Life Matters - Full program podcast

After Chris Herrmann's wife died suddenly, he was left with the feeling that life is too short not to make the most of every moment. So he packed up and set off on a round-the-world trip. Retirement expert Bec Wilson shares how the "golden gap year" is giving people in their 50s, 60s and beyond a chance to see the world and take the trips they missed out on in their youth.
Rates are rising again, the cost of grocery staples is going up and people are feeling it. Many households are starting to look more closely at their budgets to figure out where they can make meaningful savings. Financial adviser James Wrigley and the National Debt Helpline's Karyn Hicks explain where to start if you're trying to cut back.
Circadian rhythms play a powerful role in how your manage your day. If you're a morning person, your energy might be waning by the early afternoon, while night owls feel more productive later in the day. But the workforce isn't set up to suit everyone's needs, so how do you get the best out of everyone?

In Australia, it's estimated that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men have experienced violence from an intimate partner. While public awareness of this national crisis has improved, so often, the response is: why didn't they just leave? Abuse survivor Dr Ruth and domestic violence researcher and counsellor Elizabeth McLindon explain the complicated reality of escaping intimate partner violence, and why there are so many barriers for those who want to leave.
Health advice is everywhere online, with endless streams of content from wellness influencers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. These self-styled experts are at your fingertips to give advice you advice, — and they're often cashing in. Journalist Deborah Cohen has been investigating what's at risk when we turn to the algorithm for answers about our health.And there's carers leave for family, but what about friendship leave to make time for the family you choose?

Parents have never had more options to give their child the best start in life. But when it comes to choosing the "best" school to provide your child a quality education, that decision can be costly. Author Jane Caro explains how the gap between public and private schools has widened to a chasm, and turned what many would consider a basic right to education into a minefield of parental guilt.
In an age where people are writing entire novels using ChatGPT, author Bri Lee chose to compose her latest work completely by hand. It's a small act of resistance pushing back against the relentless quest for convenience — just one example of a broader trend described by columnist Kathryn Jezer-Morton as 'friction-maxxing'.
New research has explored which voices we find more attractive and how our sexuality might shape the kinds of speech that turns us on. Researcher Cate Madill explains what shapes the way we talk, and how our voices reflect power, status and our place in the world.

It's time to talk about the father wound. For many, these relationships can be complicated by absence, emotional distance and "dadmiration". Clinical psychologist Zac Seidler explores the challenges of navigating fatherhood when your relationship with your own dad was difficult, and where modern dads are looking for support, guidance and role models outside of Bluey.
This week, Aunties James Findlay and Diana Nguyen advise a Life Matters listener on the politics of the group chat. When a friendship fades out, is it OK to remove the ring-in? Or is it better to create a new chat on the side? What happens if they find out they weren't invited?

Australia sends 26 million tonnes of rubbish to landfills each year, and we're running out of room. Sydney is on track to run out of space in the next five years. Among the potential solutions are waste-to-energy facilities that burn rubbish and turn it into electricity. A few are already up and running, but there's significant community pushback. So could these projects really have a role to play in moving towards a circular economy?
If there's an old piano in your life, you might be wondering what to do with it when the keys won't play anymore. It's estimated at least 3,000 pianos are thrown away each year, often because they're costly to maintain, difficult to move, and hard even to give away. Jen Petrie and Mike Hendry share how they're giving unwanted pianos a second chance. 
The character of a place can be a significant drawcard, so we often feel protective over the vibe of our local community. But this week, a tribunal in Victoria ruled that there's no true authority on what's cool, reversing a local council decision to block McDonald's from moving into the trendy neighbourhood. Resident Life Matters sociologist Dan Woodman weighs in on who decides what's considered cool.