Life Matters - Full program podcast

Breaking up is hard to do, especially when there are children involved. And for many parents working through a separation, it comes with guilt and fear that kids living across two separate households will be worse off. But a new research paper from the Australian Institute of Family Studies shows as long as kids feel a sense of safety and security, the bells and whistles are less important. As AI adoption surges, so too does the demand for data centres. But these facilities require enormous amounts of energy and water to operate. A NSW inquiry is now examining the rapid expansion, with three local councils pushing back. Researchers Brownyn Cumbo and Ascelin Gordon explore how this technology fits into our infrastructure, and what it means for the communities hosting it.The Artemis II crew have set a new record for space exploration, travelling farther from Earth than any humans before them. Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo unpacks what we hope to learn from this mission, and how its success might shape the future of space exploration.

The federal government has unveiled its plan for gambling reforms, announcing a ban on gambling ads in sports stadiums and players' uniforms, and heavy restrictions around ads on TV, radio and online platforms. But does this go far enough to stop millions of dollars flowing out of people's wallets and into gambling company coffers? Researcher Samantha Thomas and advocate Anna Bardsley discuss how gambling companies are expanding to target new markets, and how the proposed reforms measure up.After more than 10 years of putting survivors, alcoholics, nudists, cheaters, bogans and countless others in the hot seat, there aren't many uncomfortable questions Kirk Docker hasn't asked. The co-creator You Can't Ask That has been inviting misunderstood or marginalised groups to answer the most controversial and curly questions — on television — for seven seasons. And the show's coming back for another round. Smart devices are everywhere. They're designed to enhance our lives, but these devices also collect a huge amount of data, with very few safeguards to protect your privacy. So are we as humans smart enough for these devices?

Would you watch Married At First Sight with your teenagers? It might sound like a strange parenting strategy — the show is messy, engineered for drama, and showcases some pretty troubling behaviour. Media lecturer Jessica Ford and men's mental health expert Simon Rice discuss how creating a safe space for conversations about respectful relationships could be a good place to start.There's a push to integrate financial literacy into Australian schools, with recent data showing 52 per cent of Australian women and 37 per cent of men don't understand basic financial literacy concepts. Katrina Samios, from the not-for-profit Financial Basics Foundation unpacks what practical financial lessons for young people could look like.Author, columnist, and screenwriter Kathy Lette has written dozens of books, but she credits just one as the spark that set her on the path to becoming a writer.When you reach a certain age, the world has a quiet way of suggesting this might be as good as it gets — you've peaked. But middle age doesn't have to be a slow fade. For Saskia Beudel, who took on Australia's most intense endurance cycling event in her 50s, it was a time to push the limits.

Dr Billy Garvey, developmental paediatrician and parenting podcaster, offers practical parenting wisdom on emotional regulation, co-regulation and setting boundaries. Short segments cover behaviour detective work, stepping through car-seat meltdowns with plan A and plan B, and navigating stepfamily and grandparent tensions. A lighthearted bit helps someone uninvite a friend's four-legged plus-one.

An estimated 1 in 3 Australian households do not have secure access to food — they're either not getting enough, not getting the right kind, or sacrificing other crucial things to afford their groceries. And with fuel prices skyrocketing and interest rises shrinking household budgets, people are turning to food banks to help put dinner on the table. So how do we address the complex issue of food security?Grief can plunge your entire world into darkness. Most of us find our own way to survive it, to let the life grow around it. For author Emma Grey, the answer was to "turn up the light" by seeking out snippets of hope through creative pursuits — from floral arrangements to photography.ABC analysis of Census data shows, for the first time ever, women are more likely to be married or partnered with a man who has a lower education than them. Sociologist Dan Woodman unpacks what's behind the shift.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has announced that come October, card surcharges will be banned. But will it actually save you money any money?A significant amount of our learning takes place outside of the classroom and we know that homeschooling has risen significantly in the last few years. Mario Gabrieli, who's taking his son Leonardo on a journey from Sydney to Italy on the back of a Vespa, and home education researcher Rebecca English discuss the benefits of taking kids out of school. Deborah Lawrie knew from the age of 16 that she wanted to be a pilot, so when Ansett rejected her from their trainee program in 1978, she took the airline all the way to the high court — and won. The landmark legal battle allowed a trailblazing woman to finally pursue her dream career, and paved the way for equal opportunity in Australia.

Last week a woman in the US successfully sued Meta and Google, arguing their platforms were addictive. She said she was spending up to 16 hours a day online, starting from just six years old. It raises some big questions around the concept of social media addiction. Psychology researchers Deon Tullett-Prado and Sharon Horwood explain what the research says about how social media is changing our brains.Even if you're not technically addicted, ignoring the notifications on your phone and paying attention to your top priority tasks can feel impossible. So what can you do about it? Neuroscientist Lila Landowski shares why she decided to put pen to paper and write the dummies' guide to focus.When it comes to life admin, the more boxes to tick or steps to click through, the less likely you are to complete that boring task. And in some cases companies are embedding "digital friction" or "sludge" to keep us from cancelling that membership or ending the free trial. Consumer behaviour expert Paul Harrison digs into why this has become such a profitable and common model.

As petrol prices continue to soar, the only way to reduce your bowser bill is to go electric or get rid of your car altogether. But could you realistically do that where you live? Researcher Dorina Pojani from the University of Queensland shares what she learned from an experiment in Brisbane asking 10 people to totally ditch their cars for three weeks.Getting to gigs and immersing yourself in the atmosphere of live music is a rite of passage for many young Australians, but there are significant barriers holding some people back. Kate Duncan and Jamison Kelh from youth music charity The Push have just launched the National Plan for Young Australians and Music, to provide equal access for all young Australians — no matter where they live, what their budget is, or what kind of music they're into.Anyone who lived through the toilet paper saga of the COVID pandemic era can attest that Australians have a tendency towards panic buying. With fuel prices rising, consumers are being warned not to start stockpiling, with concerns that mass hysteria at the petrol pump could soon lead to shortages. So what are the ethics of panic buying? Do we have a moral responsibility not to buy what we don't really need?

There's an longstanding rule that it's not polite to talk about politics at the dinner table. But in times of global turmoil, where freedom of expression is under threat, it can be harder to keep the peace. Psychotherapist Andrew Sloan talks through how to navigate relationships when we vehemently disagree, and what we stand to lose as a community if we can no longer hold space for different opinions.After a friend goes through a break-up, often the real feelings their besties had about their ex come out into the open. But what do you do if they decide to reunite with the person you just declared as public enemy number one? 

Luke Bateman, former NRL player turned writer who speaks on healthy masculinity; Professor James Smith, adolescent health expert focused on positive masculinities; Catherine Bennell-Pegg, astronaut-trained director advocating STEM and Australian space efforts. They discuss reimagining boyhood, strengths-based approaches and community roles. Conversations then shift to astronaut pathways, training, national space involvement and inspiring kids toward STEM.