years of Dirt' describes a childhood of desperate poverty in rural Quee...
Listen
How will small businesses cope without Jobkeeper? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Lots of small businesses are thinking about how they will continue trading in these challenging economic times and things are about to get a tougher as the...
Listen
Accountability, trust and the ethics of greed from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Between expensive watches and overpriced property deals, many agencies have faced public scrutiny over the details of their balance sheets. What messages d...
Listen
Why your smart home assistant needs a feminist reboot from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Digital sociologist Yolande Strengers says we need to reconsider how Siri, Alexa and other smart assistants are designed. ...
Listen
Life in 500 Words – Jo Young waits for results from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Like so many of us, Jo Young and her family carry genes that can affect their descendants through generations. Information is power, but sometimes the res...
Listen
Swiping right in a 'thin' dating market from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Research shows how modern dating technologies have helped to ‘thicken’ thin dating markets, where singletons have been squeezed by time pressure and the lo...
Listen
Talkback — the way we talk about the weather from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When did the weather go from being a mundane, everyday discussion to something heated? And as extreme weather events have become more frequent, how has our...
Listen
Weekend Life Matters: hot playgrounds, travel for meaning, tried ETFs? and more liveable communities post COVID from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Playground design needs to adapt to our hotter world, why some people need to travel for their own inner health, the pros and cons of Exchange Traded Funds...
Listen
Simplifying your retirement from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In his latest book, 'Retirement Made Simple', longtime finance writer and columnist Noel Whittaker unpacks what you need to know about planning for your re...
Listen
Burden of racism compounded for African migrants raising children from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
New research from Southern Cross University highlights the experiences of African migrants raising children in Australia, and the difficult conversations t...
Listen
QR codes and your privacy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
It has become an ubiquitous part of going out in the COVID-19 era, but what happens to your data when you scan a QR code at a store, pub or cafe? ...
Listen
A new way of building that's low waste, re-usable, and movable in a day from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Already, there's large parts of our consumption we can, and should, reuse and recycle - cardboard, paper, glass, some plastics. But, imagine if we could re...
Listen
Keeping pets in our life as we age from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Research shows that the older you are, the less likely you are to own a pet. With the benefits of pet ownership now well established, how is it that you ca...
Listen
Born in the year 2000 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
While many of us remember the turn of the century, which ushered in a new era that so seemed full of hope and promise, some of us were not even born yet. L...
Listen
How AI could save us from hospital superbugs from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
During World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, we learn how an Australian project called SuberbugAi has the potential to save lives, prevent superbu...
Listen
Tim Olsen on growing up with a famous father, artist John Olsen from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Gallery owner Tim Olsen reflects on his childhood and relationship with his famous father in his new memoir, 'Son of the Brush'. ...
Listen
The Brereton war crimes report and a bleaker picture of war from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Last week, the Brereton report was released, publishing allegations that a small number of revered SAS soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan. How do...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Sylvia makes waves with cardboard from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Sylvia Harwood harnesses cardboard to empower the people in her charge. This is her Life in 500 Words.
Listen
Talkback: Your memories of the first 20 years of this century from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
For those born in the 20th Century, it can be hard to comprehend that two decades of the 21st century have already passed. This week RN is launching ‘The ...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: my controlling and lying sister-in-law from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Your sister-in-law has started telling people that she studied music composition at a 'prestigious' university. She didn't. It's a blatant lie. You actuall...
Listen
Observing the pandemic from Antarctica from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Matthew Williams has been observing the pandemic from afar, while stuck in his own quasi-lockdown with 18 others since February in the coldest place on ear...
Listen
Rethinking hotel quarantine from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
South Australia's outbreak may have put the future of hotel quarantine as a strategy for managing international arrivals in doubt. So is it time to redesig...
Listen
Children exposed to gambling and alcohol ads on devices during pandemic from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
A new report has found many children have significantly increased the amount of time they spend on digital devices during the pandemic, where they are bein...
Listen
Men, masculinity and sleep deprivation from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Why is sleep deprivation seen as a marker of masculinity for men?
Listen
Productivity Commission calls for early intervention in mental health from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
How can children be better supported to access mental health care, and what role should schools be playing?
Listen
Why high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is great post COVID...or any other time! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
This method of exercise will lose you some weight, but there's other far reaching benefits borne out of good medical science, and it doesn't take hours of ...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Marianne pushes through the COVID wave from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
The gradual relaxation of pandemic lockdowns around the nation have re-introduced freedoms we used to take for granted. Marianne Findlay has been waiting f...
