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55-414: The concept of blue zones with longevity has been challenged by the absence of scientific evidence, and by the substantial decline of life expectancy during the 21st century in one of the first proposed blue zones, Okinawa. A 1999 study of elderly people living on Sardinia found a prevalence of 13 centenarians per 100,000 population, indicating unusual longevity. A 2004 followup report showed that longevity

110-519: A congratulatory letter to Reverend Thomas Lord of Horncastle , Lincolnshire, in a newspaper clipping, declaring, "I am commanded by the King to congratulate you on the attainment of your hundredth year, after a most useful life". The practice was formalised from 1917, under the reign of King George V , who also sent congratulations then sent by a telegram on the attainment of a diamond wedding anniversary (or jubilee) marking 60 years of marriage. During

165-480: A frog by magnetism, was awarded a Nobel Prize in physics in 2010 for his work with the electromagnetic properties of graphene . He is the only individual, as of 2024, to have received both a Nobel and an Ig Nobel. The prizes are mostly presented by Nobel laureates , originally at a ceremony in a lecture hall at MIT but moved in 1994 to the Sanders Theater at Harvard University for many years. Due to

220-543: A hundred years", in that they wish that they could all live happily for a hundred years. In Greece, wishing someone Happy Birthday ends with the expression να τα εκατοστήσεις ( na ta ekatostisis ), which can be loosely translated as "may you make it one hundred birthdays". In Sri Lanka, it is a custom to bless as "you may live 220 instead of 120". In many countries, people receive a gift or congratulations from federal/state institutions on their 100th birthday. As of 2019, there were an estimated 72,000 centenarians living in

275-494: A hundred years". In Sweden, the traditional birthday song states, May he/she live for one hundred years . In Judaism , May you live to be 120 years old is a common blessing. In Poland, Sto lat , a wish to live a hundred years, is a traditional form of praise and good wishes, and the song "sto lat, sto lat" is sung on the occasion of the birthday celebrations—arguably, it is the most popular song in Poland and among Poles around

330-476: A letter of congratulations from the president of Germany . In Ireland, centenarians can receive a €2,540 "Centenarians' Bounty" and a letter from the president of Ireland , even if they are resident abroad . Irish people celebrating their 101st birthday may also receive a special silver minted coin with a quote by a famous Irish writer or poet. Centenarians born in Italy receive a letter of congratulations from

385-585: A more important role. A preliminary study carried out in Poland showed that, in comparison with young healthy female adults, centenarians living in Upper Silesia had significantly higher red blood cell glutathione reductase and catalase activities, although serum levels of vitamin E were not significantly higher. Researchers in Denmark have also found that centenarians exhibit a high activity of glutathione reductase in red blood cells. In this study,

440-641: A prize—and especially if you did—better luck next year!" The ceremony is co-sponsored by the Harvard Computer Society, the Harvard–Radcliffe Science Fiction Association and the Harvard–Radcliffe Society of Physics Students. Throwing paper planes onto the stage is a long-standing tradition. For many years Professor Roy J. Glauber swept the stage clean of the airplanes as the official "Keeper of

495-459: A rigorous scientific method. Centenarian A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100 years. Because life expectancies worldwide are below 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity . The United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centenarians worldwide in 2012, and 573,000 in 2020, almost quadruple the 2000 estimate of 151,000. As world population and life expectancy continue to increase,

550-454: A scientist, the astronomer Hipparchus of Nicaea ( c.  185  – c.  120 BC ), who, according to the doxographer, said that the philosopher Democritus of Abdera ( c.  470/460  – c.  370/360 BC ) lived 109 years. Other ancient accounts of Democritus agree that the philosopher lived at least 90 years. The case of Democritus differs from those of, for example, Epimenides of Crete (7th and 6th centuries BC), who

605-587: A special occasion." Each few years the card was updated with a current updated picture of the Queen to ensure people did not receive the same card more than once. The Queen further sent her congratulations on one's 105th birthday and every year thereafter as well as on special wedding anniversaries. While the number of centenarians per capita was much lower in ancient times than today, the data suggest that they were not unheard of. Estimates of life expectancy in antiquity are far lower than modern values mostly due to

