INTRODUCING — Forensic

More from All In The Mind

1. 

   22 May 2026 · 30 min

   Ambiguous crimes and inattentional blindness: the science of eyewitness memory

   If you saw a crime, how clearly would you remember it? What about if you were questioned years… even decades later? Eyewitness testimony is an important part of the justice system, so how much do we know about our ability to recall details? In part three of our four-part series, Forensic, we take a deeper look at eyewitness memory. Because it's not just about what we can or can't recall, there's also the risk that we may not even recognise a crime as it's happening. It turns out we're sometimes less observant than we think, because of a phenomenon called inattentional blindness. Don't forget…

2. 

   15 May 2026 · 31 min

   Confessing to a crime you didn't commit

   Imagine police are interrogating you over a crime you didn't commit. If you're innocent, you're safe, right? Wrong. Sometimes, being innocent can make you more likely to confess. How is that possible? In part two of our four-part series, Forensic, we learn about the police interviewing techniques that make false confessions more likely, and the bizarre cases in which people come to believe they really, truly did commit a crime – despite being innocent. Guests: Saul Kassin Distinguished Professor Emeritus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice Professor Emeritus at Williams College Lisanne…

3. 

   8 May 2026 · 32 min

   Can criminal profiling identify a killer?

   Criminal profiling promises a lot — being able to piece together a picture of a suspect through clues, intuition and psychology sounds great. But how reliable is it? In our first episode of Forensic, a four-part series unpacking the psychological tools used to solve crimes, we examine the history of criminal profiling. How it got popular in the 1950s after bombings in New York City, its shortcomings when scrutinised by researchers, and the techniques it is built on that police deploy today (but with a lot more data). Guests: Michael Cannell Author, Incendiary: The Psychiatrist, the Mad…

4. 

   2 May 2026 · 32 min

   Our millennia-long obsession with immortality

   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…

5. 

   25 Apr 2026 · 30 min

   Pretty privilege, surgery stigma and the cosmetic procedure paradox

   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 Sharp Clinical psychologist and researcher Adelaide University Dr Sarah Bonell Research…

6. 

   18 Apr 2026 · 30 min

   The psychology behind our moral outrage

   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 Gray…

7. 

   9 Oct 2026 · 30 minNew

   What self-help advice is actually useful?

   Today, we're making sense of the tips, tricks and treatments that the self-help landscape has to offer. So whether you're keen to try exposure therapy, tackle your need for validation or restructure your thinking, we'll unpack the psychology so you can improve your life. Guests: Dr Jeremy Stevenson Clinical psychologist Co-author, The 12 Levers: The Complete Psychological Toolkit For Improving Your Life Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Roi Huberman Related episodes: Managing your emotions so they don't manage you 'What…

8. 

   2 Oct 2026 · 30 min

   Is AI the end of creativity and cognition?

   As the headlines get scarier, a neuroscientist and an English professor weigh in on some of our big questions about AI. From cognitive offloading to memory and creativity, we'll examine what AI can offer and what should be kept for human minds. Sophie Gee and Reuben Rideaux appear in Where's the AI Off Switch? on 4 October, co-presented with The University of Sydney, as part of Curious at the Sydney Opera House. Guests: Professor Sophie Gee Department of English, Princeton University Co-director, Eleos Collaboration, University of Sydney Dr Reuben Rideaux Cognitive neuroscientist Senior…

9. 

   25 Sep 2026 · 30 min

   Trying to read more? Your brain will thank you

   Reading is good for you, but fiction has added benefits. So how does reading work in the brain? Why are stories so impactful? And why, in this era of book clubs and booktok, are literacy rates not thriving? Get your votes in for Radio National's Top 100 Books Countdown before October 1st. Guests: Professor Genevieve McArthur Australian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy, ACU Director of Research Translation, Dyslexia SPELD Foundation Dr Lili Yu Senior Lecturer, School of Psychological Sciences Macquarie University Centre for Reading Dr Raymond Mar Professor of Psychology York University…

10. 

    18 Sep 2026 · 30 min

    Hypochondria and cyberchondria: the many ways to worry about health

    How do you know if you have health anxiety? For mental health nurse Sarah, she had real health concerns, but they were coupled with panic, spiralling worries and late nights googling her symptoms. So how can you tell if your concerns are causing more harm than good? Today, we're demystifying health anxiety. From the impact it has on individuals, to family and friends, to the flow on effects it can have on the medical system. And don't worry, there is good news - it is treatable, so we'll explore what to do if you're feeling overwhelmed by health anxiety. Guests: Sarah (pseudonym) Mental…

Every episode of All In The Mind →