Listen
Your Money Explained — how to get your will in order from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Making a will is one of those things you may have put off and not want to think about at all. But if you don't have a will you could risk leaving your love...
Listen
Quarantine outbreak adds to uncertain future for international students from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Adelaide’s outbreak of coronavirus cases has highlighted, once again, that the quarantine system remains the Achilles heel of Australia’s pandemic response...
Listen
Sue and Saroo Brierley on their lives, before and after 'Lion' from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Sue and Saroo Brierley reflect on what makes a family, and their journey together.
Listen
Construction, building and a "desperate need" for public housing from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
The Victorian Government has announced a $5.3 billion spend to build more social housing over the next four years. What will this investment mean for emplo...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Nathan Makes Waves for Norma from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When people write others off, and assume they're unable to have a life, it can destroy hope. Norma Hatchett never lost hope, and her fierce love for her s...
Listen
Talkback — travel cancellations, refunds and holidaying this summer from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Is it too optimistic to make holiday plans at the end of a year marked by flight cancellations and travel companies going bust? We take your calls on trave...
Listen
Weekend Life Matters: city to country fact or fiction, inside a dog's mind, Louise forgives herself, how to diet properly in later years from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Is there evidence that COVID has reversed our drift to the cities? How dogs view us, making waves with yourself, and getting the protein balance right in o...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: what do you do if you think your partner is developing dementia? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Diana is 72 and fell in love two years ago. It's a lovely unexpected delight but her partner keeps doing odd things. He gets lost on well known routes, he ...
Listen
What downsizers look for from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
At some point in your life, you may consider downsizing. But making the change can be tricky, especially if you're unable to find something that ticks all ...
Listen
Will the JobMaker scheme help young people get sustainable jobs? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
If you're young and unemployed job prospects have been looking extra grim. JobMaker is the federal government's scheme to help address unemployment for tho...
Listen
Wallabies and where to find them in the UK from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
You wouldn't expect to see a wallaby bounding along in a field in Kent, England, but researchers have mapped 95 sightings of wallabies over a decade, inclu...
Listen
Rebuilding a shattered life from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Many women receive offensive text messages or are subjected to unwanted attention. Dee experienced this and much worse. She was stalked, harassed, and thre...
Listen
Is talk of the decline of our cities premature? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
What long term changes will we see in internal migration in Australia as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Listen
Call for more funding of Indigenous fire practices in our preparation for summer from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When the bushfire royal commission handed down their report, it recognised the necessity to improve the use of Indigenous land and fire management practice...
Listen
Will the 'Biden factor' influence local decisions on climate change? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
US President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to sign up to the Paris Agreement, so there promises to be new international momentum for action on climate change...
Listen
Can my dog understand me? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
From detecting disease to reading human intentions, and even exercising self-control, researchers say your dog is far more capable than you realise. Unders...
Listen
How circus life paved the way to freedom for one family during the Holocaust from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Journalist Sue Smethurst recounts the extraordinary story of her grandparents-in-law, Kubush and Mindla Horowitz.
Listen
Supply chains and Indigenous representation in the bush food industry from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
For years, Kakadu plums and saltbush have been in demand in restaurants across Australia. But although the country's bush food industry is growing, little ...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Louise realises it's not her fault from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
We've all made choices we regret in our lives, and Louise is no exception. From her perspective, she made waves that caused her shame. This is Louise's L...
Listen
Talkback — kindness in healthcare from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Our healthcare workers have had a tough year so far dealing with the pandemic. So what better time to look at ways to promote kindness in the healthcare sy...
Listen
Weekend Life Matters: a military memoir, dog poo as fertiliser, love and money, heroes next door from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
The upbringing of a Victoria Cross decorated soldier, how dog poo may have compost potential for our gardens, the vexed issue of who pays for what in relat...
Listen
Life in 500 words: Zola makes waves...with everyone! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Some breeds of dog are forever associated with certain traits in behaviour. Pam Sharpe knows this only too well. Because she has Zola, who made big waves i...
Listen
Making fashion inclusive from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Getting dressed in style can come with challenges for people living with a disability. There's a push for the clothing industry to reflect this and bring b...
Listen
Brain on Nature episode 10 — keeping up the nature dose from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Sarah investigates some of the thinking behind why we can all benefit from regular time spent in nature.
