Life Matters - Full program podcast

The US President Donald Trump has linked autism to vaccines ... even pointing the finger at paracetamol. His claims have been widely criticised by medical experts worldwide and Australian regulators have been quick to point out the safety of both vaccines and paracetamol. But when a US President speaks, the ripple effects are global... and Australia's autism community is paying close attention. Dr Andrew Whitehouse is Deputy Director of The Kids Research Institute Australia and a director of Autism Awareness Australia.  Autism activist Dr Jac den Houting is a Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe University, and ABC Top 5 Humanities Resident for 2025.As Australians face increasing time pressures both at home and work, the number of volunteers has dropped. So how can you make the time to keep your volunteering commitments alive? Mark Pearce is the CEO of Volunteering Australia and Bhawana Basnet is a finalist in the Queensland Volunteer Awards 2025.There is a deepening divide in society and no matter what side of politics you sit on ... or even if you consider yourself removed from politics ... the "us versus them" mentality is wide-spread. Psychologist Christine Bagley-Jones discusses what's behind this thinking.

For a long time signing an online petition was seen as the slackest form of activism. But now the digital world has supercharged petitions. Australia's under 16 social media ban started as an online petition. Supported by regular people, calling for change. Whether it's slowing down traffic on your street or shaking up national policy, petitions can give regular people power. Julie-Ann Finney led a petition calling for a Royal Commission into Veteran suicides. Paige Mulholland is communications manager at Change.org and Dr Sky Croeser is a senior lecturer in Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry at Curtin University.Last week, New South Wales' first public long COVID clinic announced it will close its doors at the end of the month. In a statement, St Vincent's Hospital said patients who had been visiting the clinic would continue to receive the same comprehensive care but "within well-established clinical frameworks and with specialist input available as required". The statement also said: "Patients currently under the care of the Long COVID Service will be contacted directly by our team in the coming days to discuss their transition and ongoing symptom management." But the clinic's closure is leaving many long COVID patients frustrated and angry... and unsure exactly how they will manage their condition, which is complex and can be debilitating. And as we approach the sixth anniversary of COVID first surfacing ... patients, clinicians and researchers are still grappling with some basic questions. Why are some people struck down with long COVID and not others? How can we better diagnose it? What treatments will help the most? And how can we ensure all Australians have access to this help? Charlotte Sangster is living with long COVID and Dr Emma Tippett is a Clinical Research Fellow at the Burnet Institute and Founder of the Clinic Nineteen.If you're on any kind of social media, you may have seen this mythical dessert popping up everywhere. Dubai chocolate. It's milk chocolate, filled with pistachio cream. But what's really remarkable is how much it costs - about $25 for a standard-sized block. There's the same excitement around Labubus, Ooshies, and even - if you were around in the 90s - the Beanie Baby craze. So, is an item going viral enough to make it worth something? Dr Paul Harrison, Deakin University's head of Consumer Behaviour, discusses what makes some trends reach fever pitch... and others fizzle.In our regular segment My Two Cents, we ask those questions you'd rather not answer about money. In this episode, hear how veteran rock and roller Mick Thomas of Weddings, Parties, Anything and The Roving Commission, makes his money decisions.

A new report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics paints a pretty dire snapshot of the nation's health and wellbeing. It shows that you and I are living in a society that's more socially fragmented, less happy, and less healthy than it has been in years. So, what is needed to live a happier, and healthier life? A panel of experts weighs in on the nation's health, including Dr Jenny Gordon, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, Nancy Pachana, geropsychologist, University of Queensland, and Kim van Schooten from the UNSW School of Population Health.Consumer decisions are now heavily driven by online reviews. Australians can offer online opinions on restaurants, cafes, hair salons, mechanics, call centres... even local schools. But on the flip side, a business can live or die on the power of reviews. One study found 98% of Australians read online reviews before making a purchase. So, how much weight do you give online reviews when you're making a purchase, deciding where to eat, or planning a holiday? Professor Gary Mortimer, retail consumer behaviour expert at QUT Business School, shares his insights. And Cafe Fifty Two co-owner Aisha Jones reveals how she fought back when a customer left her a one-star review. ABC Radio National has launched its Top 100 Books of the 21st Century. Over the next few weeks, you can vote for the books that you believe belong on the list. We're asking some notable readers to tell us about the book that changed their life. This week, we spoke to former Play School host Simon Burke. The way we think about risk for kids has changed drastically over a generation or two, moving towards a world with all the sharp edges and trip hazards removed. While the chance of harm is minimised, no one is ever challenged in environments with zero risk. Research shows that the benefit does outweigh the risk when it comes to risky play, and a new study includes a tool to calculate exactly where that inflection point is. David Eager, Professor of Risk Management and Injury Prevention at the University of Technology Sydney, breaks down the benefits and harms.

