Mia Harris

BBC Breakfast host Sally Nugent ended up apologising to viewers over a guest’s “choice of language” in an interview.

The BBC show was fronted by Sally, 52, and her co-host Jon Kay, 54, on Tuesday morning. The two presenters spoke to various guests over the course of the recent episode, after having hosted the show together the previous morning too.

One segment promoted an exhibition showcasing the work of the late illustrator Raymond Briggs that’s opened at the Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft in East Sussex. Raymond, who had lived in the area prior to his death in 2022, is best known for the Snowman, which was first published in 1978.

Sally and Jon were joined by the exhibition’s co-curator Nicolette Jones and cartoonist Steve Bell. It was shared that both guests knew Raymond and they also discussed the exhibition, Bloomin’ Brilliant, on the show this week.

Asked about his friendship with the late illustrator, Steve said that they had worked together once. He added: “They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes but, in this case, he was lovely. [A] wonderful, warm, interesting and funny person.”

Co-hosting Tuesday’s edition of the show alongside Jon Kay, Nugent became visibly emotional following a segment about guide dogs.

After a brief clip detailing the work of guide dogs and the current shortage of them in the UK, the show cut back to the studio where Nugent can be seen holding her face in her hands.

 

Kay then asks her if she’s okay to which she replies: “No. I don’t think I can carry on. What an incredible thing to do, though, to be able to work with a dog like that and then hand it on for the next stage of its job.”
Kay replied: “I’m amazed there’s a shortage, I’d have thought there’d be people queuing around the block, but I guess it’s a huge commitment, isn’t it?”

Read more: Jon Kay misses first day on BBC Breakfast after catching Covid

Nugent took over as a permanent presenter of BBC Breakfast in 2021 following the departure of Louise Minchin. She had been a replacement presenter for the previous decade as well as hosting sports segments.
At the time, Nugent said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to become the new presenter of BBC Breakfast and bring the nation the latest news, top entertainment guests and stories that matter every week. It’s an honour to take the reins from Louise and be part of the UK’s most-watched breakfast show.”

Kay is the lates addition to the BBC Breakfast team, joining the show on a permanent basis last year after Dan Walker left for Channel 5.
Like Nugent, Kay had previously worked as a relief presenter in the event one of the main hosts was unavailable.

The other regular presenters of BBC Breakfast are Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty

Have you ever got so caught up in a wildlife documentary that you’ve actually started to feel an attachment towards the animals and, consequently, a real concern with regard to their fate? This article is guaranteed to make you feel that way. Here is a story about confronting adversity, the power of nature, and the kindness of strangers.

Read on to learn more about the heroic tale of a mother bear and her two cubs, defying all odds, to swim across a freezing lake in Russia. It didn’t go quite as planned, however. Read on to discover what happened.

01. A Tale of Loss, and Love

This story will certainly warm your hearts. It is a story of sacrifice and hope, fear and loss. It is about the unspoken bond of a loving family and two different species uniting with the ultimate goal of saving lives.

After a mother bear left her cubs for dead in the middle of a bitterly cold lake, the cubs were in desperate need of a hero to come and save them. Fortunately, there happened to be some fishermen nearby, who discovered them and, consequently, decided to embark on a rescue mission – but did they succeed?

02. An Unforgiving Lake

The tale begins on a freshwater lake known as Lake Vygozero, in the northwestern region of Russia. This body of water is so unbelievably cold, that temperatures have been known to reach as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit, or -20 degrees Celsius (safe to say that this lake is not a major water-skiing destination!)

Given the lake’s large size and freezing temperatures, it is far too cold for humans and most other wildlife (apart from fish!) to swim in. It is impossible to make it from one side to the other without getting a bitter chill. With this in mind – continue reading to find out what happens to the baby bears that were stranded in this unbearably cold lake.

03. Somewhere to Get to

It is unclear and we will never know why it was that the mother bear decided to cross these waters with her newborn cubs. However, the maternal instinct is powerful in most species, especially bears.