Listen
Melbourne to Mount Isa: one couple's journey to care for a parent in the outback from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
All of us, at some point, are likely to be faced with the choice about how to take care of ailing parents. When Rebecca and Tony moved from Melbourne to Mt...
Listen
Brain on Nature episode 9 — back on the bike from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Sarah’s doctor tells her the neurons that fire together wire together, so she returns to work as a journalist. She takes nature with her. ...
Listen
Can citizen juries improve democracy and restore public trust? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
With public trust in government and institutions failing, we hear from two organisations that work on practical solutions for a more inclusive kind of demo...
Listen
Want to help fill in the blanks of our weather history? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Scientists are asking us to help reveal the history of our weather patterns, lurking in the yellowed pages of 170-year-old weather journals. Are you intere...
Listen
Brain on Nature episode 8 — there's science to this from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Sarah discovers that there’s science to back up her own discovery that being in nature is healing her brain injury. It’s good for all our brains. ...
Listen
Julia Gillard: women in leadership and life after politics from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Australia's first female Prime Minister talks life after politics and women and leadership.
Listen
Fresh, free and full of nutrients: why some people eat weeds from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
If you could get hold of some leafy greens that were free and tasty, and super nutritious, would you eat them if you knew they were weeds? Meet a weed-gath...
Listen
Your face is probably lying about you from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When you're sad, your face looks sad. Right? When you're happy, you look happy. It seems pretty simple, but it turns out what our facial expressions are c...
Listen
Brain on Nature episode 7 — invisible injury from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Sarah’s family struggle to take her brain injury seriously because it’s invisible.
Listen
No partner, no children — a spinster's meditations on life from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
As a young girl, and for many years later, Donna Ward imagined she would find the love of her life, partner up and have children. Then somewhere around mid...
Listen
What motivates 'tiger parents' from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When one academic delves behind the 'tiger mother' stereotype, she finds aspirational parents who see education as the key to social mobility. ...
Listen
Brain on Nature episode 6 — that chick with the brain injury from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Sarah spends more time in nature because it takes away the symptoms of her brain injury and she meets someone who made the same discovery. ...
Listen
Building a farm from scratch from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
A combination of a long-held dream and a situation with their much loved rescue dog led John and Molly to create a farm on degraded land using regenerative...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Michael Ranger cycles towards the ice-man from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
For Michael Ranger, there was a time pre-COVID, when he got to leave the country. Michael then got to share his special day with a man who remained silent...
Listen
How your family history could enrich us all from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Professional historians have always been suspicious of amateurs gathering together so-called historical facts and calling it gospel. However, the explosion...
Listen
Brain on Nature episode 5 — if symptoms persist...accept from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Sarah finally learns she has a ‘mild traumatic brain injury’ and will only get better if she accepts her situation and takes it easy. Not easy for a busy j...
Listen
Making sustainable food choices at the supermarket from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
With climate change top of mind for many of us, you might be looking for a way to translate your worries into real action at the supermarket checkout. ...
Listen
Not just honey – the environmental and social benefits of beekeeping from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Do the sound of bees send a shiver down your spine or spark feelings of affection? In some parts of Australia there has been an increase numbers of beekeep...
Listen
Writer Ashe Davenport shares her complicated relationship with motherhood from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
How do we reframe the discussion around motherhood to allow for sadness and frustration without a sense of failure?
Listen
Brain on Nature episode 4 — Doctor's orders...take it easy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Sarah discovers that walking in the bush takes away the headaches caused by her cycling accident.
Listen
What to look for when you're weighing up health advice from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
How do you know if the information you're reading about online adheres to the best models of evidence and will work in practice? ...
Listen
Pocket Docs: The colour of water from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
This is what the Grateful Dead's kitchen must have looked like!
Listen
How fashion icon Linda Jackson found her calling, not in Paris, but in the Aussie bush from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When we think of avant-garde fashion, we tend to think of places like Paris, New York and London. But for Linda Jackson, it was her time spent in the Aussi...
Listen
Brain on Nature episode 3 — philosophy at the beach from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Doctors still can’t tell Sarah why she can’t bear being in a noisy café but she can watch waves on a beach for hours. So she turns to philosophy for some a...
Listen
The science of love and attachment: a mother's exploration from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When her baby daughter Azalea arrived, writer Bethany Saltman loved her dearly but was blindsided by accompanying feelings of resentment. She became concer...
