Show Notes
Kiki Hart (Louise Cooper) and I are bringing conversations that explore what it means to be human in a fast-evolving, fast-paced digital world. And how Kiki is here to help. Curiosity in the Age of AI In this episode, we explore one of the most important questions of our time: how do we stay genuinely curious and human, in a world increasingly shaped by AI? We talk about AI as a tool. Not a replacement for us. How we interact with it, the traps we can fall into, and the choices we make about how we use it. How this determines not only the quality of what we get back and the importance of what we bring to keep the balance - our midlife skills, wisdom, and humanity. What We Cover An AI Recap What do we actually mean by AI, and how might we use it day to day? We start with the basics, so everyone is up to speed. Input and Output The questions we ask shape the answers we get. We talk about why the quality of our prompt matters and why thinking before we type is more important than most of us realise. The Traps Lost in Conversation Anita shares her own experience using AI — and how easy it is to forget we’re speaking to a technology tool, not a person. The ease, the flow, the warmth, the apparent understanding. It’s designed to feel human. And that’s how blind trust can creep in. Bias: Building, Boosting and Bracing When we ask questions in a way that’s more likely to return answers we’re already seeking, we’re building our own bias in. Algorithms then boost and amplify those patterns and over time, they brace them, creating fiercely protected viewpoints that block new perspectives. We talk about how to counter this: crafting prompts that invite alternative views, ask for blind spots, and actively fact-check. The key is cognitively wrestling with what AI gives you, not merely receiving it.
Cognitive Laziness and Critical Thinking Critical thinking is a skill. One that builds curiosity, keeps us sharp, and helps us stay discerning. It’s also a skill that can quietly erode when we outsource too much of our thinking to AI. For younger generations (digital and AI natives) this skill may not have been built much at all. But as Midlifers, we know the world before AI and heavy technology reliance. As Digital Migrants, this gifts us with perspectives and capabilities that genuinely matter. We look at what cognitive laziness is doing to our brain health and why this matters, drawing on fascinating research on London taxi and ambulance drivers. Curiosity and the Art of Not Being Fooled Being objective. Reasoned. Discerning. Self-regulated in how we engage with AI tools. There are two very different ways to use AI: * AI to enhance our thinking - where we do some thinking first, bring our own knowledge, map it out, and test ideas as we interact with AI * AI as a direct output machine — where we accept the answers, no questions asked. We talk about the research on what the second approach is doing to brain development in young people and changes in older people. It’s something we all need to be aware of. Intuition and Emotional Intelligence Will these deeply human capabilities rise in value as AI takes on more of the cognitive load? Will having AI do some of the thinking free up space for intuition and emotional intelligence to flourish? Are you using your intuition when you use AI? The Social Cost If we stop practicing curiosity in the offline world, with each other, what does that look like over time? We talk about the role of human connection on longevity, and what’s at stake if we let connection in our communities slip away. Privacy and De-Identifying Prompts This matters a lot, especially in professional settings. Avoid using real names or “I” in our prompts. AI remembers your interactions and tailors its responses accordingly. Keep things hypothetical. Protect what’s personal and commercial in confidence. Where To From Here You’re not too old. You’re not too far behind. It is absolutely not too late. Explore AI with curiosity. Grab the
More from Midlife Unfiltered: The Season Of Me
In this honest conversation, pelvic and sexual health physiotherapist Lisa Fitzpatrick draws on 30+ years of clinical experience and her own heartbreak to explain menopause and sex, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and reclaiming pleasure in midlife. We call out myths and bring truth to misconceptions; the silences surrounding women’s sexual health as we age. Silence that breeds shame and holds women captive in their own minds and bodies. Clinically, we explore the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), why pelvic floor relaxation matters as much as strengthening, vaginal moisturisers and lubricants, local oestrogen, and why ‘use it or lose it’ applies to pelvic health. Emotionally, we talk about shame, nervous system safety, identity, desire, relationships and the role of connection and self-trust in thriving after menopause. Whether you are navigating menopause yourself, supporting a partner, or simply want to understand women’s sexual health in midlife, this episode offers compassionate, practical insight.
