Life Matters - Full program podcast

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.