Our millennia-long obsession with immortality

Forget everything you’ve learned from crime dramas.Forensic is a new podcast series from All in the Mind on ABC Radio National that takes you behind the psychological tools used to solve crimes.Across four episodes, we investigate criminal profiling, false confessions, eyewitness memory and lie detection, revealing what actually works, what doesn’t, and the surprising ways things can go wrong.Forensic gives an evidence-led look at the cracks and complexities inside modern forensic psychology.Our first episode drops this Sunday! In the mean time, check out our other true crime themed series from 2025, Criminal Psychology. You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

Would you want to live forever? The rich and powerful certainly do. There are numerous examples throughout history of people going to extreme lengths in search of immortality. These days, it's Silicon Valley tech bros, testing out everything from blood transfusions to merging our brains with the cloud.Why are they/we so obsessed with dodging death? What is it about extreme wealth that makes people dream of defying biology?Today, tech journalist and social psychologist Aleks Krotoski takes us into the world of the ‘immortalists’: what they think the future of humanity might look like, and whether the rest of us want to come along for the ride.Guest:Aleks KrotoskiInvestigative journalistSocial psychologistAuthor, The Immortalists: The Death of Death and the Race for Eternal LifeCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarProducer: Rose KerrSenior Producer: James BullenSound engineer: Tegan Nicholls

Cosmetic procedures aren't reserved for celebrities anymore - they're becoming more and more accessible for every day people. So if we're able to alter our looks or avoid the appearance of aging altogether, what impact does this have on our psychology?Today, we examine how changing our faces might change how we see each other.Please note, this episode includes some discussion of body image and mental health issues such as body dysmorphic disorder. Take care while listening.Guests:Professor Gemma SharpClinical psychologist and researcherAdelaide UniversityDr Sarah BonellResearch FellowBolton Clarke Research InstituteCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarReporter/producer: Rose KerrSenior producer: James BullenSound engineer: Roi HubermanMore information:What's the connection between cosmetic procedures and mental health?Australian Women's Lived Experiences of Stigmatization After Cosmetic Surgery: A Qualitative InvestigationThe cosmetic surgery paradox: Toward a contemporary understanding of cosmetic surgery popularisation and attitudesUnder the knife: Unfavorable perceptions of women who seek plastic surgeryNew AHPRA Guidelines Require Psychological Screening for Non-Surgical Cosmetic ProceduresCheaper, easier and less taboo: Why more gen Zs are getting cosmetic injectables such as botoxBody dysmorphic disorderSupport:Butterfly foundation 1800 33 4673You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

Politics, war, abortion, gun control — why do some topics make us so outraged?One theory is that our preoccupation with preventing harm is to blame.So today, we examine how humans developed morality, why we differ in what we consider right and wrong, and how that drives us to moral outrage.And after all of that, we'll find out how to have better conversations with people you disagree with (even if you're feeling outraged).If you want to hear more about that, check out The skills supercommunicators use, which you can learn too.This episode first aired in January 2025.Guest:Dr Kurt GrayProfessor in Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDirector, Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral UnderstandingAuthor, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common GroundCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Roi HubermanMore information:Lethal Mass Partisanship: Prevalence, Correlates, & Electoral ContingenciesThe transcript for this episode can be found on its original webpage.You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

In the last couple of weeks, a lot of people have been getting excited about space exploration thanks to Artemis II.So this week, we revisit an episode from our archives all about life as an astronaut and the psychological impacts of long distance space travel. And if you enjoy this episode, check out Artemis Explained, a podcast from the Science Friction team, following the Artemis II mission.This episode was first broadcast in March 2024.You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.Guests:Dr Albert Holland, Senior Operational Psychologist, NASA Johnson Space CenterDr Cady Coleman, Former NASA astronautJamey Simpson, Cady's sonWith excerpts from:Space: The Longest Goodbye, directed by Ido MizrahyCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Simon BranthwaiteMore information:Artemis Explained podcastScience FrictionTo view the transcript for this episode, please head to its original webpage.