What would happen if you decide to embrace the word yes? Yes to opportunities! Yes to scary invitations! Yes to chances to have fun! Yes! Yes! Yes! Virologist Kirsty Short gave it a go and found it helped her get in touch with what she really wanted in life. Dr Giac Giacomantonio, Brisbane-based psychotherapist, discusses why saying yes can be hard but rewarding.Volunteering at school events is about building community spirit … but it's also about being fast, efficient, and able to work as part of a well-oiled machine at sausage sizzles and cake stalls. Letter-writer Mark is a longtime member of the parent committee at his kids' primary school. And he has a dilemma for aunties Nazeem Hussain, comedian and writer, and Monica Dux, columnist and author.

The conversation about genetically edited meat is evolving.... and so are the rules. Genetically edited animals like fish, cows, and pigs, are being developed for the dinner plate. In Australia, GMO foods were traditionally subject to strict regulation under the national food safety watchdog. But that's changing. Food Standards Australia New Zealand has recently revised its rules. John Gibson is a Professor of livestock genetics at the University of New England and Peter De Kruijff is an online environment reporter for ABC Science.The first Indigenous supermodel, Samantha Harris, got her start in modelling at age 13. Her childhood success stands in stark contrast to her mum's upbringing as a survivor of the Stolen Generations. It's their special relationship that takes centre stage in a book they teamed up to write, called Role Model.There are mental and physical health benefits of a garden. But unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of their own personal green space - a backyard, a courtyard, or even a balcony with potplants. Now, new research has explored the connection between people's ability to garden and their housing situation.They're asking, why isn't gardening space part of the housing crisis discussions? Dr Jonathan Kingsley is Senior Lecturer in Health Promotion at Swinburne University and Jo Heriot is a committee member of the Ceres community garden in Melbourne.

Any good book will transport you in some way -- pull you into a mystery, take you to a fantastical land... make you laugh, make you cry. But sometimes a book stays with you long after you finish reading it and changes the way you see the world forever. Bec Sparrow, writer and host of the Birds of a Feather book club, and Fiona Stager, co-owner of three Brisbane independent book shops, share their favourite reads.By 2050, climate change could see over $600 billion dollars wiped from our property market ... and over 1 million homes left "uninsurable". With floods, fires, and extreme heat - we may be forced to abandon some areas, which are becoming too badly affected. And if you choose to stay put - how can you be sure your home will stay standing? Jennice Evans, has felt this first-hand, while Associate Professor Nick Osbaldiston, from James Cook University, and sustainability strategist Lee Stewart share their expert insights.Between 2019 and 2023, one fertility group saw a 220% increase in single women undergoing IVF. What's behind the rise in women choosing solo parenthood? Jacqui Green is a solo mum by choice and David Greening is an Associate Professor with City Fertility.

