Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

From the desks we work at, to the places we retreat to at the end of the day, the spaces around us quietly shape how we feel, how we live, and how we connect with each other.Good design isn't just about looks – it's about comfort, dignity, possibility, and the way a space can hold us, support us, even change us.So at a time when so many Australians are struggling to find four walls to call home, what can design teach us about building homes and communities that truly meet people's needs? 

In a lively chat, Alex Haslam, a Professor of social and organisational psychology, dives into how our environment shapes dress codes. He reveals why double pluggers are a workplace staple in Queensland but not in Sydney. The influence of weather and cultural trends on our attire is fascinating, as well as how group norms can enforce casual rules. Haslam discusses the balance between personal freedom and societal expectations, illuminating how fashion can signal hierarchies and the complexities of dressing for different events.

As summer holidays approach, many of us will be planning time in the great outdoors. But if you're about to embark on an overnight hike or tackle a challenging climb on your break, how much thought have you given to the worst-case scenario?It's not something anyone likes to dwell on, but preparing for all possibilities can be the difference between life, death, or being extracted by specialist rescue teams.So how prepared are you to venture into the wilderness?

Two major clothing retailers have been busted using AI-generated ads. Now Heineken, Polaroid, and Cadbury are pushing back- branding their campaigns "human made."So, why are we bothered whether an ad is AI-generated or not?

AI is already pretty good at making decent music with bare minimum human input, but now one of the biggest AI-music generating platforms has partnered with one of the world's biggest record labels.It could mean the artificially-made music is about to be based on some of your favourite – and most popular – artists' work. So once the song is sung, do you care whether the music you love is AI or human-generated? 

Last Thursday morning, a woman died and her boyfriend was seriously injured in a shark attack at a remote NSW beach.The attack happened as the couple was reportedly filming dolphins in the water.It's a tragedy... and the fifth fatal shark attack in Australia this year.So, are shark attacks on the rise in Australia?And what's the most effective way of reducing attacks?

The consumer watchdog is urging shoppers to be wary of online "ghost stores" in the lead-up to Christmas. The ACCC has received more than 700 complaints about online stores suspected of misrepresenting themselves as local businesses.So how can you steer clear of online scams this festive season? And what should you do if you've been caught up in one?

Although we’d all love to imagine you can have a second chance at love, the divorce rate for second marriages is double that of first. Psychotherapists Dr Zoe Krupka and Stephen Andrew have been a couple for 14 years and it's a second marriage for both of them. They say marriage number two can be the fulfilling and thrilling relationship people always hoped they could have.

In high school, sorting out friendship drama can take up a lot of time, but it can cause even bigger headaches as adults. So what do you do when your relationship with your new best friend is upsetting your old best friend?

In your house there's probably a box squirrelled away in a cupboard somewhere, full of photos and memorabilia of your kids and grandkids.And even though you don't look at it every day, it pulls at the heartstrings when you stumble across it. But do we place the same value on those memories if they're digital?As the social media ban approaches, Meta platforms are prompting users under 16 to download their data before they're removed from the platform.As Australia enters our world first of taking social media off of teenagers, what do we need to make sure they take with them?