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660-447: Is a person who has reached the age of 110 years. This age milestone is only achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians. Even rarer is a person who has lived to 115 . There are 75 people in recorded history who have indisputably reached 115. Only three of the people who have reached 115 are men. Tomiko Itooka , Inah Canabarro Lucas , Ethel Caterham and Okagi Hayashi are the only verified people currently alive who have reached

715-589: Is recorded and broadcast on National Public Radio in the US and is shown live over the Internet. The recording is broadcast each year, on the Friday after US Thanksgiving , on the public radio program Science Friday . In recognition of this, the audience chants the name of the radio show's host, Ira Flatow . Two books have been published with write-ups on some winners: The Ig Nobel Prize and The Ig Nobel Prize 2 ,

770-428: Is said by Bernold of Constance to have lived past 100 years ( iam maior centenario ). Research in Italy suggests that healthy centenarians have high levels of both vitamin A and vitamin E and that this seems to be important in causing their extreme longevity. Other research contradicts this, however, and has found that this theory does not apply to centenarians from Sardinia , for whom other factors probably play

825-526: Is said to have lived an implausible 154, 157, or 290 years, depending on the source. Other ancient Greek philosophers thought to have lived beyond the age of 90 include Xenophanes of Colophon ( c.  570/565  – c.  475/470BC ), Pyrrho of Ellis ( c.  360  – c.  270 BC ), and Eratosthenes of Cirene ( c.  285  – c.  190 BC ). Also, the Greek rhetorician Isocrates of Athens (436-338 BC) lived 97/98 years and

880-511: Is said to have reigned for 94 years, but alternative readings cite a reign of just 64 years. Adad-guppi , mother of the last king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire Nabonidus apparently lived from c.  648 -544 BC (c. 104 years) according to inscriptions on funeral steles . Diogenes Laërtius ( c.  AD 250 ) gives one of the earliest references regarding the plausible centenarian longevity given by

935-531: The COVID-19 pandemic , the event was held fully online in the years of 2020 through 2023. The ceremony returned to MIT in September 2024. The event contains a number of running jokes, including Miss Sweetie Poo, a little girl who repeatedly cries out, "Please stop: I'm bored", in a high-pitched voice if speakers go on too long. The awards ceremony is traditionally closed with the words: "If you didn't win

990-601: The monarch King Charles III on their 100th birthday. In the UK, greeting cards are also sent by the monarch on every birthday beginning with the 105th. In Commonwealth realms in which the monarch does not ordinarily reside, honorees can also receive congratulations from the governor-general . In Canada, application must be made through the GGS official website. Similarly, in New Zealand, honorees must apply for greetings through

1045-529: The president of Italy . In the Netherlands, the monarch and their commissioner sends a letter on the 100th birthday and on every birthday beginning with the 105th. Swedish centenarians receive a telegram from the king and queen of Sweden . In Commonwealth realms including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand centenarians can receive congratulations card greetings from

1100-463: The 115 years milestone. Jeanne Calment from France is the only age-verified person in human history to have reached the age of 120 years. An aspect of blessing in many cultures is to offer a wish that the recipient lives to 100 years old. Among Hindus in India, where touching feet of elders and respected is a tradition, people who touch the feet of elders are often blessed with "May you live

1155-605: The Broom". Glauber could not attend the 2005 awards because he was traveling to Stockholm to claim a genuine Nobel Prize in Physics . The "Parade of Ignitaries" into the hall includes supporting groups. At the 1997 ceremonies, a team of "cryogenic sex researchers" distributed a pamphlet titled "Safe Sex at Four Kelvin." Delegates from the Museum of Bad Art are often on hand to display some pieces from their collection. The ceremony

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1210-723: The Centenarians Act of 2016 mandates that all living Filipinos residing in the Philippines or overseas receive a birthday congratulatory letter from the President of the Philippines and a ₱100,000 "Centenarian Gift" from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). In Taiwan, people aged 100 or above receive a golden pendant necklace on Chong Yang Festival each year from the president and Ministry of Health and Welfare . German centenarians receive