We wonder if it was this that motivated her to keep going, after taking the dangerously risky decision to jump into the bitterly cold water beneath her. There is no doubt that she was a courageous mama bear, however, it was this courage that ultimately put her two little ones in danger. They were not quite as tough as she might have thought.

04. A Terrible Decision

Unfortunately, the decision to jump into the lake with her two cubs was not a wise one. With the babies clinging onto her for dear life, while she tried her very hardest to power on, her strength was just not enough in the freezing temperature.

They began their journey across the lake, but after some time, it became all too clear that she wouldn’t be able to keep going whilst holding the weight of her two babies and that the cubs just couldn’t keep up. The cubs eventually ended up far out in the lake’s centre, scrambling for dear life with no idea where to go from there.

05. Abandoned by Their Own Mother

At this point, this story takes a painful turn. Mother bears are considered to be selfless animals, willing to sacrifice themselves to protect their young when their maternal instincts kick in. This, however, was not the case for this particular mother bear.

Regardless of her initial intentions, she ultimately ditched her cubs and started to swim away, leaving them helpless in the water. This decision might come as a surprise to wildlife observers, however, when it’s a question of life and death in the wild, survival instincts tend to override maternal ones, as was the case with this mama bear.

06. The Current Was Too Strong

We have to give her some credit though, as the lake had a very powerful undercurrent, which was already incredibly difficult to swim in. She did try, but ultimately after battling the current with her babies on her back, she found herself being torn apart from her cubs.

After being separated, she tried to save herself, perhaps in the hope that her cubs could make it on their own. After swimming for some time, the mother bear eventually made it safely to land. Sadly, without her baby cubs.

07. Somebody Help!

So now we find the bear cubs all alone in the freezing lake, exhausted, and desperate. How will they survive now that their mother – their protector – has abandoned them? With nobody even close to saving them, their fate was not looking good.

The odds were not at all in their favour, it was the middle of winter. The waters were  freezing and the current deadly. In addition, bears are not the greatest swimmers, since they don’t have much experience in this area.

08. Holding on for Dear Life

This picture is painful to witness. Can you imagine what this would be like for these baby cubs? Terror and panic racing through their minds, while the freezing cold water rushed over them? Within minutes of being in the lake, they were fighting for their lives.

Treading water in the face of death would be enough for any living being to be absolutely terrified. Whoever took this photograph must have thought that they were capturing the end of the lives of these cubs.

09. A Rescue on the Horizon?

When all seemed hopeless for these little cubs, a boat miraculously appeared on the horizon. The reality instantly became clear to the fishermen on board – it would be a race against the clock to save these scared little ones from drowning.

The fishermen were well acquainted with the lake and knew something was wrong. With no mama bear in sight, they knew that they had to do something to help rescue the helpless bears. Could they do it?

10. Tired Little Ones

As the boat got closer to the cubs, the disastrous situation became clear. The babies were incredibly exhausted, struggling to keep their heads above water. The crew did not know how to safely remove them from the water.

Ironically, instead of catching fish, they were now hoping to catch themselves two little bear cubs and hopefully bring them to safety, but this was no mean feat. The cubs were scared of the boat and were beginning to panic even more.

11. An Observer Close By

Though the mother bear had left the babies unattended in the water, she was still very close by, watching the scene unfold. Since this mother was a rather large bear, the fishermen were unsure as to whether or not to proceed, fearing for their own safety.

They feared that the mother might follow her maternal instinct and try to intervene by climbing aboard their vessel. Even though time was quickly running out, they had to wait for the mother to be a safer distance away.

12. Creating a Plan

As they waited, the fishermen decided to work out a plan to get the babies out of the water. What was the best way to handle this situation, ensuring that they put themselves and the cubs in the least amount of danger possible?

They had to approach the situation with caution and in a way which meant that the cubs would not get frightened further. At this point, anything could happen. While they were only babies, they were still wild bears.

