This week Fred wants to learn more about lootboxes in video games, and Matt is just the man to talk to about whether they pose a risk of gambling addiction. Fred offers a wealth of information about the psychology of addiction from his clinical work while Matt has plenty of experience with lootboxes. Should parents be worried about the video games their kids play, and how should they be regulated? Tune in to find out.

This week Fred is concerned about a phenomenon that's been on the news recently - kids starting random fights to film them and get clicks online. We investigate what drives someone to throw a punch in the supermarket for some likes and how we can come to terms with an internet that has created a new attention currency to drive anti-social behaviour.

Is this a new problem, or a problem at all? Join us this week to find out.

With the passing of Barry Humphries, a renowned Australian comedian of the 20th century, his career as Dame Edna Everage has been the talk of Aussie dinner tables this last week or so. Matt noticed something very interesting in his conversations, that people of all generations seemlessly moved between talking about Dame Edna as 'she' and Humphries as 'he'. In a cultural landscape marred by divisive arguments about the complexity of gender, Matt and Fred investigate the legacy of Dame Edna.

This week Fred and Matt weigh in an important political and cultural topic in Australia - the proposed referendum for a First Nations Voice to Parliament. What is the Voice proposing, why does it matter now, what consequences will Australia's decision have?

Join us this week to share this important discussion.

Fred and Matt have a brief discussion sparked by a swath of anti-trans laws passed or proposed in US states that criminals healthcare and freedom for trans people. Fred highlights how these legislations are often written to be interpreted very broadly, and that punching down on a marginalised minority like this can be a form of popularist dog whistle. They also investigate how these attitudes manifest in Australia.

If I Only Knew is back for 2023!

Matt returns from overseas and shares his worries about the state of the world in 2023 with Fred. How should we best navigate conflict, economic unrest, and social discord in this coming year? What will 2023 actually bring , for people young and old? Fred offers some optimism as we frame the future in the context of the past.

Andrew Tate has been a rising internet celebrity over the last few months, renowned for controversial and demeaning comments he has made. This week Matt introduces Fred to Tate, and they explore how Tate has risen to such prominence and what this can tell us about young men particularly in modern society. If you want to keep up with the ever-changing internet landscape or have worried about the impact of Tate on someone in your life, listen in this week.

Fred is back on the pod this week, joining Matt to talk about an especially topical news story in Australia - the funding of Netball Australia by Gina Rinehart. What does it say about our society where a corporate sponsor so quickly pulls funding for raising social concerns, and on what grounds can the netball Australia team be criticised or celebrated for their stance on wearing the company's logo on their uniforms? Listen in for a quick discussion of these problems.

A real short one this week, Matt shares some of his thoughts about the central role our society seems to place on establishing causal responsibility for something before we actually go ahead and fix it. A lot of effort is spent arguing over who is responsible for climate change, and a common reason not to help fix something is 'it's not my fault'. But perhaps the world would be better if people were willing to help fix a problem they see, even if they haven't directly contributed to it. This is a quick reflection on those ideas.

This week Matt is flying solo because Fred's vacationing on a tropical paradise somewhere for a holiday. So Matt digs into some of his favourite topics to investigate how influencers and celebrities shape the habits of people young and old. Influencers seem to be a favourite topic across generations, and celebrity culture certainly poses a mystery sometimes, but Matt spends this episode looking at how influencers create a community and then promote products to that community - for good and for bad.