Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

In 2011, Turia Pitt was caught in a grassfire while competing in the 100km Kimberley ultra marathon in Western Australia. She suffered burns to 65% of her body. She lost seven fingers, had more than 200 medical procedures, and spent two years in recovery.So safe to say, Turia is no stranger to facing life's challenges head on. But in her new book, she turns her focus to different challenges - sacrifice, guilt, and burnout. It's a book that digs into her life as a parent and a partner ... And it's called Selfish.

Financial Counselling Australia has just released a set of principles aimed at guiding organisations to better respond to financial hardship.So if you find yourself in financial stress, what should you do? And how should you expect a business to treat you?

Late last week a group of scientists and nutrition experts unveiled an updated global diet plan. This diet is a bit different. It's not just about what you put into your body to make you healthier. It's also about how we produce food to keep the planet healthy.The EAT-Lancet Commission says adopting its diet recommendations could prevent 40,000 early deaths per day across the world...  and cut emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The diet's key message: eat way less meat and more plants.Fill your plate with veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts... and keep meat, especially red meat, for special occasions... maybe one small steak or lamb chop a week.

Recently, 600 couples from the South American nation of Paraguay were married simultaneously in a gym.Is this a genius way to get around the financial strain of throwing a wedding? Or is it somehow less special than a ceremony of your own?What makes weddings so special anyway? They're expensive. They're full of drama. And they rarely turn out exactly how you wanted.So why do we still bother with weddings?

Its estimated one in six Australian students receive private tutoring to help them catch up or get ahead at school. However, the billion-dollar industry remains largely unregulated, with no national standards or enforced accreditation.A new University of Sydney study warns this 'shadow' education sector is putting student safety, learning quality and fairness at risk.

A really meaningful piece of jewellery can feel like it's part of you... but some people take that to the next level with pieces that are literally made with body parts.Elton John for instance -- he had a double kneecap replacement surgery last year, then hired a jeweller to fashion his old kneecaps into shiny gold jewellery... a pendant and a brooch.Our taste in jewellery is pretty personal... One person's dream engagement ring is another person's gaudy horror. So, how did jewellery become the status symbol it is today? And what's your relationship with your jewellery?

Last week's big celebrity news that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban had ended their marriage after 19 years came as a bit of a shock. And within a day... came the next update... Keith has reportedly moved on and is in a new relationship. While we're talking about two global superstars here... in a lot of ways, they're also going through a pretty relatable experience. About 30% of Australian marriages end in divorce....and many people go on to find new partners and remarry. 

What if the leading performer in the next movie you saw wasn't human, but an AI entity? Tilly Norwood is young, brunette, with brown eyes and what sounds like an English accent. Tilly's show reel depicts her fleeing explosions, preparing to fight a monster... and sharing a romantic moment in a historic drama. But Tilly is an AI-generated creation made by an artificial intelligence talent studio. The studio's CEO said a number of entertainment companies were interested in signing deals with the AI creation.So, what do audiences think?And how do AI performers affect living, breathing, creatives? 

Children are reading less and less. And adults? Well, we're not much better.A new report shows that kids need the time, space and a little helping hand to fall in love with reading.So why don't we have more dedicated spaces for kids to explore books?

It can be easier to outsource errands on your phone. Especially if those chores involve a trip to the shops with your kids. But is avoiding the hassle of the shopping centre car park and in-store meltdowns worth what you miss when their face lights up as they find the shoes that fit just right? Or the incidental deep and meaningful chats in the car?What falls by the wayside in our relentless pursuit for efficiency?