13. Get It On Camera

It is thanks to modern technology that we have been able to get access to a once-in-a-lifetime rescue mission. The fishermen claimed that they took some pictures because they were sure that their friends wouldn’t believe them!

The fishermen themselves couldn’t quite believe what they had come across. What had started out as a casual winter fishing outing, had turned into an extremely tense rescue mission. They filmed the entire interaction between the bears and the boat. Soon after, one of the bear cubs started to try and climb onto the boat on his own, reaching up with his paws.

14. Needing Some Assistance

The ledge of the boat was much too high for the little one, and try as he may, he just couldn’t make it onto the boat himself, especially in his weakened state from treading water so long.

The fishermen began to set their plan into motion. As a working fishing boat, they had several nets and tools and the most logical option was to use one of them to grab hold of the bear.

15. The Right Kind of Plan

As the soaking wet and frantic baby cub desperately tried to climb aboard, the crew sprung into action. One of the fishermen ran to get the fishing gear, so that the cubs could latch onto it and he could bring them on-board.

Bears have incredibly sharp teeth and powerful mouth-gripping abilities. So, instead of pulling the cub onto the boat, the plan was to let the cub use his mouth as leverage to pull himself up onto the vessel.

16. Did It Work?

At first, it seemed like the plan would work, however, the bear was still a little too far from the boat landing to be able to pull his whole body up. The crew was worried that the large net might just scare the bear, even more.

Despite the fishermen’s concerns about putting themselves at risk by physically pulling the bear up, they couldn’t just sit back and watch. It was a matter of life and death, and they decided that they had no choice but to intervene.

17. Trust and Trust Some More

If the fishermen reached too far over the edge they risked being pulled down by the bear, falling into the freezing water, or worse – being attacked and maimed. Of course, they couldn’t forget about the giant mama bear, watching from the sidelines.

So, what could they do? They decided to throw caution to the wind and put their trust in the bear cubs, making the, perhaps rogue, decision to work with them to ensure that the rescue mission went smoothly. The fishermen prayed that no one would get hurt.

18. Pleading

A few days after the incident, many of the crew of the boat were quoted as saying that during the rescue, it was as if they had developed a deep, unspoken connection with the bear cub.

Something about locking gazes with the helpless bear created some form of connection between them and the vulnerable little bear. This is what compelled the fishermen to take the risk, reach down, and do all they could to save the bear cub.

19. A Bright Idea

And so another plan was put into action. Although it seems simple in retrospect, at the time, with high stakes and adrenaline pumping, it is understandable that they didn’t try this sooner.

They carefully used their fishing nets to try to scoop the bear out of the water – just like they would have done with regular fish, the trick was to ensure that the cub didn’t panic and stayed very still.

20. Will it Work?

The biggest concern about this plan was the fact that the fishing nets were not designed to hold heavy baby bears. Despite this, they were willing to risk breaking the net if it gave them a chance to save the cubs, so they continued on with their plan.

Tossing the net into the ocean, they started with the first cub. Using the same method as they would for catching fish, they tried to reel it in with their own hands. Time was running out and, all the while, the cub was getting more tired.

21. Heavy Lifting

The first cub was caught in the net, and brought closer and closer until they eventually got it onto the boat! This was just the beginning, as they had to make sure the bears would not get injured in the process.

They also had to ensure that the cubs wouldn’t decide to use what little strength they had left to attack the fishermen. Even though the fishermen had good intentions, the scared cubs might not realise that and attack them out of fear.

22. Calming the Cubs

They expected the wet and wild bear cub to either damage the boat or harm its helpers, the minute it got out of the water… but at that point, they had to take the risk. Because if not, the bear cub would surely lose its life.

Someone suggested that they try to calm the bear down before pulling it into the boat, but since they were just fishermen, with no prior experience in dealing with bears or land mammals, no one had any idea how to achieve this.