Welcome back to All in the Mind's little sister: Mind Hacks. In this episode, we're joined by developmental paediatrician and co-host of Pop Culture Parenting, Dr Billy Garvey. From self compassion to channelling anger into advocacy, Billy shares his own strategies for managing bad days.On Mind Hacks, we're bringing you bonus content with special guests, featuring rapid fire questions about their mental health tips and pet peeves. It's like a psychology version of eff, marry kill!If you have feedback or want to suggest a guest, you can reach us on [email protected]:Dr Billy GarveyDevelopmental paediatricianAuthor, Ten things I wish you knew about your child's mental healthPodcast co-host, Pop Culture ParentingFounder, Guiding Growing MindsCredits:Presenter/Producer: Sana QadarSenior Producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound Engineer: Hamish CamilleriRelevant All in the Mind episodes:Tantrums, sleep training and anxiety: Dr Billy Garvey answers your parenting questions'Bad behaviour' or just misunderstood? What to know about kids' mental healthYou can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

How can I help my child with anxiety? What's the deal with sleep training? Are we supposed to ignore tantrums?This week, we've invited developmental paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey back on All in the Mind for a mailbag episode. We'll unpack your parenting dilemmas which cover questions about kids of all ages, from the littlest of newborns right through to teenagers. So whether you're a parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, friend or someone just curious about how to support young people in your life, Billy has advice for navigating challenging moments.And please note, one of the questions is a bit heavy, touching on the topic of suicidality. Please take care while listening.Guest:Dr Billy GarveyDevelopmental paediatricianAuthor, Ten things I wish you knew about your child's mental healthPodcast co-host, Pop Culture ParentingFounder, Guiding Growing MindsCredits:Present/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Antonia GauciMore information:'Bad behaviour' or just misunderstood? What to know about kids' mental healthSupport resources:Lifeline 13 11 1413YARN 13 92 76Beyond Blue

This week we're talking about something intimate… and sometimes taboo: masturbation.From self-love, to disordered behaviour and back again, we explore how our perceptions of masturbation have changed over the course of history and why it's still linked to shame and confusion for some.Also, why do humans (and other animals) masturbate in the first place?Just a heads up, if the topic didn't give it away, this episode may not be suitable for little ones.You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.This episode first aired in September 2024.Guests:Esme Louise JamesPhD candidate, University of MelbourneContent creator and author of Kinky HistoryDr Vijayasarathi RamanathanClinical sexologistSenior Lecturer of Sexual Health (Sexology) at Westmead Clinical School, University of SydneyDr Ann JonesHost, What the Duck?!Dr Matilda BrindleEvolutionary biologistUniversity of OxfordCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Beth StewartMore information:Sex is Weird | What the Duck?!To find the transcript for this episode, head to its original webpage.

Welcome back to All in the Mind's little sister: Mind Hacks. In this episode, health journalist and author Casey Beros on managing your inner critic, balancing competing appetites for more and less in life, and filtering out the external voices to chart your own course in life.Each week on Mind Hacks, we're bringing you bonus content with special guests, featuring rapid fire questions about their mental health tips and pet peeves. It's like a psychology version of eff, marry kill!We're testing this format out over the next few weeks, so let us know what you think, or if there's a guest you'd like us to invite back on the program for Mind Hacks. As always, you can reach us on [email protected] don't worry, regular All in the Mind episodes will keep dropping every Sunday.Guest:Casey BerosHealth journalistAuthor, Next of KinCredits:Presenter/Producer: Sana QadarSenior Producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound Engineer: Micky GrossmanRelevant All in the Mind episodes:Tough conversations and anticipatory grief: being a carerWhat influences your inner voiceControlling the chatter in your headYou can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

When Casey Beros' dad was diagnosed with mesothelioma, she knew her entire world would change. More than three million Australians are carers — a role people are often thrust into without any kind of map. So based on her own experience, Casey wrote one.On All in the Mind this week, what it takes to be a carer for a loved one. How to get through the tough conversations and difficult moments — from giving bad news to talking about voluntary assisted dying — and still come out the other end in one piece.Guest:Casey BerosHealth journalistAuthor, Next of KinCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Roi HubermanYou can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.