Freedom - Neuroscientist, author and broadcaster Hannah Critchlow joins presenter Audrey Carville to discuss the science of choice and free will. Do they really exist or are we programmed to conform? What happens in our brains when we make a decision and how much does our environment influence the decisions we make? Do our early years inform what kind of decision maker we are and why are some people decisive and others procrastinate? Also our right to vote is a fundamental aspect of freedom and the foundation of a democratic society. Professor Thomas Gift has led extensive studies analysing US politics and America’s role in the world, he joins Audrey to discuss what factors affect our decision making and whether we vote differently if we fear our freedom might be compromised. And why can some people achieve the seemingly impossible, does mind over matter really ring true? Only 20 people have ever made it to the end of the Barkley marathons in Tennessee. The ultramarathon spans 100 miles and competitors are given 60 hours to reach the finish line. Earlier this year Jasmin Paris became the first woman to complete it. She joins Audrey to discuss risk and reward & just how much the mind takes over when the body wants to quit?

In the first of a three-part series on the topic of freedom Audrey Carville and a panel of guests discuss ‘what do we mean by freedom?’ Is freedom always conditional?

One of America's most senior health officials has called on the US government to add smoking-style warning labels to social media websites. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wants people who uses these sites and apps to be shown a message, warning that they are associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. Audrey Carville has been speaking about this with leading cyber-psychologist Professor Mary Aiken, and lawyer Paul Tweed, who specialises in defamation cases.

Julian Assange became the centre of global attention after the organisation he founded, Wikileaks, released thousands of documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, along with diplomatic cables. His case was bound up in legal battles with the US government until this week, when it emerged that he had agreed a plea deal which would allow him to return to his native Australia.Is the Assange case a triumph or a blow for press freedom? What responsibilities do journalists have to the safety and security of nations and their peoples when they publish information about issues of national security? Does the case set a precedent for governments to increase their grip, their control of how journalists do their work? Audrey Carville was joined by former journalist and author Mihir Bose, the former head of the Royal Navy- Admiral Alan West, and Professor Deirdre Heenan of Ulster University.

All the world’s a stage said Shakespeare but while on that stage what are the rituals that help us make sense of life? Presenter Claire Graham is joined by Rev Cheryl Meban, Father Martin Magill and Dr Leon Litvack to look at the rituals around life big and small moments. Each faith has its rituals and remembrance around, birth, marriage and death but also around daily life, around food and conversation and being. We find out more about them and ask why human beings have a deep need for rituals whether faith based or not.

For many people a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or Dementia might seem like a death sentence but can the impact be softened? Tens of thousands of people across Ireland are affected and for some it can be a long, lonely journey but are there ways to make it a bit easier? Presenter Audrey Carville in conversation with Dr Gemma Carney from Queen's University who's a social and cultural gerontologist involved in the exploration of human ageing, Nora Owen, a former Irish Government Justice Minister who cared for her husband Brian, and Kieran Coote who devoted years caring for his mother Patricia.

Drivers, students, stay-at-home parents, working people - we all seem to be more stressed at the very least, angrier at best. Shop workers, nurses, bus drivers- they all report getting shouted at, spat at or hit every week. There's a lot of fear in the world today - wars, the growth in dictators, the growth in extremist politics, climate change. And from fear comes anger. Basic respect and 'being civil' to each other is diminished. What's at its root? Audrey Carville is discussing this with Justine McCarthy (journalist and columnist with the Irish Times), Paul Connolly (musician and educator) and Professor Stephen Reicher (who teaches social psychology at the University of St Andrews).

Presenter Audrey Carville speaks to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid. Positions seem entrenched, but are there any grounds for optimism? Ehud Olmertwas Prime Minister of Israel from 2006-2009. He was a member of the Likud political party with Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu, before forming Kadima with Mr Sharon. Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid is Palestine's first official Ambassador to Ireland after the Irish Government formally recognised the State of Palestine this week.

Journalism used to be regarded as the foundation of a civilised society and an essential part of the democratic process. But in the age of social media, has news journalism been democratised, creating a new plurality of reporting and opinion? Are we witnessing the healthy overturning of a system run by a metropolitan elite for far too long? Or are the moral rules of journalism dying and expectations of objectivity and fairness being replaced by a toxic digital fog of instant comment, rumour, cynicism and outright lies? Is this a danger to democracy or just entertaining political theatre? Is it pluralism or anarchy? Presenter Audrey Carville in conversation with Dr Orna Young of FactCheckNI, journalist and film maker Trevor Birney and Mark Little, former RTÉ Washington correspondent and founder of the social media newswire Storyful.