23. Pull and Pull and Pull

The fishermen soon realised just how heavy a baby cub was. They were extremely grateful that these cubs were still young –  if it had been the mama bear stuck in the water, it would have been an entirely different story!

Did you know that a fully grown bear can weigh up to 1,300 pounds?! That’s a whole lot of bear. There is no way that the fishermen could have supported one using just their fishing net. While they were only cubs, they were even heavier than they usually would be , because of their wet fur.

24. Just A Little Further

It’s a good thing that these fishermen were used to dealing with tough conditions and situations because pulling the fishing net with the first cub in it was a real struggle. They had to really dig deep, both mentally and physically, to help this animal.

After a good deal of time spent gently pulling and tugging,  the cub eventually got close enough to the boat to climb onboard. Thankfully, rather than attack, he simply climbed onto the boat. The situation was finally starting to look up.

25. Welcome Aboard

In the end, it was a success! They managed to get the first cub on the vessel, but it wasn’t time to celebrate yet. They still had another cub to save and time was running out. The second cub was treading water for the duration of the first rescue.

With their first rescue a success, they began the task of assisting the next cub. This, however, would be a greater challenge than the first, since the second bear was further away from the boat than the first, so the fishermen had to try and get close enough to reach him, before helping him onto the boat.

26. Quiet Confidence

Since they had successfully rescued the first cub, the fishermen were feeling good about their chances of being able to save this one too, but that didn’t mean it was going to be easy.

But thankfully, with their tried and tested method of extraction using the fishing net, the process seemed to go a lot more smoothly than it had the first time, to everyone’s relief. The second cub was picked up and pulled in.

27. Brother Bears Reunited

After mustering the strength to continue pulling, the fishermen managed to get this little guy on the boat as well. Now the fishermen felt just as tired as the bears after all of that hard work!

With the two bear cubs safely on the boat, there was a sense of euphoria on the boat. What was supposed to be just an average workday had been turned completely upside down. The fishermen were now faced with the question of what to do next.

28. Celebration

The fishermen could finally take a moment to celebrate – a few high fives and cheers were shared between them. With the two cubs saved, they could breathe and prepare themselves for their next move.

We’re truly impressed with the fishermen’s ability to persevere and selflessly save these little ones. The next move was to return the bear cubs to the mother, but this would not be without its own risks.

29. Not at all Happy

Though the cubs were safe from the imminent danger of drowning, they weren’t in the best shape. They were exhausted, cold, and wet. They were also confused by their totally new surroundings.

The poor little things were shaking, from a combination of both fear and cold. This was likely the first contact they had ever had with humans. Cowering in the corner, these cubs were really missing their mother.

30. Fallen for Them

The fishermen really felt as though they had formed a bond with these little ones. The life-threatening situation, on both sides, had brought man and bear together. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if, seeing the bears cold, alone, and in need of some comfort, the fishermen had wanted to keep them.

However, they also knew that their mum would be close by, waiting to be reunited with her babies. At this point they knew that the most sensible option would be, not to bring the cubs with them, but to reunite them with their mother.

31. Where to Take Them

They now needed to find out where it was that the mother bear had gone, so that they could bring them to her. But, after all the chaos of saving the cubs, none of them seemed to remember exactly where that was.

They searched for the particular spot on land where they had seen the mother bear taking refuge. After some time, one of the fishermen finally found it. They made their way to the shore, in the hope that the mother bear would still be there.

32. Another Risky Move

This was the moment where everything would come together – they hoped that the bears would be too focused on reuniting to cause them any harm. As the fishermen approached the shore, they were unsure of how the cubs and the mother bear would react.

Would she run at the boat and tear the men apart? Would the cubs trample the men to get to their mother? They had to be brave and do the right thing, so as they got closer, they braced themselves for whatever might happen.

33. Waiting Game

It was a little bit of an anti-climax, however, as the mother bear didn’t arrive when the men landed. They had a feeling she would be close by – perhaps watching from behind the trees to see what the men would do.

