Home Podcasts Life Matters - Separate stories podcast
Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

ABC Australia 250 Episodes Aug 13, 2026

Life Matters helps you navigate the big stuff in life: relationships, health, money, work, and the world. With trusted experts and your stories, the show explores what truly matters to you. This podcast features separate stories from the program.

Episodes

Ask Aristotle: Would you quit your job for your principles?
Ask Aristotle: Would you quit your job for your principles? Aug 13, 2026 0:09:25 We all have a set of moral principles we try to live by, but sometimes other factors get in the way that can challenge those ideals. This week we heard the story of a pilot who gave up their 40-year aviation career due to concerns about the impact on the climate. It's a big step to take a moral stand in alignment with your virtues — but can you ever live a wholly ethical life?
Luke McGregor considered himself a wimp. Then he discovered his warrior past
Luke McGregor considered himself a wimp. Then he discovered his warrior past Aug 13, 2026 0:13:44 How much do you know about your family history? Have you pored through the archives, dug up old photos, and trawled through births, deaths and marriages records to piece together your family's past?Or maybe, like comedian, actor and writer Luke McGregor, you know very little about your ancestry at all.In the new season of Shaun Micallef's Origin Odyssey on SBS, Luke McGregor pull
When does ordinary or even ugly architecture become iconic?
When does ordinary or even ugly architecture become iconic? Aug 13, 2026 0:20:10 Canberra's beloved bus shelters have just been added to the ACT Heritage Registry. Designed back in the 1970s, and once described as "concrete monstrosities", they weren't always adored. So what does it take for an ordinary, perhaps even ugly, piece of public infrastructure to become a symbol of a city?
Are hairdressers the new therapists?
Are hairdressers the new therapists? Aug 12, 2026 0:20:55 University of Melbourne research has outlined the urgent need to better equip the people who become our de facto therapists — the beauticians, hairdressers, nail techs — with the tools to respond to what we tell them.Because the casual conversation in the salon chair can get heavy out of nowhere, and when the scissors, shampoo and blow dryers are packed away, the salon workers ar
This evolutionary biologist wants you to re-think what 'good' sleep looks like
This evolutionary biologist wants you to re-think what 'good' sleep looks like Aug 12, 2026 0:19:22 If you only got a few hours sleep last night and are miraculously functioning today, you have your early human ancestors to thank for that. Sleep has played a crucial role in human evolution, and evolutionary biologist Dr David Samson argues our ability to function on little sleep is actually a superpower. He's spent time observing how humans sleep in "natural environments" — tha
Work in Progress: What's the best way to quit your job
Work in Progress: What's the best way to quit your job Aug 12, 2026 0:11:05 The average person spends around 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime.That's a lot of time to spend somewhere if you're not happy. So how do you know if it's time to leave?And when it comes to quitting, the when and how requires some thought.
Head and Heart: How to talk about money with your partner
Head and Heart: How to talk about money with your partner Aug 11, 2026 0:10:20 In your relationship, are you the one who counts all the cents and tracks the budget? Or do you treat yourself, knowing you worked hard and deserve to splurge?Our attitudes towards money are shaped from years of experience and differing opinions can be a real strain on relationships. Getting on the same page about money is essential, but how do you bring up this sensitive topic?
What does the Census question on religion really say about us?
What does the Census question on religion really say about us? Aug 11, 2026 0:27:23 The Australian Census is upon us. Among the questions that statisticians will be keenly poring over is a fairly simple one: what is the person's religion?There have been huge shifts in Australia's religious make-up since the Census began more than 100 years ago.In 2021, Christianity was still the most common response, but it had dropped by a million since 2016. In the meantime, t
Millions are delaying dental care — and there's no national plan to fix it
Millions are delaying dental care — and there's no national plan to fix it Aug 11, 2026 0:12:07 Emily Novo had put off seeing the dentist because she was worried about the cost. Then an abscess became so painful she ended up in a hospital emergency department.She's not alone. More than two million Australians have skipped dental care because they can't afford it, and one in three has untreated tooth decay, according to the Australian Dental Association (ADA).This week, a de
Playing pirates in Sydney Harbour with 'baba' Malcolm Turnbull
Playing pirates in Sydney Harbour with 'baba' Malcolm Turnbull Aug 10, 2026 0:06:14 From commanding the halls of power to playing hide and seek in the halls of his house, former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has a lot more time on his hands now to devote to his favourite activity: playing silly games with his grandchildren.All throughout July we've been introducing you to a new side of prominent Australians as part of the Grandparent Trap series, like "grumpy
Coastal homes are being battered by climate change. Is it too late to sandbag our way out of this?
Coastal homes are being battered by climate change. Is it too late to sandbag our way out of this? Aug 10, 2026 0:23:43 Having a beachfront home used to be the ultimate Aussie aspiration. But extreme weather events are eroding our iconic coastline, and for many, that dream is turning into a nightmare. Last week the New South Wales Land and Environment Court ruled in favour of beachfront homeowners on the Central Coast who want to build a seawall to protect their homes from erosion. But some expert
Volunteers are on the frontline of the bird flu response
Volunteers are on the frontline of the bird flu response Aug 10, 2026 0:11:25 Australia is in the early stages of dealing with a bird flu outbreak that could have severe impacts on our native wildlife.With the first mass mortality event already underway, it is wildlife volunteers who are stepping up as the first line of response, spotting and caring for sick birds.As this outbreak continues, what will wildlife volunteers be called to do, and is it fair for

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