Life Matters - Full program podcast

When you think about your golden years, what do you picture? For most of us, the ideal scenario means growing old in the place we've set down roots. While the idea of "ageing in place" has obvious benefits, it's not always feasible. Joan White shares how her regional Queensland town wants to fill the gap by building a community-owned aged care facility. 
Every year 50,000 people go missing in Australia, leaving their loved ones in a state of ambiguous loss. Researcher Sarah Wayland joins Loren O'Keeffe, whose brother went missing in 2011, to discuss how to navigate this state of unknowing, and how our communities can better support people going through this.
Paid social clubs are bringing strangers together for shared dinners, drinks and social activities, offering connection at a time when we know one in six Australians experience severe loneliness. But can you really buy friendship?

If you’ve ever moved cities, you know the struggle of building your friendship group and daily routines from the ground up. From scoping out the best cafes to figuring out the local public transport network, how do you learn to fall in love with the city you’ve just moved to? Travel guide Chris Zeiher and author Nicole Webb share their tips.
New research shows screen time may not be as damaging for children's development as we thought. A 10-year study of almost 4,000 children found that, after accounting for family functioning, there were no significant links between screen use and psychosocial harms. Researcher Lelia Green and tech journalist Alice Clarke explore how parents can support children to safely explore the digital media landscape.
As part of Life Matters' special series The Grandparent Trap, veteran broadcaster Ray Martin offers a peek behind the curtain of his private life as a grandfather, and why transforming into "Mondo" gives him special superpowers.
Major players in the diamond industry are closing their mines or starting to downsize, largely due to the growing popularity of lab-grown diamonds. So does a diamond have to come out of the dirt for it to be "authentic"? And if retailers are closing up shop, does that mean your family heirloom ring is suddenly more or less valuable?

When it comes to intellectual ability, the vast majority of us fall somewhere around the middle of the bell curve. But it's estimated that 10 per cent of students could be considered academically gifted, capable of learning at a much faster pace than their peers. So do gifted and talented education programs make a difference for success in the long-term? 
Boys are less likely than girls to read for pleasure — especially as teenagers, according to international research. But researchers say addressing the gender reading gap is more complex than writing more "books for boys". Children's author Scott Stuart and education lecturer Sarah McDonald explore what really helps boys develop a lifelong love of reading.
As smart phones have become more integral to our day-to-day lives, there's been a subtle push back against the tech reliance. Companies promising to help break the addiction are offering all manner of products designed to make our phones less convenient. Consumer behaviour expert Paul Harrison breaks down why we're paying to reintroduce friction.

What are you willing to give up in order to make the world around you a better place? Renowned philosopher and ethicist Peter Singer has spent decades exploring this question. To mark his 80th birthday, he joins Life Matters to explore what it means to live a life shaped by our responsibilities to others.
Last week the Clean Energy Council proposed a federal scheme to allow the regional areas that host renewable projects to directly benefit from their efforts. Council spokesperson Chris O'Keefe and Western Downs mayor Andrew Smith explain how a scheme like this could work and what it means for the areas carrying the weight of the energy transition.
A recent study from the University of Texas has challenged the idea that cognitive decline is inevitable, showing that regular brain training can boost cognition well into old age. Neuroscientist Lila Landowski explains how to keep your brain fit in your later years.

All through July, Life Matters has been exploring what it means to be a grandparent in 2026, but now it's time to turn inwards. Author Tony Birch and historian Tanya Evans explore how life lessons are passed down through generations, and share their reflections on what their own grandparents taught them.
Early childhood friendships are usually pretty simple — struck up over shared interests in Lego, dress-ups or morning tea snacks. But the same can't always be said for adults. This week, Aunties Maeve Marsden and Joe Sullivan share some advice for a listener who's keen to bond with the cooler parents at kinder pick-up.