Ageing is shaped by biological and cultural narratives that influence perceptions of older adults’ wellbeing. Dominant narratives often reinforce ageist stereotypes, equating older adults with frailty and dependency. This study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) art could shape cultural narratives of ageing through a case study of Auntieverse, an AI art project featuring Singaporean auntie figures. Addressing the gap in understanding AI-generated imagery’s sociocultural impact, this study moves beyond existing discourses that focus on therapeutic benefits or technical aspects of AI to explore the shaping of perceptions of ageing. Through a tripartite qualitative design – visual analysis of 40 AI artworks, semi-structured interviews with the artist, and audience interviews with five Singaporean women (aged 20s–60s) – we critically analyse the meaning-making process of ageing by exploring AI-generated artefacts, artistic intention and audience reception. Findings reveal that while Auntieverse seeks to challenge ageist stereotypes by depicting female older adults as autonomous and vibrant, it also highlights the inherent biases embedded in AI aesthetics and the interpretive gap between artistic intent and audience perception. This study positions AI art as a medium for generating new cultural representations of ageing and advocates for a more critical and deliberate engagement with AI’s influence on cultural storytelling. Three central themes emerged for discussion: ‘Re-seeing age identity’, ‘Re-thinking the ageing body’ and ‘RepAInting successful ageing’. While acknowledging the limitations of AI-generated imagery, this study emphasizes the potential of AI art to reshape sociocultural understandings of ageing.

Intense vortices have been observed within large-scale bushfires, and have been likened to “fire tornadoes”. This paper presents a simple mathematical model of such an event, and is based on a Boussinesq approximation relating temperature and density in the air. A linearized model is derived under the assumption that the temperature varies only slightly from ambient, and a solution to that model is presented in closed form. The nonlinear equations are solved in axisymmetric geometry, using a semi-numerical approach based on Fourier–Bessel series. The nonlinear and linearized results are in good agreement for small temperature excursions above ambient, but when larger deviations occur, nonlinear effects cause a type of flow reversion within the fire vortex. The cause of this effect is discussed in the paper.

Persistent concerns about loneliness and social isolation in later life have prompted increasing attention to the social and environmental factors that enable or constrain connection. Yet, while previous research has identified community and societal determinants of social connection, little is known about how these factors interact dynamically with individual and interpersonal circumstances to shape older adults’ lived connection experiences. This study addresses this knowledge gap by examining how older Australians perceive and experience environmental influences on their social connectedness, and how factors across multiple ecological levels work together to create or hinder opportunities for connection. Four focus groups were conducted with 15 participants, aged 60 years and over, from metropolitan and regional areas in New South Wales, Australia, to explore how participants described the role of different factors in their connection experiences. Participants identified a range of influences across individual, interpersonal, community and societal levels, including meaningful roles, community spaces, local businesses and transport accessibility. Three patterns of cross-level interaction were revealed: the interplay between personality and community infrastructure; the multi-level role of digital technology; and the cascading influence of policy frameworks shaping community participation opportunities. By uncovering how factors interact dynamically across social-ecological levels, this study advances understanding of the contexts that foster or constrain social connection in later life. The findings contribute to ongoing debates in social gerontology by demonstrating that loneliness and social isolation are best addressed through coordinated, multi-level interventions that align individual, community and policy environments to promote healthy ageing in place.