Are paramilitaries transitioning away from criminality or consolidating their power?

Why does getting justice take so long?

What is it like to devote your life to battling against the might and power of the state?

What is the transition back into society like for those coming out of prison?

How to fix the system?

Trauma doesn't have to last forever and deform your whole life.

Does Science tell us that God exist?

Ever looked at other faiths and like what they do?

Is science closer to unlocking lost memories? Professor Tomás Ryan explores this question

The ethics of war. From Ukraine to Gaza. Has the world lost its moral compass?

Are you one of the many thousands tuning into the Netflix series The Chosen? The multi-season series tells the life and ministry of Jesus and the people he encountered throughout his life. Set in the times of Roman oppression in Palestine, we learn about Mary Magdalene, Thaddeus, Little James, the fishermen, Simon, Andrew, Big James and John; who they were and who they became when they followed the Messiah. Season 4 is out now to widespread acclaim and that led us to think, what impact, if any, do great Biblical dramas have beyond their entertainment value or are they a priceless way to propagate the Gospels in a modern age? From the 10 Commandments, Jesus of Nazareth to the Greatest Story Ever Told, there's a plethora of great and not so great cinema and tv dramas - so do they make a difference? Presenter Claire Graham in conversation with academic Dr Leon Litvack from Queen's University, avid filmgoer Liz Kennedy, Moravian minister Reverend Dr Livingstone Thompson, and situation comedy writer and lay preacher James Cary.

It's a day many of us hold out for, when we can step away from the rat race, enjoy life at a slower pace and officially retire. But is that day stretching later and later into our older age? The state pension age of 66 will rise to 67 between May 2026 and March 2028 and from the mid-2040s , it's expected to rise to 68. But, because, we are all, thankfully, living longer, and there's not as many babies being born- the books don't seem to be balancing so who will pay for our pensions once we hit the state pension age? A research report out this week by the International Longevity Centre, said that we would all have to keep working until we were 71 in order to keep the number of workers per pensioner at the level it is now. Is it realistic to ask people to work into their seventies? Is it the only way that pensions can be funded? Presenter Audrey Carville in conversation with the general secretary of the trade union NIPSA Carmel Gates, self-employed recruitment specialist Cathy Moran, and Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis, at Hargreaves Lansdown asset management company.

'I lied to my family, I stole £1.3 million from my company', a gambler's road to ruin.

What ethical challenges and dilemmas arise by prolonging humanity's time on earth?

Primary and post-primary schools need to be more diverse - and it's up to the Churches, which run them, to do it. That's according to one of the leading authorities on shared education, Tony Gallagher, Emeritus Professor at Queen's University, who has just published a paper on religion and diversity in schools and how, if at all, it has changed since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Presenter Audrey Carville in conversation with Professor Gallagher, retired principal of St Joseph's Secondary School in North Belfast Michelle Marken, Karen Jardine, convenor of the Presbyterian Church's state education committee, and the former editor of the Irish Catholic Michael Kelly

Millions do it. Does the singular prayer carry more weight than the millions praying for the same thing? Audrey Carville is joined by three theologians: Professor Tina Beattie, Dr Elaine Storkey and Professor Laurence Kirkpatrick.

Some experts, including one of its creators, warn that its further development could lead to humans becoming extinct. Others warn about its potential in generating and maintaining warfare. But what about the good it could, and already is, doing? Is it time to embrace this future? Audrey Carville talks to Tom Hadley, an expert in workforce management and future of work trends, and Niamh Donnelly who is Chief Robotics Officer at a tech company specialising in healthcare solutions that use robotics and artificial intelligence.

Audrey and a panel of guests, discuss the year on it’s way out, and the new one coming in

Audrey and guests discuss their festive memories, and the true meaning of the season.

What motivates us to give to charity? Audrey and a panel of experts examine this thought

Audrey and a panel of experts, discuss the concept of free will

The United Nations has warned that global warming is the biggest threat to our existence on this planet - and the warnings aren't about the next thousand years - the impact is already being felt now and will undoubtedly be much more severe for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The annual climate change negotiations take place next week in Dubai - COP28 as they're known. Will they make a difference or does a gathering of politicians simply amount to more hot air? Presenter Claire Graham in conversation with the economist Vicky Pryce, Professor John Barry and the CEO of Christian Aid Ireland Rosamond Bennett.

It is a simple question, that unwraps the bundle of complexity, that is a human life.