ChatGPT... Grammarly... Google Gemini...  AI tools have changed student life in the space of just a couple of years. Cheating seems easier than ever before. So, how do teachers monitor AI use, while accurately assessing students' work? Mark McLauchlin is a nursing student who is fighting AI cheating accusations. Dr Jasmine Thomas, Associate Director of I.C.T. Governance and Partnerships at the University of Southern Queensland and Dr Cameron Edmond, lecturer in game development, at Macquarie University's School of computing are both navigating the world of academia and AI.Footy fever is in the air with the AFL and NRL grand finals just around the corner. But that's not the only kind of heat hitting the world of sport. As temperatures rise, so do the challenges for athletes, clubs, and fans alike - from the grassroots to the global stage. Dr Greg Dingle is a Senior Lecturer of Sport Management at La Trobe University and former AFL player Tom Campbell is co-founder of Footy For Climate.It's been almost a week since Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated, and the public commentary has been extreme. There's no doubt the conservative commentator was a polarising figure - in life, inspiring both devotion .. and hatred. Patrick Stokes, lecturer in philosophy at Deakin University, discusses the ethics at play when it comes to the death of someone whose views you disagree with.

Koalas are cuddly, world-famous, and deeply woven into our national identity. But behind the cute image is a species in crisis. Last week the NSW state government announced a major move: a Great Koala National Park on the Mid North Coast. A nationwide chlamydia vaccine rollout is also coming. Dr Christine Hosking, Conservation Planner & Researcher at The University of Queensland, and  Dr Stuart Blanch, Conservation scientist with the World Wide Fund for Nature Australia, debate whether these steps will help our national treasures.Eating disorders can affect anyone, and anyone can have body image concerns... but the stereotype remains that it's an illness that mostly affects women. This is despite the fact that an estimated one third of people with eating disorders are male... a number that's rising, according to eating disorder charity the Butterfly Foundation. Because of this stereotype, men often face an added challenge...  treatment is typically focused on women. Dr Richard Knight is a social worker and researcher who has lived with an eating disorder and Richard Newton, Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Monash University, has worked with people with eating disorders for more than 40 years.ABC Radio National has launched its Top 100 Books of the 21st Century. Over the next few weeks, you can vote for the books that you believe belong on the list. We're asking some notable readers to tell us about the book that changed their life. This week, we spoke to Take 5 host Zan Rowe. Indoor farming, where rows of fresh produce are stacked in vertical towers, could be a viable way to insulate homegrown food from our rapidly changing climate. Australia's biggest fully automated vertical farm is looking to expand next year. So, what role could farming up - instead of out - play in our food futures? Paul Gauthier is a Professor of Protected Cropping at the University Queensland and leading researcher in vertical farming.

So, now you know! You have ADHD! But, what comes next? Is there a way that you, and those who love you, can “do life” that better suits your ADHD brain? Journalist and author Matilda Boseley and psychiatrist Dr Sunil Reddy share how to make households, workplaces, relationships and day-to-day life as ADHD-friendly as possible.And what do you do when you're stuck between your best mate and your best mate's wife? Aunties Nelly Thomas and James Findlay step in to help letter-writer Tom move forward when thing go wrong in his close friend's marriage.

Dealing with angry and abusive customers has become part of the job for many retail workers in Australia. Some retailers have introduced measures like body-worn cameras, extra CCTV and duress alarms to improve safety. But the problem has become so serious that this week a major independent supermarket chain said it's considering closing stores because of violent customer behaviour. Retail workers Megan Sheather and Gabbi Colloff share their experiences. Professor Gary Mortimer, retail consumer behaviour expert, QUT Business School, explains why retail work is so fraught nowadays.Scams these days are pretty sophisticated. And given the number of ways they can get to you, social media, email, text message, it might feel almost quaint to get a scam phone call. But people lose more money to phone scams than any other method of contact, with Australian victims losing over $107 million dollars this way last year. Kathy Sundstrom is the National Manager of Outreach & Engagement at IDCare and Dr Kate Gould who leads the Monash Cyberability project, explain why scams are so prevalent.In our regular segment My Two Cents, we ask those questions you'd rather not answer about money. Comedian and former triple j breakfast host Matt Okine shares why sometimes it's ok to make money decisions with your heart, not your head. Ballerina Cappuccina, Chimpanzini Bananini, Bombardiro Crocodilo ... do these names mean anything to you? If you know what I'm talking about, you've probably got a tween in your household because they're the latest batch of online memes designed to waste time and turn your brain to mush. It's been labelled brainrot...  Essentially, material designed to waste your time... And it's not just tweens. We're all guilty of it occasionally. Dan Woodman, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Melbourne, explains the appeal behind the scroll.

