Life Matters

When it comes to intellectual ability, the vast majority of us fall somewhere around the middle of the bell curve. But it's estimated that 10 per cent of students could be considered academically gifted, capable of learning at a much faster pace than their peers. So do gifted and talented education programs make a difference for success in the long-term? 

Boys are less likely than girls to read for pleasure — especially as teenagers, according to international research. But researchers say addressing the gender reading gap is more complex than writing more "books for boys". Children's author Scott Stuart and education lecturer Sarah McDonald explore what really helps boys develop a lifelong love of reading.

As smart phones have become more integral to our day-to-day lives, there's been a subtle push back against the tech reliance. Companies promising to help break the addiction are offering all manner of products designed to make our phones less convenient. Consumer behaviour expert Paul Harrison breaks down why we're paying to reintroduce friction.

What are you willing to give up in order to make the world around you a better place? Renowned philosopher and ethicist Peter Singer has spent decades exploring this question. To mark his 80th birthday, he joins Life Matters to explore what it means to live a life shaped by our responsibilities to others.

Last week the Clean Energy Council proposed a federal scheme to allow the regional areas that host renewable projects to directly benefit from their efforts. Council spokesperson Chris O'Keefe and Western Downs mayor Andrew Smith explain how a scheme like this could work and what it means for the areas carrying the weight of the energy transition.

A recent study from the University of Texas has challenged the idea that cognitive decline is inevitable, showing that regular brain training can boost cognition well into old age. Neuroscientist Lila Landowski explains how to keep your brain fit in your later years.

All through July, Life Matters has been exploring what it means to be a grandparent in 2026, but now it's time to turn inwards. Author Tony Birch and historian Tanya Evans explore how life lessons are passed down through generations, and share their reflections on what their own grandparents taught them.

Early childhood friendships are usually pretty simple — struck up over shared interests in Lego, dress-ups or morning tea snacks. But the same can't always be said for adults. This week, Aunties Maeve Marsden and Joe Sullivan share some advice for a listener who's keen to bond with the cooler parents at kinder pick-up.

A recent survey of Australian school teachers found more than half had no formal training in sex and relationships education before becoming a teacher. Many of them feel poorly equipped for the job. Researcher Lily Moor and respectful relationships educator Evan Couper discuss how to better equip teachers to provide the sex ed teenagers need. 

The latest stats from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show divorces are on the rise. When you walk away from the person you thought you'd be with forever, it can be messy, no matter how mature both partners are about it. Karen McNenny, author of The Good Divorce, explains how to find a way through it with as little drama as possible. 

Every day we make hundreds of choices, big and small. Free will gives us a sense of direction and power over our own lives. But do we truly have free will? A recent study from the University of Melbourne suggests accepting free will doesn't exist might have its own benefits. 

If you've ever felt the sudden urge to throw your device into a body of water and live a simpler, offline life, you're not alone. A group of people in New York City recently organised an eight-day festival promoting human connection in the spirit of the Luddites. Gowanus, media spokespuppet for The Summer of Ludd and University of Melbourne sociologist Dan Woodman explore what this yearning for a time before smart phones says about us.

In the age of navigation apps, the days of balancing a street directory on your knees as you drive across an unfamiliar city are relatively rare. But if your phone dies, or the satellite technology fails, would you be lost without it? Orienteerer Ian Jessup and psychologist Oliver Baumann explain the benefits of using your own brain's navigation system.

The University of Melbourne's Archives and Special Collections now holds a rare copy of a 15th century manual on hunting, torturing and executing women accused of witchcraft. So what can the world's most infamous witch-hunting handbook tell us about the spread of misinformation and dangerous ideas today?

The latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows smoking rates have fallen to historic lows, but at the same time, there's been a steady increase in the illicit tobacco trade. So do we really have a clear picture on who's smoking, and how much? Researchers Ed Jegasothy and James Martin weigh in on how the black market rise is affecting our public health strategy.

In the vast history of the universe, a human lifespan is a mere blip. But long after our bodies are gone, signs of the lives we lived will remain. So what will the everyday objects you leave behind say about you? Roxanne Missingham from the State Library of Victoria and family history writer Cassie Gilmartin discuss how pieces of everyday life have stories to tell for future generations. 

The message that "you can be anything you want to be" is meant to instil confidence in our kids, but does it set them up for disappointment? For Head and Heart, resident Life Matters psychologist Christine Bagley-Jones explores how to walk the line between encouraging ambition and setting realistic expectations.

Grandparenting can come at a time of life where your old identities no longer fit. So the opportunities for transformation can be profound — it's a chance to do things differently to when you were a parent and explore a new way of connecting with the next generation. In the latest instalment of The Grandparent Trap, grandads Julian Mather and Alistair Thomson join researcher Amanda Salmon to explore the possibilities of reinvention. 

True crime has become a mainstay of popular culture, but has our collective obsession gone too far? Last week a murder inquest in Queensland heard from an amateur detective who tried to solve the crime on her own, inspired by podcasts about the cold case. ABC's Stephen Stockwell and criminology lecturer Greg Stratton explain how our fascination with high-profile cases could impact the justice system.

By now we’re all familiar with the idealised version of tradwife life: living off the land and dutifully raising children in an isolated, beautiful, part of the world. But some women in rural Australia argue the trend is obscuring the harsh realities of what it means to live in country Australia. 

If you've ever suddenly lost a job, had a surprise health diagnosis or a relationship end, you know what it feels like to grapple with uncertainty. Let's face it, uncertainty is all around us, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. It's an uncomfortable feeling. Journalist Simone Stolzoff and psychologist Sahra O'Doherty unpack what you could be missing when fear of the unknown drives decision making.

In Ask Aunty, a listener asks for advice on how to navigate an entangled friendship group when one member of the chosen family isn't pulling their weight.

Daniel Finlay decided to get a vasectomy at 30 years old, the decision surprises his peers but he's not alone. New research from Adelaide University suggests more Australian men are making that decision earlier than previous generations. So what's driving this family planning decision for men?

All over the country more people are engaging in the Nordic pass-time of sauna.The popularity has risen due to a push by the health and fitness industry on how this practice can optimise your workouts. But what is behind our fascination with sauna and is it here to stay?

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.

In Social Studies, Professor Dan Woodman unpacks new analysis that shows young Australian men are turning to religion at higher rates than their female counterparts. So how widespread and entrenched is this trend, and what's driving it?

Is your first best friend still in your life? For many of us, those friendships fade as life moves on. But for others, like comedian Matt Okine, that childhood friend is still in their life decades later. So what's special about a friend who's known you since childhood and what makes those friendships last?

This month Brisbane woman Jenitar Na'amoana has given birth to identical quadruplets, in a case that has gained global attention. It's an incredible feat of the human body, with about a one in 15 million chance of occurring. But what is it like on the other side, raising that many children all at the same time?

Do you feel like your reward for being good at your job is getting more work? You may have incurred the competence tax. This Working Life host Lisa Leong can help you with that.