Audrey Carville and author James Walvin, explore one of the world's most enduring hymns.

Would Christianity have acted differently had it always depicted Jesus accurately?

Can those power really me honest brokers in any mediation?

Audrey Carville and a panel of experts, discuss the crisis in Israel/Palestine

Are the new regulations on sex education in schools a barrier between church and state?

What are our obligations as family members?

Are we shirking responsibility by not saving for our potential care home costs?

What does 'home' mean to us and feel like? How do we know when we're home? And home isn't always a safe space or a sanctuary. Audrey Carville is joined by theologian Dr Joy Allan who has moved a lot, Aodhán Connolly who last year switched from Bangor to work in Brussels, Eileen Chan-Hu who founded CRAIC NI and regularly spends time with family in Hong Kong, and well known journalist and political commentator Alex Kane who was adopted.

Audrey Carville talks to Rev Steve Stockman about Sinéad O’Connor’s faith journey and how it influenced her songs. And she hears from Dr Niamh Shaw, a scientist heading to Antarctica, listens back to an archive interview with journalist Brian Black who sailed to the Arctic, and finds out how you become the Bishop for the Falkland Islands.

Audrey Carville is joined by Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick, Chris Huhne, Hannah Quinn-Mulligan and Dr Jayme Reaves to discuss how we farm and produce food, how we travel to school and work, how we holiday, how we heat our homes and businesses? If our political leaders and citizens made different choices, would it help create a more sustainable world? How are our every day choices contributing to what we see being lived out by communities all over the world?

It has been in our lives in some shape or form now for nearly two decades, but in very recent times the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence have really exploded to the front of our consciousness. Audrey Carville explores the benefits and the dangers with Dr Stephanie Hare (independent researcher of techology and politics, and author of 'Technology is not Neutral'), Stephen Williams (Honorary Professor of Theology and co-editor of The Robot Will See You Know - Artificial Intelligence and the Christian Faith), Dr Niamh Shaw (science communicator and space expert) and John Barry (Professor of Green Economy at Queen's University).

Audrey speaks to Lord Deban or John Gummer, on climate change, faith and controversy.

Should drug users by treated and supported rather than criminalised and excluded?

Is there ever a moral way to help someone die?

Drownings at sea - What role do Western backed wars play in the fleeing of millions from their homeland? Audrey Carville is joined by Sally Hayden (the Irish Times Africa correspondent who is currently in Sierra Leone and is also the author of 'My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World's Deadliest Migration Route'), Patrick Cockburn (author and a columnist with the Independent and specialises in analysis of Iraq, Syria and wars in the Middle East) and Rosamond Bennett (CEO of Christian Aid Ireland who this week has returned from Sudan and South Sudan).

Why do the electorate keep falling for those who bend the truth?

Will the next major war be a cyberwar?

Just what are the motives for book bans across the world?

Are we looking at the end of the parish as we've known it on this island for decades? Could this herald another reformation within the Catholic Church? A pastoral letter has been issued by Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, in his role as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Down and Connor. He explains how falling vocations to the priesthood means ageing priests and more priests retiring and no one to fill their shoes. The shortages mean that very soon, it may no longer be the norm that every individual who dies has a mass celebrated for them as part of the funeral rites. A pilot project will begin this summer involving lay women and men becoming more involved in the Church - carrying out rituals like the funeral rites at the graveside or crematorium.

Are there are other ways we can reflect and remember those, of whatever background?

Stormont's cuts start to bite, is it time to decide priorities from scratch?

What is the role of the monarchy in the modern world?

Are charities doing good or are they complicit in upholding inequality? Audrey Carville was joined by Andrew Dougal, Agnes Lunny and Michael Wardlow.

What is truth? Does it differ from facts? Can each person have their own set of truths? Audrey Carville is in conversation with philosophy lecturer Dr Rebecca Bamford, FactCheckNI managing director Dr Orna Young, and author and journalist Mihir Bose.

Audrey explores what United Nations Agency WHO has achieved, in their 75 years.

Audrey and guests, reflect on the eve of a historic peace signing 25 years ago.

Audrey Carville is joined by Dr George O'Neill, Prof Deirdre Heenan & Rev Norman Hamilton

How is the education system helping our young people?

Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick, Patricia MacBride and Allison Morris join Audrey Carville to discuss what being a mother means in 2023. Can it be really valued by society when it remains unpaid? Are mothers still seen as the primary caregivers, and if so can gender equality ever be truly achieved until that changes?

It's 20 years since the invasion of Iraq. Are the consequences still being felt today?