Three decades after a federal treaty was first promised - but never materialised - Victoria has introduced the first ever treaty legislation into its parliament. It has been a hard won battle for First Nations people, and this landmark Victorian process has survived where others have fallen in the wake of the failed Voice referendum. Katie Kiss, Kaanju and Birri Widi woman and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner joins Larissa Baldwin-Roberts, Bundjalung woman and co-founder of advocacy organisation Common Threads, to discuss what this means for the rest of the country.Research shows most of us would love to reconnect with old friends, but only one in three of us actually takes that step. So what holds us back? Psychologist Christine Bagley-Jones discusses how can we start welcoming old friends back into our lives.If it seems like everyone you know is running a marathon or a half-marathon, you're probably not mistaken. Last week, the entries opened for Brisbane Marathon and recently, the Sydney Marathon attracted huge crowds.  Every Australian city now boasts run clubs - some people are even using them to find a partner. Dr Lloyd Rothwell, Sports Management Researcher at the University of Technology Sydney and Erchana Murray-Bartlett, ultramarathoner and run coach, talk about why running is having a moment.

Convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson will spend at least 33 years behind bars for the deaths of three family members via an infamous death cap mushroom lunch. The sentence was the culmination of an almost two-years long criminal justice process.... heavily scrutinised by the public and the press. Dr Brianna Chesser, Associate Professor in Criminology and Justice at RMIT University, discusses why public fascination with female offenders remains high.What's the role of workplace uniforms? Last week, Qantas announced Australian fashion designer Rebecca Vallance would design its first new uniform in more than a decade. It's a bold move for the national carrier. Do uniforms serve as branding? Or do they inspire a sense of pride in workers? Dr Prudence Black is a Research Fellow in the School of Humanities at the University of Adelaide and Pam Jabbour is CEO Total Image Group.Do you ever visit a new city... or new part of your own town and realise ... "there's nothing unique here, I could really be anywhere in the world"? The same chain stores are selling the same clothing everywhere. The same two grocery chains are ubiquitous in every suburb. It's just ... bland. So, what's be behind this gradual creep? And when did you start to notice it? Paul Harrison, Chair of Consumer Behaviour at Deakin University's Business School discusses the death of the main drag.Finals season is here, and AFL and NRL players are facing some of the most high-pressure moments of their careers. But you don’t have to be an athlete — or a sports fan — to know that feeling. Whether it’s pitching an idea at work, sitting an exam, or giving a speech at a wedding, we all face moments when we're under pressure to perform and the nerves kick in. Shayne Hanks, Sport and Performance Psychologist from Performance Boost, shares what we can learn from elite athletes.

As our cities grow we're building new houses, new shops and new amenities from scratch. Melanie Davern, from Australian Urban Observatory and Jane Martin from Food for Health Alliance unpack why so many new developments become fast food highways. Its in light of a proposal to change local planning processes in Victoria to address the growing problem of fast food over-saturation in suburbs like those in the Surf Coast, the Mayor Mike Bodsworth's discusses the potential impact, would it make us healthier?Philip Johns is the president of the 70 year old Rotary Club of Port Pirie in South Australia, but he's worried the club won't see many more birthdays. From Lions Club playgrounds to Rotary rotundas and sausage sizzles galore, the contribution of local service clubs is visible in every community, but they're folding after in the face of volunteer shortages. Philip joins Mark Pearce, CEO of Volunteering Australia to discuss what community service looks like in 2025. ABC Radio National has launched its Top 100 Books of the 21st Century. We asked broadcaster David Marr about the book that changed his life. And speaking of reading, if you can't remember the last time you got some quality hours in with your favourite book - there's a retreat for that! Amy Hart is the co founder of 'A Place to Pause' and Anna Burkey from Australia Reads discuss the rise and usefulness of the reading retreat. 