They knew the next step though was to let the cubs go and their mother’s scent would lead them to her. The fishermen carried the tired and weak cubs onto the land to deliver them to safety. They waited for a while, but there was no movement.

34. On the Shore

The fishermen were not sure what to do now. It didn’t seem as if she was going to come out and meet her cubs, and they feared that the little cubs wouldn’t make it on their own in the cold and harsh weather.

The fishermen were not sure what to do when, suddenly, they saw some movement from the other bank. The mother of the two cubs had entered the water and started swimming towards them. But what could they do now?

35. Approaching

The mother bear was swimming faster and faster. The fishermen questioned why she hadn’t done this before, with her cubs. Maybe it was too hard for her to swim with them on her back, but now that she was swimming alone, it might be possible for her to cross.

With every second that passed, the mama bear got closer to them. They were happy to see that she was coming for her cubs. On the other hand, the fishermen were also scared to death by the thought of the mama bear approaching them first to take revenge for taking her cubs. Was she aware that they had just saved the lives of these baby cubs?

36. Coming to Meet Her

The fishermen did not want to endanger their own lives, so they left the cubs, went back to their boat and hoped for the best. They started the boat’s engine, and, as they sailed away, they kept an eye from afar on what was happening.

When the mama bear was about to make it to shore to see her cubs, they peacefully sailed away. Looking back at the shore, the men saw the mama bear reaching the shore and knew that she was not going to leave her cubs a second time.

The ‘charging’ is when the coffin, with the person who has died inside, is put into the cremator. While this won’t be right for everyone, some people find that witnessing the charging can be a powerful part of saying goodbye. At some crematoria, you can witness the charging if you book a special slot ahead of time.

HOW ARE ASHES COLLECTED?
Once the cremation is finished, it takes about an hour for the ashes to cool down enough for a technician to collect. There is usually bone left behind which goes into the cremulator — a kind of specialised machine to turn bone into ash.

At this point, the ashes are gathered for family and friends to pick up. If you’d rather not collect ashes, they can be scattered at the crematorium instead, usually in a garden or other area set aside specifically for this. Read more about your options for keeping or scattering ashes.

DOES CREMATION HAPPEN RIGHT AFTER THE CEREMONY?
A person might be cremated right after the ceremony but it depends on how busy the crematorium is. The reason why cremation doesn’t always happen immediately is to make it better for the environment.

It takes some time for the cremator to get hot enough, which means it isn’t very energy efficient to only have one cremation per day. Technicians will usually organise cremations so they happen one after the other and the heat isn’t wasted. It would be very unusual for them to wait for more than three days — and most cremations will happen sooner than that.

Some families and friends feel it’s important to have someone cremated immediately for personal or religious reasons. If that’s the case, a funeral director can help you make the right booking with the crematorium. If you ask to witness the charging of the coffin, it will always take place right after the ceremony.

DO THEY REUSE THE COFFIN?
One common myth is that people are taken out of their coffin before cremation so it can be reused. But someone’s coffin will absolutely not be taken away from them.

The person who has died will stay inside their coffin as they go into the cremator, along with anything else that’s been included — like photos, flowers, and letters.

COULD I BE CREMATED WITH SOMEONE ELSE?
Another really common myth is that multiple people are cremated at once. As a result, family and friends sometimes worry that the ashes they get back might come from more than one person. It’s an understandable concern to have, but this is absolutely not the case.

The Code of Cremation Practice says the person who has died must be cremated on their own. All the ashes are collected before the cremator is used again and so will definitely belong to your person and nobody else.

Watch this short ‘Ask A Funeral Director’ video which explains how you can be sure you are collecting the right ashes

WHAT ITEMS CAN’T GO INSIDE A CREMATOR?
Not just anything can go inside a cremator. There’s no single list of items that can’t be included but it’s a good idea to remove anything with liquid that might explode and damage the cremator. Heavy plastics, glass, and anything with batteries (like watches) should be left out too.