Listen
Philosophy Espresso: The ethics of landlords from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Growing numbers of Australians are renters: they make up a third of all households. For those of use who are landlords, do we think about the ethical impli...
Listen
Teaching children to love their bodies from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
After sparking a worldwide movement to help adults of all shapes, sizes and abilities to embrace their bodies, Taryn Brumfitt is turning her attention to h...
Listen
Brain on Nature episode 2 — the waiting room from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
A week after her accident Sarah can’t bear being in busy environments, she struggles to hold conversations and it makes her wonder about the load she used ...
Listen
Protecting privacy in an age of surveillance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Is true privacy even possible in the internet age, and what is at stake if we don't protect what we have left?
Listen
Life in 500 Words: Noela Dawes wears the trousers from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
From when she a young girl, Noela Dawes has had her clothing choices questioned by her so-called betters. Clearly, they didn't know who they were dealing w...
Listen
Reflecting on my absent father from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Author Betty O'Neill goes in search of the story behind her Polish resistance fighter father in her new memoir, 'The Other Side of Absence'. ...
Listen
Brain on Nature episode 1 — the accident from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
After Sarah Allely fell off her bike things weren’t quite the same, she could no longer listen to music, read or tolerate being around her family. But she...
Listen
What is the most effective way to donate to a cause? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
The bushfires of the 2019/2020 Summer prompted a flood of donations. But there was also criticism over how and when that money should be spent. What should...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: when you feel your mate is acting unethically at the coffee machine from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
You have a cycling buddy called Frank. His wife refers to him as "Frank the scab" as he spends his days monitoring local hard rubbish put out for collectio...
Listen
Life in 500 Words: what a swell wedding it was from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Not all of us are party people, but Julie is making waves at a floating wedding reception.
Listen
Black Friday and our Christmas spending habits from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
With bricks-and-mortar stores pushing their online sales, will how you shop for Christmas change for good?
Listen
Heywire Trailblazers: why our communities matter from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In this special Life Matters broadcast, Michael Mackenzie speaks with Heywire Trailblazers from across the country who reveal the projects that they hope w...
Listen
More than 36,000 Australians still battling to get home for Christmas from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Some Australians stuck overseas are frustrated with the Federal Government's response and are instead relying on travel agents to help them navigate the di...
Listen
The Language of Butterflies from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Butterflies are beloved around the world, but what is it about this curious little insect that has inspired such intense devotion for hundreds of years? ...
Listen
Classic 100 Beethoven — understanding his hearing loss from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
About one in six Australians are affected by hearing loss, and while Beethoven’s deafness is well-known, it’s not well understood. ...
Listen
Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton on how she survived a nightmare and learnt to forgive from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
This year marks 40 years since Azaria Chamberlain was taken from an Uluru campsite never to be found. Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton joins Life Matters to ref...
Listen
The new science of fussy eating: part 2 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Deakin University teamed up with the ScienceWorks Museum in Melbourne to test what role food texture plays in what children like to eat. ...
Listen
Reflecting on the death of a pet from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Why has society been so reluctant to acknowledge the pain we feel when a beloved pet dies? Are we getting better at understanding this complex relationship...
Listen
Wrongful convictions, reasonable doubt from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Forensic anthropologist and criminologist Xanthé Mallett examines some of Australia's worst miscarriages of justice to expose who really pays the price whe...
Listen
Philosophy Espresso: Are diets foolish? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
When Damon Young refused a chocolate mint biscuit at a recent wake, he was asked “Damon, are you on a diet?”. And while his answer was no, in truth the rea...
Listen
The new science of fussy eating: part 1 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Who would have thought scientific research into what makes your child a fussy eater could be such a draw card? Deakin University has teamed up with the Sc...
Listen
Too Hard Basket: the over-scented woman in my gym is affecting my health from 2021-01-29T10:44
You go to a small gym where one of the ladies always wears a very strong perfume. You are very sensitive to strong smells and they irritate your th...
Is it safe for choirs to sing again? from 2021-01-29T10:28
A small team of experts is investigating the particular risks of singing in choirs and testing and developing ways to safely sing together in the e...
Yes, it is possible to "de-google" your life (but it might hurt a bit) from 2021-01-29T10:06
As the government's battle with Google intensifies, it's looking more and more likely that the tech giant may remove itself from our shores. What w...
Want to stay "holiday zen" all year? Research has found a way from 2021-01-28T10:31
No matter how hard we try to remain energised and rejuvenated as we start back at work, usually, after the first week, we’re as frazzled as ever. L...