Is it possible to change your personality? Many of us may have thought about it, but journalist and staff writer at The Atlantic, Olga Khazan, actually did it.After spending a year intensively researching the science of personality change, she applied that science to herself. She wrote about her experience in her new book, Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change. And Dr Carly Johnco, clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at Macquarie University, discusses the evidence-based ways to change the essence of yourself.In Ask Aunty, our letter writer needs advice about how to deal with her daughter's young friend who is sharing TMI (too much information) about her parents. Today's aunties are writer, actor, and author Fiona Harris, and comedian Matt Okine.

Is the Australian flag a unifying emblem? A symbol of colonisation? Is it patriotic? Divisive? Exclusionary?Thousands of people attended the March for Australia rallies on the weekend... and one of the most common sights in the crowds was the Australian flag.The images have sparked a conversation about the flag's use and its meaning. Graeme Davison is an Emeritus professor of history at Monash University and John Vaughan is a vexillographer, flag designer and historian.This week, the head of the world's biggest food company, Nestle, was sacked after he failed to disclose his relationship with a subordinate. According to a 2023 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, nearly one in three employees has been in a romantic relationship with a coworker.But there's been a dramatic shift in workplace culture in recent years... and a greater understanding of workplace power imbalances.  Liv Arnold is a columnist and author, and met her husband at work. Sahra O'Doherty is the President of the Australian Association of Psychologists.Experts say the pandemic saw millions turn their backs on the jobs they'd been in for years, and decide to swap industries altogether. Linda Hartley-Clark has experience swapping careers. She's an actor turned relationship therapist. And Kate Flaherty, Career Development Association of Australia, shares her professional expertise.And a hat-snatching CEO has prompted debate after he was caught on camera taking an autographed tennis cap from a young child at the US Open and all hell breaks loose. So, what does a moment of bad behaviour reveal about a person's character? Patrick Stokes, Associate Professor of philosophy at Deakin University, discusses the ethical issues at play.

Australia’s housing crisis is a complex challenge - but what if it was also our biggest opportunity?In a new ABC Radio National series, The Home Front, Professor of Architecture Anthony Burke explores how smart, thoughtful design could transform the way we live - and help us reimagine the Great Australian Dream.For most people, calling a loved one is part of daily life. But in prison, the high cost of phone calls can cut people off from vital family support. Research shows that those who stay connected with loved ones are less likely to reoffend after release. Damien Linnane knows the cost of a phone call. He spent 10 months in prison and is editor of Paper Chained, a magazine for people affected by incarceration. Marius Smith is CEO of Vacro, a specialist criminal justice reintegration service that campaigns for fully funded phone calls in prisons.

Women do the bulk of the laundry, the cooking, the school lunches and running the family's social calendar. And this picture hasn't really changed in 20 years, according to the most recent Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey.So, what are the struggles in trying to share the domestic mental load? Matt Johnson is co-host of parenting podcast Two Doting Dads and Alistair Thomson is a historian, co-author of Fathering: An Australian history. He's also a proud dad, stepdad and grandad.When you're caring for a loved one who's unwell, the light at the end of the tunnel is obviously their recovery. But what about cases where that won't ever happen? Bruce Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, has recently revealed she and her 70-year-old husband now live separately due to his care requirements. Dementia advocate Pam Eade, who was diagnosed in 2021 shares her insights. As does Sophie Hennessy who runs the Nightingale Project - which runs a palliative model of advanced dementia care.Our modern lives are filled with beeps, dings, and buzzes. From washing machines and dishwashers to smartphones and fitness trackers. Driving is now a chorus of warnings and alerts - and while these features are meant to keep us safe, new research shows one in five drivers are turning them off. Milad Haghani is an Associate Professor in Urban Risk & Resilience at The University of Melbourne. And David Alais is a Professor of Psychology, University of Sydney.And finally, psychologist Christine Bagley-Jones offers advice about how to deal with trauma dumping - one-sided sharing of emotional information.