Our lovely local cremator technician told us that bottles of alcohol and perfume are items which should definitely not be put in a coffin.

Your funeral director can talk you through what may or may not be a good idea to include. They can also help find ways to help involve special items in the funeral ceremony even if they can’t go inside the coffin.

WHAT HAPPENS TO JOINT REPLACEMENTS?
The crematory technician will go through the ashes and remove any metals before they go in the cremulator. These metals are normally things like hip and knee replacements, as well as bits of wire from the coffin.

Right now, all of the UK’s crematoria metal waste gets recycled by a single company in the Netherlands. You can also ask for the joints back if you’d like to.

IS CREMATION BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
Unfortunately, cremation isn’t great for the environment, because it uses a lot of energy and can release chemicals into the air. The good news is that crematory technology has moved ahead by leaps and bounds over the past decade.

There are new rules about reducing emissions, and the technology is better at filtering out chemicals like mercury so they don’t end up in the atmosphere. There are also lots of other ways you can help make your funeral more eco-friendly if this is important to you.

According to German psychiatrist Prof Matthias C Angermeyer and colleagues – writing in the ‘Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health’ (1987) – Plato is supposed to have born and died on the same date; so too, the Buddha; and the ragtime pianist “Eubie” Blake died just five days after his 100th birthday.

Is there an association between our dates of birth and death?

Angermeyer et al suggested that either approaching birthdays promote an emotional reaction that motivates individuals to somehow initiate a mechanism that delays their death – “death postponement” – or birthdays represent stressful events, provoking a rise in mortality: a “birthday blues” effect.

But following their study of 5,000 well-known people from Switzerland and around the world, their conclusion was that “a real relation between birthday and date of death does not seem to exist”.
By contrast, in 2001, American researchers, writing in the ‘British Medical Journal’, noted that the number four is regarded by many Chinese and Japanese as unlucky. “If so,” they speculated, “deaths from chronic heart disease should show a particularly large peak on the fourth day of the month.”

Accordingly, they studied the death certificates of 210,000 Chinese and Japanese Americans and 47 million white Americans and reported: “Cardiac mortality in Chinese and Japanese Americans peaks on the fourth day of the month . . .”

In 2012, a Swiss group reported their analysis of the mortality statistics of more than two million individuals in the journal ‘Annals of Epidemiology’, stating: “The overall death excess on the day of birth was 13.8 per cent, mainly because of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (more in women than in men) as well as suicides and accidents (in particular, falls in men).”

Their results supported “the hypothesis of an ‘anniversary reaction’ or the ‘birthday blues’ in certain causes of death, but not the death postponement hypothesis”.

And in a recent development, in 2018, two Irish professors at University College Dublin further probed the birthday/deathday relationship. The findings of Prof Gabrielle E Kelly and Prof Cecily C Kelleher, published in the ‘Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health’, arise from their investigation of the birthdays and deathdays of famous people in eight different categories: 49 British prime ministers, 34 US presidents, 34 Wimbledon men and 23 ladies singles winners, 49 male Academy Award actors, 32 Academy Award actresses, 39 Academy Award directors and 583 Nobel Prize winners.

Directional statistics
Kelly explained to The Irish Times that they had used methods derived from a statistical sub-discipline called directional statistics: “The data are circular in the sense that a difference between a deathday and birthday of 0 days is the same as a difference of 365 days. Similarly, a difference of 1 is the same as a difference of 364. Therefore, statistics for circular data were employed in the analysis, also known as directional statistics. Different types of departure of the differences in each group from a uniform distribution on a circle were investigated.”

For each of the eight groups, Kelly and Kelleher calculated the difference in days between the birthday and deathday. If there was no association between the two, the difference in days should have been uniformly distributed around the “statistical circle”. But this did not happen: “All groups showed some departure from the uniform and it occurred around the birthday in all groups.”

Did the departure from the uniform conform to the “death postponement” hypothesis or “birthday blues”?

