Go on, admit it. When Prince Harry and Megan Markle left the UK – you took note. Ok, maybe YOU didn’t, but millions of others did.  But why, in modern society, are monarchies so persistent? Guided by declared republican Professor Dennis Altman, we look at monarchies from a global perspective: the ones that work, the ones that don't, and the ones that remain popular even when they make no political sense.

If you hooked up with your partner in recent years chances are, you met online. For those who spent their early years of dating ‘old school’, the shift to online dating came with some bias. But what is the impact of internet dating on human relationships? Hear from Emerita Professor Christine Beasley, author of Internet Dating: Intimacy and Social Change (2021). 

Can money right a wrong? How hard is it on victims going through the court system seeking money justice? In this episode, Turia Pitt talks frankly about why she pursued a financial settlement; Professor Kathleen Daly explains money justice and its roots; and lawyer Josh Bornstein gives an insider's perspective on the road he’s seen victims travel in their quest for financial recompense.  

Can you trust your memories? Ever wondered if your earliest recollections really happened the way you remember them? Professor Amanda Barnier helps us explore the strengths and challenges of memory: how it works and how others can help us to remember better. Plus, Professor Kate Darien-Smith helps uncover how historians shape memories on everyone’s behalf.

Feeling old? Good news: you’re trending. Globally, there are now more people over the age of 65 than five and under. By 2050, there’ll be more over 65s than under 21s. But in Australia, where 1 in 10 Australian companies will not hire people over 50, ageism is rife.  So what’s the cost of excluding older people, and what are some solutions to our ageist society?

How will you retire well? How much money will you need to maintain your standard of living once you’re not working, particularly in your last 20-30 years of life? With help from our guest Professor Andrew Podger from the Australian National University (ANU), you’ll learn when to throw money into superannuation (and when to supercharge your efforts); what you’ll need to spend through each stage of retirement and what your super fund should be doing to help you better understand your finances...

Listen to our most downloaded season to date. 

With travel bans and canned plans, negotiating travel in the time of COVID is proving tricky. We’ll talk to experts about where the industry is at now,  learn what’s happened to those dependant on the industry for their career, and explain why tourism is so stuck negotiating the present it’s almost impossible for those in it to plan for the future.

Let's see if the predictions made in 2020 stack up in 2021.

What's involved in forecasting the Federal Budget, COVID-19 daily case numbers, or Australia's electricity needs?  Join expert Professor Rob Hyndman as he explains the art of prediction. This episode also features guests Jehan Ratnatunga (Who Gives A Crap) and leading economist Stephen Koukoulas.  

Whatevs, just chillax – slang is here to stay. Slang expert Professor Kate Burridge explains how slang evolves and why it sticks around, and you’ll meet three linguists who are working hard to revitalise some of our ‘sleeping’ Indigenous languages.

Toxic masculinity and rape culture are in the headlines again. And women are furious. So how can we reset masculine norms?

Are you or your team clocking long hours at work? Or often twiddling your thumbs? Turns out Goldilocks was right: the balance needs to be just right. In this episode, Professor Andrew Neal discusses how bosses effectively (and ineffectively) manage workloads and what the risks are when they get it wrong. 

Have you ever used humour in a potentially inappropriate situation? Did it help? Humour does more than provide a giggle or two. It's an energiser, an icebreaker and a team builder. In this episode, Professor Sharyn Roach Anleu, Dr David Cheng and the 2020 cartoonist of the year Cathy Wilcox explain its purpose and provide some laughs along the way too. 

Do you have an image you just can't get out of your mind? Something from the news or a current event? Did it impact how you thought about that issue - maybe for decades? According to Professor Roland Bleiker (and at least one Ethiopian taxi driver) visual politics is a real thing, and it's twisting our perceptions every day.

The TV show, Neighbours, premiered in 1985. Since then, you’re likely to know half as many neighbours as you did in the mid-1980s. So, how did your community help you get through 2020? And why is something Professor Andrew Leigh terms “an ugly term for a beautiful concept” (social capital) so important? 

Do you have a family recipe that keeps you together? Most of us have at least one dish in our repertoire that holds decades of memories - or even family history. Did you revisit that recipe this year? One of Australia’s eminent food historians shares how food keeps us together, even when we are apart – both in good times and times of crisis, and why your family recipes help you through hard times.

How much would you pay to claw back some extra time? Would the answer be different now that, as one of the few silver linings of COVID 19, you can work from home a lot more? Would it be $10 a week? $20 a week? Transport expert Professor David Hensher actually knows the answer. (Spoiler: It’s a lot!)The death of commuting is making many of us happier, but has 2020 really been our one-way road out of traffic congestion? And if it is, how will our cities look on the other side?

We take you behind the scenes to the treasure hunt for those 200 explosive Palace letters - the same letters that led to one of the most controversial political actions in Australian history.

How can the speed and frequency of images rightly or wrongly impact our views of current issues? Join Professor Roland Bleiker, from the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland, and host Ginger Gorman as they discuss the politicisation of images, and how these shape our collective consciousness; something Professor Bleiker argues can have a remarkable impact on our individual political beliefs and emotional responses.

Ross Gittins, Economics Editor for the Sydney Morning Herald, has seen both sides of three recessions. This one is the fourth he’s worked through. So why is this one “completely different” and why does this experienced commentator say it will it be harder to get out of? Listen in as Ross and host Ginger Gorman discuss the ins and outs of our struggling economy.

As protests and riots continue in America over police brutality and persecution of people of colour, Australia’s own injustices against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must also be subject to public scrutiny. Join Aboriginal Australian activist and human rights lawyer, Megan Davis, alongside host Ginger Gorman as they reflect on the significance of the Uluru Statement from the Heart three years on, and steps to reconciliation and equal political representation of Aboriginal and...

Pyjamas, commuting from bed to your desk just minutes after waking up, no boss looking over your shoulde­r–working from home sounds like a dream. But what about the pressures from family, bad technology, and lack of support from colleagues? Professor Sharon Parker, from the Future of Work Institute at Curtin University, and Laureate from the Australian Research Council, discusses the Australian workforce’s adjustment to isolated work. Listen to her and host Ginger Gorman as they theorise...

Male socialisation and ideals of masculinity already have a devastating effect on the health and well-being of men across the globe. With the added pressures from COVID-19, and forced isolation, this issue is turning into another kind of pandemic. Join Professor Jane Pirkis, Director of the Centre for Mental Health at the University of Melbourne speaking with journalist Ginger Gorman as they discuss their common area of expertise: suicide representation and prevention in the media. Listen as...

Australian higher education institutions are caught up in the fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But closing borders to international students has had an unintended outcome: it’s highlighted faults in the system and raised new questions around higher education in Australian society. How can we best support our international students? Should high school students enrol in university or undertake vocational training at the end of their studies? Do ATARs encompass all of the relevant skills...