1265-624: The Ig Nobel Awards are veiled criticism of trivial research, history shows that trivial research sometimes leads to important breakthroughs. For instance, in 2006, a study showing that one of the malaria mosquitoes ( Anopheles gambiae ) is attracted equally to the smell of Limburger cheese and the smell of human feet earned the Ig Nobel Prize in the area of biology. As a direct result of these findings, traps baited with this cheese have been placed in strategic locations to combat

1320-517: The Nobel Prize categories of physics, chemistry, physiology/medicine, literature, economics, and peace, but also other categories such as public health, engineering, biology, and interdisciplinary research. The Ig Nobel Prizes recognize genuine achievements, with the exception of three prizes awarded in the first year to fictitious scientists Josiah S. Carberry , Paul DeFanti, and Thomas Kyle . The awards are sometimes criticism via satire, as in

1375-486: The U.S.; the 2020 census officially counted 80,139, and the 2010 census had 53,364. However, the U.S. Census Bureau claimed in 1999 that as many as a third of people stating their age as over 100 might be exaggerating. In the United States, centenarians may request a letter of congratulation from the president of the United States to mark their longevity. Jimmy Carter became the first former president to reach

1430-540: The United States. The UN estimated in 2012, as a result of these adjustments, that there were only 316,600 centenarians worldwide. The following table gives estimated centenarian populations by country, including both the latest and the earliest known estimates, where available. A study which received a 2024 Ig Nobel Prize found these numbers are inflated by welfare and pension fraud and poor record-keeping, neither of which are uniform across jurisdictions. A supercentenarian , sometimes hyphenated as super-centenarian,

1485-470: The absence of evidence-based information. It has also been questioned by the substantial decline of life expectancy during the 21st century in Okinawa, with the analysis concluding that "male longevity is now ranked 26th among the 47 prefectures of Japan". Michel Poulain, one of the authors of the original paper about blue zones, conducted a study in 2011 to validate the claims of longevity in Okinawa, and

1540-630: The age of 100 on October 1, 2024. Today also presents a segment honoring centenarians and older, sponsored by Smuckers . The tradition was created in 1983 by weather presenter Willard Scott , and is now presented by his successor Al Roker . Japanese centenarians receive a silver cup and a certificate from the prime minister of Japan upon the Respect for the Aged Day following their 100th birthday, honouring them for their longevity and prosperity in their lives. In Madhya Pradesh , India ,

1595-636: The amount of 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollars ($ 0.40 USD, but the banknote is worth more as a collector's item ). The Ig Nobels were created in 1991 by Marc Abrahams , editor and co-founder of the Annals of Improbable Research , a former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Irreproducible Results , who has been the master of ceremonies at all awards ceremonies. Awards were presented at that time for discoveries "that cannot, or should not, be reproduced". Ten prizes are awarded each year in many categories, including

1650-603: The award is a pun on the Nobel Prize , which it parodies, and on the word "ignoble". Organized by the scientific humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research (AIR), the Ig Nobel Prizes are presented by Nobel laureates in a ceremony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . The winners also deliver public lectures. The Ig Nobel Prize monetary award is given in a solitary banknote for

1705-608: The award known as Shatayu Samman is given out to people who live at least 100 years to promote awareness of good health. North Korean centenarians receive a birthday congratulatory letter from the Supreme Leader of the DPRK . On 6 July 2022, Pak Hak Sil, a centenarian living in Koup-ri of Kangnam County , Pyongyang , received a birthday letter sent by Kim Jong Un . In the Philippines, Republic Act No. 10868 better known as

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1760-449: The centenarians having the best cognitive and physical functional capacity tended to have the highest activity of this enzyme . Other research has found that people whose parents became centenarians have an increased number of naïve B cells . It is well known that the children of parents who have a long life are also likely to reach a healthy age, but it is not known why, although the inherited genes are probably important. A variation in

1815-435: The discovery that the presence of humans tends to sexually arouse ostriches , to the statement that black holes fulfill all the technical requirements for being the location of Hell, to research on the " five-second rule ", a tongue-in-cheek belief that food dropped on the floor will not become contaminated if it is picked up within five seconds. Sir Andre Geim , who had been awarded an Ig Nobel Prize in 2000 for levitating