For most of the groups it was the former, with “a death dip prior to the birthday and a rise thereafter”. But, interestingly, in the all-female Wimbledon ladies and Academy Award actresses, the “birthday blues” hypothesis appeared to prevail.

So, what is going on?

Connection
Kelly and Kelleher are cautious in their interpretation of their findings. They acknowledge that “while the empirical data imply there is a connection between birthday and deathday and that there is some variability across cohorts and by gender, it must be speculative as to whether this is an inherently biological or a sociocultural phenomenon or an interaction between these, in turn related to processes promoting longevity, including advantages of social position.”

The possibility that some sort of psychophysiological mechanism enables the postponement or hastening of death is a question, say Kelly and Kelleher, that might be answered by undertaking more studies into how much significance people attach to their birthdays.

“Future research on this topic,” says Kelly, “will develop new statistical methods that are more powerful in detecting changes from uniformity of differences around 0 and that will enable groups to be compared in an efficient way.”

The authors of the 2012 Swiss study (above) suggest that “[A]lthough the excess of deaths on birthdays has a similar magnitude in different causes of death, the underlying mechanisms may not be similar. In vascular events, such as acute myocardial infarctions and strokes, it seems more promising to hypothesize the devastating consequences of stress.”

This Irish research highlights a refined statistical approach to the investigation of a relationship between birthdays and deathdays, inviting the inference that the mind may have more of a role to play in the body’s physiology than we might care to admit.

In the labyrinth of factors influencing human longevity, an unexpected contender has entered the arena—the humble blood type. A growing body of research is exploring the intricate relationship between blood types and lifespan, sparking intriguing questions about whether the key to a longer life might be encoded in the very essence that flows through our veins. In this exploration, we delve into the latest findings and seek to understand which blood type may hold the secret to a prolonged and healthy existence.

The ABCs of Blood Types
Before we embark on this journey, let’s take a moment to understand the basics. The ABO blood group system, a classification based on the presence or absence of specific antigens, categorizes human blood into four main types: A, B, AB, and O. Each blood type also carries distinctive antibodies in the plasma. While primarily significant for medical procedures like blood transfusions and organ transplants, the potential impact of blood type on overall health and longevity has become an area of scientific curiosity.

Blood Type A: A Potential Longevity Advantage?
Recent studies have suggested that individuals with blood type A might have a longevity advantage. One notable study published in the *Journal of the American Geriatrics Society* explored the correlation between blood types and cardiovascular health. The findings indicated that individuals with blood type A exhibited a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases compared to those with other blood types.

This potential advantage is thought to be associated with specific traits linked to blood type A, such as lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and a reduced tendency to form blood clots. These characteristics could contribute to a healthier cardiovascular system, thus potentially extending lifespan.

Blood Type O: The Resilient Contender
On the flip side of the coin, individuals with blood type O may boast their own set of advantages. Some studies propose that those with blood type O have a lower susceptibility to certain types of cancer. A study published in *PLoS One* discovered that individuals with blood type O had a decreased risk of pancreatic cancer compared to those with blood types A, B, or AB.

The protective mechanism is speculated to be linked to a lower concentration of von Willebrand factor, a protein involved in blood clotting, in individuals with blood type O. This reduced tendency to form blood clots may contribute to a decreased risk of certain types of cancer, adding another layer to the complex interplay between blood types and longevity.

Navigating the Complexity of Lifespan Determinants
As fascinating as these findings are, it’s crucial to approach the topic with a healthy dose of skepticism. Human health is an intricate tapestry woven from a multitude of factors, and blood type is just one thread in this complex weave. Genetics, lifestyle choices, socioeconomic status, and environmental factors all dance together to shape our well-being and longevity.

While research highlights correlations between blood types and specific health outcomes, establishing a direct cause-and-effect relationship is challenging. Individuals with the same blood type can lead vastly different lives, adhering to distinct lifestyles, diets, and genetic backgrounds. Therefore, it’s essential to view blood type as a piece of the puzzle rather than a definitive determinant of lifespan.