In midlife the changes are BIG. The rate of those divorcing over the age of 50 is at an all time high. Increasingly too, the ‘relationships’ we have with AI are becoming deeper and wider in application and in frequency. When it comes to Grey Divorce, AI’s role is also deepening, some may say becoming a dependence. As much as those conversations about your divorce, your relationship, your marriage you may be having with Claude, Chat GPT (name your preferred AI) seem helpful, they do come with certain risks you may not be aware of. That’s the focus of this podcast chat. Not to scare, to inform. For awareness. I sat down with Kiki Hart (aka Louise Cooper). Louise is a lawyer, accredited mediator, and someone who’s been through a divorce herself, to unpack where midlife, divorce and artificial intelligence are all colliding at once. I came away with a lot to think about, and I suspect you will too. In this episode… Grey divorce is real, and it’s us Kiki lead the conversation with some stats around divorce trends here in Australia (which are not that dissimilar to those in the US and elsewhere). Whilst divorce rates have remained reasonably steady overall it’s the divorces involving marriages of 20 years or more that have proportionally risen 20% in Australia since the 1980s. The shift is happening at the 50-plus stage of life. Some of the numbers we discussed: * Median age at divorce in Australia in 2025: 47.3 for men, 44.4 for women * 29% of Australian divorces are now ‘grey divorces’ (people 50+) * In the US, the rate of over-50s divorcing roughly doubled between 1990 and 2010. * Overall divorce rates are sitting near their lowest since the mid-1970s - it’s specifically midlife driving the trend upward, not divorce in general
Squash is often called the world’s healthiest sport. In this episode of the Midlife Unfiltered podcast my squash coach Caleb Johnson joins me to unpack why. I also share my own return to the game after 30 years. Squash is on the rise again. Is it for you? The ball’s in your court 🙂 In this episode we talk about: * Caleb – as an Australian professional squash player, squash and fitness coach, runs a junior academy and squash advocate. * What makes squash different from most racquet sports - it has no net that separates players (for starters) and the benefits of that. * Racquet sports – in order of popularity * A brief history of squash and its evolution – the popular years and its rapid decline * Squash as an inclusion in the 2028 LA Olympics – and its rise again. * The health benefits of racquet sports in general * The physical health benefits of squash specifically: high calories burned (600–1,000 calories/hour), cardio challenging, muscles and bone benefits from multi-movements and multi-directional impacts – without the level of injury of other forms of sport * Tarek Momen vs. Rafael Nadal: a wild real-world comparison of match intensity – how tennis and squash compare. Not to knock tennis (we both love tennis) but to highlight the differences and impacts on health. * High intensity, ‘interval training’ nature of the sport PLUS endurance. * Brain and neural health benefits – squash is called ‘chess on legs’ – split second decision making and anticipation of where the ball is going next and where to place it. * Caleb shares a personal story about his friend with 7% vision who restored vision. through playing squash – he’s hoping it will be studied in the future. * Bone & Muscle health – how it helps our bones and muscles (and the study that shows this) * The ease to integrate it into life – doesn’t take up much time, can practice on your own (no balls to chase on the other side of the net!), build skills, play socially, competitively and it’s inexpensive. * Squash’s Olympic debut at LA 2028, and what it means for the sport’s future * The sport everyone’s Dad used to play – now it’s on the rise again. * How to start playing squash – as a new sport; * How to get back into squash again – the mind-body gap, and how to do it safely – people like me coming back to squash after 3 decades away (we are the risk group guys); warming up for as long as you play for starters. Here’s to squash in the 2028 in the LA Olympics and then 2032 in our home town of Brisbane, Australia. Get out there and start squashing in your local area. Unfortunately, our audio mucked up in the final minutes of our chat, sorry. Thank goodness for the subtitles! Find Caleb: Caleb Johnson Squash - Instagram, Facebook, and website Related Midlife Unfiltered episodes: * Bone Chatter: Strong Bones Are