Life in 500 Words: Janet makes waves in the classroom from 2021-01-28T10:26
You're still contributing fabulous stories on our 2020 theme of Making Waves, and when Janet Price was a young girl she was generating some pretty ...
The ethics and challenges of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout from 2021-01-28T10:06
Now the first of the COVID-19 vaccines has been approved for use in Australia, what information does the public need and what ethical questions sur...
Anastasia confesses to rigging history from 2021-01-27T10:42
Since she was a young girl growing up in WA, Anastasia Konstantinidis has been involved with boats.
Her work is highly prized, incredibly ...
Schools facing game of catch up on learning and student wellbeing from 2021-01-27T10:06
As students get on board for another year of education, schools will be doing their best to close the gaps in learning and emotional wellbeing that...
Tough Love, the story of a boxing world champ turned lawyer from 2021-01-26T10:34
Lovemore Ndou is a three time world champion boxer and now a practising lawyer. But it's a far cry from the world he came from, a life of extreme p...
Life in 500 Words: Gwilym makes his peace from 2021-01-25T10:48
When it comes to making waves in your life, sometimes it has to start with family.
That's where it started for Gwilym Summers, in his Life...
Talkback: the path towards social cohesion in 2021 from 2021-01-25T10:06
How is Australia fairing when it comes to creating a more cohesive society in 2021?
What animals can teach us about adolescence from 2021-01-22T10:37
Experimental, risk taking behaviour is natural for human teenagers. But is there a correlation between this human stage of adolescence and what we ...
Splitting: what happens when we get headaches from 2021-01-22T10:06
We all get headaches. But who knew that the different kinds of pain in our brain could be soothed through either chocolate or sex, or both?
...
Kindy of the Air connecting isolated young children with their peers from 2021-01-21T10:46
Australia's first School of the Air started in Alice Springs nearly 70 years ago, and today there are schools of the air in most states and territo...
Life in 500 Words: why Howard Styles is not unhinged from 2021-01-21T10:41
Howard Styles is not unhinged. Quite the opposite. Howard is recognised as a pioneer, and in his Life in 500 Words, he describes his, shall we say,...
Scheduling an appointment to have sex, and other ways to improve your sex life after you turn 50 from 2021-01-21T10:27
There are physical reasons that can prevent you having a satisfying sex life as you age, and there are life choices as well. Sex expert Tracey Cox,...
'Being scared felt like a failure' — cop of 35 years reflects on bravery from 2021-01-21T10:06
For decades, Cameron Hardiman’s everyday workload involved drug busts, car chases and, sometimes, dangling from a helicopter over seven-metre waves...
The night that changed Ronni Kahn's life from 2021-01-20T10:33
Sometimes your life purpose is hiding in plain sight. Ronni Kahn identified a big problem with leftover, wasted food in her event business. Then on...
Making sense of garden scents from 2021-01-20T10:23
Do you only choose plants for their size, shape or colour? An expert says visual appeal is only part of the story and scent is the design layer tha...
Free will does not exist — that’s according to science not religion from 2021-01-20T10:06
Neuroscientist Dr Hannah Critchlow argues that we have much less control over how our lives will play out than we like to think.
...
Pocket Docs: Becoming Barbara from 2021-01-19T10:49
They say you should never meet your idols, but what about becoming your idol?
Lovers: A generation apart in age from 2021-01-19T10:35
Human relationships comes in all shapes and sizes, with all kinds of attraction involved. But if there's one area of prejudgement that still exists...
Healing wounds and boosting mental health with surfing from 2021-01-19T10:21
If you’re looking for ways to help children deal with family violence, disability and mental health, have you ever considered surfing?
...
Seeking silence in a busy life from 2021-01-19T10:06
What does silence mean to you? Is it something you fear and fill up with distractions or something you actively seek out as an antidote to a stress...
Philosophy Espresso: Can I have too many books? from 2021-01-18T10:53
When Philosopher Damon Young and his family were packing up their house to shift from Melbourne to Hobart, the movers told him straight: “you’ve go...
On the trail of the last lions of Africa from 2021-01-18T10:34
Author and travel writer Anthony Ham talks about the enduring fascination we have with lions.
The Scully Effect from 2021-01-18T10:24
Almost three decades after The X-Files first aired in 1993, producer Emma Nobel discovers what makes the sci-fi series such an enduring cult classi...