Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

A chilling Four Corners investigation has revealed how paedophiles are exploiting Australia's broken childcare system.As summer approaches and some centres shut down over the holidays, you might be asking: where do I send my kids next year?How do you know they're safe? And more importantly, how would you even know if something is wrong?

Did you have a Facebook account around 2013? If you did... you may be eligible for compensation from its parent company Meta as part of a landmark $50m privacy breach payout here in Australia.The payments stem from Facebook's involvement in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a massive data breach in the 2010s.

Jimmy Wales might not have the name recognition of Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk, but his invention has been just as influential to the history of the modern internet. He co-founded a website you might have open in another tab on the device you're looking at right now: Wikipedia.It's a site you visit when you want a quick and mostly accurate overview of anything from political history to celebrity stats, because for the most part you trust the information you find on Wikipedia, right!? Jimmy Wales has a few thoughts on trust, and he's written a new book about it, it's called The Seven Rules of Trust: Why it is Today's Most Essential Superpower. 

We’re used to prices changing based on demand, from rideshare surges on a Friday night to airline bookings during peak holiday periods.But now there’s a new type of pricing that’s much more targeted – personalised pricing.It’s a price set just for you, based on how much a company thinks you’re willing to pay for something because of your own distinct internet trail.So how do you know if this is happening to you? And is there anything you can do about it? 

Across the country there are about 45,000 children in out-of-home care... and about 8,000 are in a foster care home.  These children rely on foster carers who open their homes ... they feed and clothe them, provide emotional support and often help them stay connected to their birth families.But in Victoria, some foster carers are reporting sudden reductions in their allowances for looking after children with high-level needs.  At the moment, it's an issue that seems to be limited to Victoria.But it highlights the ongoing challenges around the country when it comes to finding foster carers for children who need safe and stable homes.And the number of foster carer families has been dropping across all states and territories over the last five years.Cost of living pressures...  low carer allowances...  and carers feeling undervalued: It all adds up to a system that's letting down carers... and vulnerable children.So, what needs to change?

In Queensland, it's illegal to feed or rehome stray cats.Councils favour trapping and euthanising - in a bid to protect wildlife.We could be about to see changes to the regulations. So, how do we strike a balance between kindness to all animals - and preserving our fragile ecosystem? 

When your family's bin is constantly overflowing… And there's one across the street that's consistently empty….. is that too good an opportunity to go to waste?So, does victimless bin appropriation exist?

Psychology professor Gordon Flett has shown that the amount a person feels they "matter" could be the key factor in how positive they feel about their life.He also argues there are evidence-based ways that anyone can begin to boost their "mattering" metric and dramatically reshape their relationship to work, the world and themselves.

There are so many things that shape the way we use our streets. A new study from RMIT has found bringing residential speed limits down from 50 to 30 kilometres an hour would protect cyclists.Other studies show a drop in residential speed limits even more benefits, especially for our kids.So what do we need to do to make our streets safe, healthy and places that encourage us to get outside and play?

New research found one in seven adult Australians could imagine falling in love with an AI chatbot. It comes as the world's most popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, prepares to roll out a new version that includes erotic conversations and the ability to "act like a friend."So, what happens if our companions, lovers, and friends are made of code?Is it innovation? Can a bot help alleviate loneliness?Or are there too many risks when you replace human connection with AI?