More Than Density * Re-Entry in Midlife: Who You Were Before Kids If you’d like a full deep-dive - history, global participation, the studies behind every claim, and more…keep reading below. The full story: I picked up a squash racquet when I was about 6. After 30 years since competing, I’m back playing squash for the health benefits I know it brings. Join Caleb Johnson, my fabulous squash coach and I as we explore this brilliant, unique racquet sport. It’s been called the #1 all-round healthiest sport and is often referred to as ‘chess on legs’. Meet Caleb. Caleb is a professional squash player and coach, currently ranked 311 in the world and #15 in Australia. He started playing at 14, (late by professional standards, where most competitors start at 4, 5, or 6) and became Australia’s #1 under-19 player by 18. He turned professional at 22. His goal…crack the top 100, and maybe, just maybe, an Olympic team spot in 2028. Alongside his own playing career, he coaches clients from age 5 to 85. Squash is different from other racquet sports. Unlike tennis, table tennis, pickleball, badminton, or padel, players share the exact same physical space. There’s no net that separate
Sarah is my optometrist. Actually, Sarah and Sally both are. I’ve been asking my health team members specifically about what their ‘area of body expertise’ is affected in peri-menopause and post-menopausally. To get the facts straight from the expert’s mouth. I had my bi-annual eye exam recently and asked Sally if there are any conditions she knew of that are more prominent in midlife, that are attributable to menopause? Instantly, she said “yes, Dry Eye Disease“ and “Sarah is the one to speak about it. (Yep, she threw Sarah straight under the bus. Thankfully they’re great mates). And Sarah said “yes”. We talk a lot about how menopause dries things up - skin, mouth, vagina. You know. You can probably add a few more to the list. Turns out, dry eyes are too and most of us have no idea. Why is that? Is it the lack of research? Lack of clinical knowledge? Or the simple fact that we’re just not talking about it? Probably all 3. So today Sarah and I are changing that. With her 20+ years of clinical and academic experience in optometry, running a dedicated Dry Eye Clinic and as a woman in midlife, Sarah is perfectly positioned to talk to us about what happens to our eyes in this time of life and what we can do to help them as we age. Yep, she’s our gal! Because that blurry vision you blame on needing a new prescription, or thinking your watery, gritty, tired eyes are because of seasonal changes (and the season of your life), this episode is for you. Let’s go!
In this very special episode, Carol Seymour reads one of her deeply stirring pieces that’s struck a chord with 100’s of women who feel like guests in their own lives. Honest and knowing. For women who sense it’s time to choose themselves. A little while back I read a piece Carol Seymour had written on Substack, and it resonated so deeply with me that I had an overwhelming urge to reach out to her. Not just to say thank you for writing it, but to ask if she’d come on and read it for us and then talk with me about what inspired it. She said “yes”. Yes! Carol writes at The Gray Campervan Writer on Substack. She lives in Louisiana and travels most of the year in her campervan, writing stories mostly for women over 60 who are figuring out what they want the rest of their life to look like. In this episode * Carol reads her piece, “Why Women Over 60 Are Quietly Walking Away From the Lives They Built” . It’s about quietly walking away from the roles and expectations we were raised to carry and choosing what we desire instead. It brought tears to my eyes while she was reading it and I could see the love-heart reactions pouring in from everyone watching live. * I ask Carol about the moment she decided to write it - the inspiration for her words. * We talk about ‘letting go’ and the idea of what a ‘good woman’ is supposed to be. And so much more. Carol shares much wisdom. About Carol Seymour At 76, Carol’s learning that starting over isn’t for the faint of heart. She writes for women who have reached that place in life where they look around and quietly wonder is this all there is? She’s had to make some hard choices about money, home, family, aging, and what she’s wanted the last chapters of her life to look like. “I’ve slept in my van, traveled alone, worried about money, wrestled with fear, and wondered more than once whether I was too old to start again. I decided I wasn’t.”