The Holistic Approach to Longevity
In the pursuit of a longer, healthier life, it’s prudent to adopt a holistic perspective. Rather than fixating solely on blood type, a more comprehensive approach involves embracing a balanced lifestyle. Regular exercise, a well-rounded and nutritious diet, stress management, and avoiding harmful habits collectively contribute to overall well-being.

Diversity is a fundamental aspect of human biology, and our genetic differences, including blood type, should be celebrated rather than fixated upon. Instead of searching for a one-size-fits-all answer to longevity, we should appreciate the richness of human diversity and the varied paths individuals take toward a fulfilling and extended life.

Conclusion: Embracing the Tapestry of Life
In the grand tapestry of human existence, blood types add a layer of complexity that researchers are still unraveling. While studies hint at potential connections between blood types and specific health outcomes, the true secret to longevity likely lies in the harmonious interplay of various factors.

Embracing the tapestry of life involves acknowledging and appreciating the diversity inherent in our genetics, lifestyles, and approaches to wellness. Rather than seeking a singular key to a longer life, let’s celebrate the intricate mosaic of human existence, recognizing that the journey toward longevity is as diverse as the individuals embarking upon it.

One scroll through Instagram and TikTok will quickly show you just how popular spiritual practices and pursuits have become. From astrology, crystal healing, and tarot to reiki and palmistry, society is proving to have something of an obsession with these old-school spiritual techniques.

As intrigued as we are by all of these transcendental practices, we’re here to focus on palm reading. After all, how cool is it that the natural line formation on your hands could actually have an underlying meaning? Better yet, that the lines could actually help you understand your past and inform your future?

“Palm reading is a great way to find out more about yourself and your future,” Eva White, a 4th generation psychic, spiritualist, and healer from Psychics1on1, a digital platform that connects people with new-age healers around the world, tells HelloGiggles. “When the dominant palm is read, the main lines can tell you your strengths and weaknesses.” And when the lines form into an M? Well, that’s a whole other story.

Fascinated? Keep reading to find out what the lines mean on your hand and if you have an “M” line on your palm.

Palm reading guide:
According to White, there’s the head line, love line, and life line. While the Head line represents your mental traits and personality, White says the love line shows your emotional traits and the expectation of your relationships, and the life line shows what to expect in health and longevity of life.

As far as placement goes, the life line is the long, arched line extending from above your thumb to below it, effectively sectioning it off. The head line is the straight diagonal line just above the life line, which extends down toward the outside of your hand. The love line (or heart line) is the curved line just above that, stretching from below your forefinger to below your pinky.

Then there’s the fate line, which spans down the center of your palm and represents intuition and, according to White, shows you’re an old soul. “But not everyone has one,” she shares. It’s the fate line that connects that head, love, and life line to create the letter M on your palm, which leads to…
What does an “M” on your palm mean?
“When the head line, heart line, life line, and fate line connect, it can create the look of an “M” and means you are blessed with good fortune,” White says. “It’s also a sign of strong intuition and creativity, as well as determination and career growth.”

While these are all good things, White says that folks with M palms also face their struggles. “The M can also mean you tend to overthink or multi-task throughout your life and that can be exhausting,” she says. “But having both palms with an M will suggest great results coming from your efforts.”

What if there’s no “M” line?
Even if you feel intuitive and creative, you might not have an M on your palm. “Having the letter M formation on your palm is a bit uncommon,” White says, noting that it’s a rare symbol. “If you do not have an M shape on your palm, no hard feelings… you can still have great traits in your personality, as well as your own type of ‘good luck,’ based on the length and depth of your lines.”

The best way to determine your fate (as it relates to your palm) is to visit a professional palm reader to dissect the main lines of your palm. That said, if you’re more of a self-taught person, there are plenty of lessons on Instagram and endless palm reading tutorials on YouTube, so have at it.