The dollar figure of detaining young people has shot up dramatically in the last five years, despite the actual number of people in the system declining. So if getting to these kids too late is costing us both financially and in community safety, just how early do we need to be intervening? Report author Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow and Emeritus Professor Ross Homel who led a decades-long early intervention and early prevention program in Queensland discuss. Right now, there's a fierce debate about what universities are for. Are they just factories for job-ready graduates? Or should they also be breeding grounds for big ideas, for curiosity, for critical thinking? Historian and academic Frank Bongiorno discusses what role universities play in modern Australia. ABC Radio National has launched its Top 100 Books of the 21st Century. We're asking some notable readers to tell me about the book that changed their life, starting with comedian Lizzy Hoo. Former AFL player Mitch Brown has publicly identified as bisexual becoming the first player in the code's history to do so. The official response from the AFL has been mixed, so Dr Victoria Rawlings is asking what would it take to create a world where people no longer need to come out? 

Are there conversations in your life that you try to avoid? And how might that be holding you back from getting what you actually want? Clinical psychologist Elisabeth Shaw says that, with the right tools, we can learn to communicate our needs and actually feel heard. Also, what do you do when your ex-mother-in-law gets in touch with some not-so-helpful life advice?

There's a small town on the west coast of Tasmania locked in a David and Goliath battle to save their last bank. Janet Lay has lived in Queenstown on Tasmania's west coast and has started a petition to keep their local bank in town. Since 2017, 36 per cent of brick and mortar bank branches have closed around regional Australia. Simon Lyons from the Regional Banking Investment Alliance asks how can we stop the flow of banks bailing on the regions? Since strict gun control measures were introduced following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, the number of firearms in Australia has increased by 25 per cent according to figures from The Australia Institute. In light of this week's fatal shooting of two Victorian police officers, we asked violence prevention specialist Dr Samara McPhedran what's behind the rise in gun ownership - and whether Australia's gun laws are still keeping people safe.Australia's newest Miss Universe has just been crowned, so we ask sociologist Dan Woodman if beauty pageants are still relevant in a body positive world?Australia is building more data centres to keep pace with our increasing participation in the digital world, but what do these resource-hungry facilities mean for communities nearby? Councillor Naim Kurt is the Deputy Mayor of a region soon to be home to these centres and Bronwyn Cumbo discusses the rise in these centres in Australian communities. EDITOR'S NOTE: August 28, 2025: An earlier version of this segment stated Bendigo Bank would charge fees to business customers using Bank@Post services. Bendigo Bank has since clarified its retail and business customers will be able to use Bank@Post services fee-free for the next 12 months. Statement from Bendigo Bank spokesperson:Following a review of evolving customer preferences, a reduction in business activity and an increase in costs, the Bank has made the difficult decision to close the Queenstown branch located at 33 Orr St, Queenstown. The Bank apologises for any inconvenience.Bendigo Bank is proud of its regional heritage and operates Australia’s second largest regional branch network. To preserve our ability to continue delivering for our customers and communities, we must ensure our branches are adequately supported and resourced. From Tuesday, 1 July 2025,  operating hours will reduce to Tuesday and Thursday from 10.00am to 1.00pm and 1:30pm to 4:00pm before our Queenstown branch and ATM close permanently from Friday, 26 September 2025. The Bank is in the process of communicating these changes to customers. For more information, click here. A range of banking options are available to customers impacted by this change. There is no action for customers to take as there will be no impact to how their accounts operate.   Customers can continue to transact as normal at any Bendigo Bank branch, ATM or at any time via internet banking, our mobile app or by phone on 1300 236 344. Customers can also choose to bank in-person using Bank@Post at any of the 3,500 Australia Post outlets across Australia. The nearest Australia Post LPO where customers can transact fee free for at least the next 12 months is located next door to the branch at 32 Orr Street, Queenstown.  Bendigo Bank maintains more branches per customer than any other Australian Bank. The Bank is committed to its branch network and the personalised interactions that occur in branch every day. For more branch closure information, click here.