Grave Matters

While some may assume that grief and terminal illness are the ultimate turn offs, the truth can be far more complicated. Sexual desire is fluid, and death and dying can impact our libidos and relationships in wild and unexpected ways.

Death is inevitable, the natural fate of all living things. Right? Well, not exactly. There’s a growing movement of anti-ageing scientists, longevity pioneers and immortality advocates (aka billionaires and tech bros) who are calling time on one of life’s two great certainties - and it ain’t taxes.

Is it possible to protect today’s teens from the evils of the world? Are high schools adequately preparing them for adulthood in the age of AI? In small-town Tennessee, one teacher is using cold case murders to educate students with staggering results.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were practising end of life care for thousands of years prior to colonisation. But with the loss of traditional practices in many communities, are mainstream palliative care services equipped to cater to the needs of Indigenous people? And what can we learn from Indigenous perspectives on dying?

From driving cars to drafting emails, retail therapy to disease diagnosis, artificial intelligence now permeates almost every aspect of our lives. But how is AI innovation affecting death and dying? Are we moving towards digital immortality, or does the onset of sentient AI sound the death knell for humankind?

Ever wondered who has to clean up after a murder? Or who to call about a relative’s hoarding? After 25 years of mopping up such messes, one forensic and trauma cleaner says she’s seen it all. And from prison cells to blood-soaked parks, she may be right.

You may see zombies and vampires as little more than cultural fodder for your horror-filled delight. But for centuries, undead creatures have been used to represent social anxieties, reflect political upheaval and reinforce burial rites. Anthony and Nadine meet a scholar who says the undead aren’t really monsters at all - they’re us. What can the walking corpse or the bloodsucking temptress tell us about ourselves and our relationship with death and the afterlife? And can zombies ever be hot?

Do we have a fundamental right to die? Should everyone have access to Voluntary Assisted Dying? Dr Philip Nitschke has been at the forefront of VAD advocacy and innovation for 30 years. He joins Anthony and Nadine to discuss the legal and ethical questions surrounding dying with dignity.

Members of the LGBTQI community face unique, often invisible challenges when it comes to ageing and dying. They are also creating new and joyful ways to celebrate and honour each other’s lives. One man is holding their hands through it all. Anthony and Nadine chat with LGBTQI advocate Russ Gluyas about death and dying in the Queer community.

Have you ever wondered what type of people donate their bodies to science? Or if body supply equals demand? Organ donation may be increasing but the numbers surrounding whole body donation remain vague. What happens to the bodies that do end up in labs? And what if there’s a shortage? One woman decided to find out.