Australians have been in the midst of a cost of living crisis for a while now. Groceries are more expensive. Petrol is more expensive. Rent is more expensive. We're all in the same boat, so why is talking about money still so taboo? And what can we do to feel more in control of our finances?

Guest: Maani Truu from ABC Online

Banning books feels like a thing of the past. A humble past-time of authoritarian leaders and churches trying to control the way people think. These days; thanks largely to our streaming services, it seems we’re reading much less than we used to. But in the last few years 10,000 books have been banned in the US alone. So why is the number of banned books sky rocketing?

Guest: Sarah L'Estrange for The Book Show

We spend more of our waking hours at work than anywhere else – and by extension, a lot of time with our colleagues. That might explain why up to half of us have been in a workplace relationship. So is it true a successful office romance can make you a better worker? And what about if it's your colleagues who are involved in not-so-subtle flirting while you’re just trying to get your job done?

Guest: Zoe Ferguson for This Working Life

TikTok has over a billion users and counting. Recently there’s been a lot of talk about the national security threat that such a large user base owned by a Chinese company poses and now the US government has just passed a bill banning TikTok all together. So how did TikTok turn videos of synchronised dancing and lipsyncing into a multi-billion dollar business? And is the company’s Chinese ownership really as dangerous as governments would have us believe?

Since this episode was recorded US President Joe Biden signed a law that would ban TikTok unless it was sold within a year.  The measure formed part of a bill providing foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan and stipulates that the parent company ByteDance must sell its stake in TikTok in 12 months under the threat of being shut down. 

Guest: Jen Leake for Rear Vision

AI is already impacting the way we work, the way we design and the way we think but there’s a growing concern that soon it’s going to start impacting the way we vote. And it’s got governments and regulators scrambling. So with AI-generated images and videos flooding the internet, how can voters know what’s real and what’s a deep fake? And what regulations might help control AI without stifling the industry or sending people underground?

Guest: Hamish Macdonald for Global Roaming

With more Australians working from home than ever, the lines between work and leisure time have really blurred. With so many huge advances in technology why does it sometimes feel like we're working more not less than peasants in Medieval times, and with our always on lifestyles have we actually forgotten how to stop and smell the flowers?

Guest: Anna Kelsey-Sugg for ABC Digital

Outside of the Olympics or the driveway to the United Nations, how often do you think about flags? Countries and states have them but Australian cities have them as well. And unsurprisingly for something that was created largely during colonial times, nowadays these flags can feel a little problematic. So what’s the history behind our city flags? And is it about time we gave their tired old designs a bit of a refresh?

Guest: Nick Baker for ABC Digital

When it comes to finding and sharing news, one third of Australians use Facebook. But that’s about to change because Facebook’s owner Meta has decided to stop paying Australian news outlets for their news. So what impact will Meta’s decision have on the way news is shared in this country? And will the news vacuum lead to an uptick in misinformation?

Guest:  Technology reporter James Purtill for ABC Science

The Royal family has a knack for being the centre of controversy. And over the last few weeks - rumours about the health and location of Kate Middleton have reached a fever pitch. So is she actually recovering from an operation or is it something much more sinister? What is Kate’s media team trying to hide? And what does the Royal family owe the public in terms of transparency about their health?

Guest: Lucia Stein for ABC Online

There’s nothing wrong with a healthy celebrity obsession - but throughout pop culture history, fan girls have had a bad rap. While being an expert on a topic is seen as intellectual being a fangirl is often portrayed as hysterical, immature and downright creepy. So why aren’t the same judgements made about male-centric fandoms? And why do we care so much about what women do with their spare time?

Guest: Anna Levy for ABC Digital 

In the early 2000s the Christian rock scene was a billion dollar industry, there were huge international acts, massive multi-day festivals and thousands of album sales - but with the growing popularity of music streaming and TikTok that's all coming to an end. So just how much longer does Christian music have left?

Guest: Rohan Salmond for Soul Search