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Stephanie Case is a human rights lawyer and ultra distance runner. She is also the founder of Free to Run, an organisation which focuses on sport as a way of empowering women. Her film of the same name sees Stephanie and her team caught up in the events as the Taliban regained power.

Bexy Cameron was born into the controversial Children of God cult. After leaving, she went on to join ten cults in the United States as part of research for her book Cult Following and the film Dearly Beloved. She now aims to protect others from the dangers of these groups.

We’ve seen global life expectancy double over the last 100 years. A new podcast, The Immortals, hears from people exploring the frontiers of longevity, and what they are prepared to try to enable them to live longer, or even defy death itself. Dr Sarah Chan, bioethicist at the University of Edinburgh and Dr David Goodman, a member of the Jewish Reform Community in Scotland, discuss the potential consequences of this.

Last week France’s strict policies around religious signs in state schools and government buildings were in the news. So should there be freedom for people of faith to express their religious identities in all walks of life – and how does this sit with the freedom for people to express their objection to religious symbolism? Exploring these questions are Aman De Sondy – Head of the Study of Religions at University College Cork, Reverend Stella Campbell – Minister of Kingshill Parish Church of Scotland in Aberdeenshire, and CEO of Humanist Society Scotland – Fraser Sutherland.

Death Cafes are providing a unique haven where individuals can gather, foster a sense of community, and engage in candid, unfiltered dialogues about the profound concept of mortality. Tamsin Grainger is a complementary therapy practitioner who helps facilitate a Death Cafe in Edinburgh.

Fairy tales, filled with mythical creatures, magical elements, and moral lessons, provide a unique lens through which we can examine and make sense of our own lives. But what do we stand to gain from modern retellings like tv series The Changeling? Author Mairi Kidd joins Cathy.