1870-571: The famous Greek tragedian Sophocles (497/496-406/405 BC) lived at least 90 years. Hosius of Córdoba , the man who convinced Constantine the Great to call the First Council of Nicaea , reportedly lived to age 102. A rare record of an ordinary person who lived to be a centenarian is the tombstone of Roman British legionary veteran Julius Valens, inscribed "VIXIT ANNIS C". In the medieval period, Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan (d. 1097)

1925-491: The far greater incidence of deaths in infancy or childhood. Those who lived past early childhood had a reasonable chance of living to a relatively old age. The assumption of what constitutes "old age", or being "elderly", at least, seems to have remained unchanged since antiquity, the line being generally drawn at either sixty or sixty-five years; Psalm 90 :10 in the Hebrew Bible appears to give seventy to eighty years as

1980-593: The gene FOXO3 A is known to have a positive effect on the life expectancy of humans, and is found much more often in people living to 100 and beyond – moreover, this appears to be true worldwide. Men and women who are 100 or older tend to have extroverted personalities, according to Thomas T. Perls, the director of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University. Centenarians will often have many friends, strong ties to relatives and high self-esteem. In addition, some research suggests that

2035-487: The globe. According to legends, Sages from ancient India lived and meditated for tens of thousands of years while Great Kings ruled their kingdoms for thousands of years. Chinese emperors were hailed to live ten thousand years , while empresses were hailed to live a thousand years. In Italy, "A hundred of these days!" ( cento di questi giorni ) is an augury for birthdays, to live to celebrate 100 more birthdays. Some Italians say "A cent'anni!", which means "(up) To

2090-523: The latter of which was later retitled The Man Who Tried to Clone Himself . An Ig Nobel Tour has been an annual part of National Science week in the United Kingdom since 2003. The tour has also traveled to Australia several times, Aarhus University in Denmark in April 2009, Italy, and the Netherlands. A September 2009 article in The National titled "A noble side to Ig Nobels" says that, although

2145-533: The life expectancy of those who live into adulthood. Reliable references to individuals in antiquity who lived past 100 years are quite rare, but they do exist. For instance, Cicero's wife Terentia was reported by Pliny the Elder to have lived from 98 BC to 6 AD, 103 years. Regnal dates of Bronze Age monarchs are notoriously unreliable; the sixth dynasty Egyptian ruler Pepi II is sometimes listed as having lived c.  2278  – c.  2184 BC , as he

2200-789: The marketing company, Blue Zones LLC, adding Loma Linda , California, to the list of blue zones. Buettner described the Seventh-Day Adventist community there as having unusual longevity due putatively to a healthy lifestyle and plant-based diet . In 2020, the Blue Zones company was acquired by the Seventh-Day Adventist health care system, Adventist Health . Recent years have seen the blue zone concept featured in initiatives in industries such as insurance, technology and tourism. The concept of blue zone communities having exceptional longevity has been challenged by

2255-528: The mechanism of repair after H 2 O 2 sublethal oxidative DNA damage and in their PARP capacity. PARP activity measured in the permeabilized mononuclear leukocyte blood cells of thirteen mammalian species correlated with maximum lifespan of the species. These findings suggest that PARP mediated DNA repair activity contributes to the longevity of centenarians, consistent with the DNA damage theory of aging . Many experts attribute Japan's high life expectancy to

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2310-534: The natural life expectancy of a person surviving into old age, "The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty". A survey of the lifespans of male individuals with entries in the Oxford Classical Dictionary (i.e., a sample pre-selected to include those who lived long enough to attain historical notability) found a median lifespan of 72 years, and a range of 32 to 107 years, for 128 individuals born before 100 BC (though

2365-562: The number of centenarians is expected to increase substantially in the 21st century. According to the Office of National Statistics in the United Kingdom, one-third of babies born in the country in 2013 are expected to live to 100. According to a 1998 United Nations demographic survey, Japan is expected to have 272,000 centenarians by 2050; other sources suggest that the number could be closer to 1 million. The incidence of centenarians in Japan

2420-425: The official government website. The traditions of British centenarians receiving greetings and congratulations was established by King Edward VII in 1908. The famous acrobat and tightrope walker Henry Johnson received a congratulatory letter from Edward VII via his royal courtier Viscount Knollys in 1906. The tradition of royal congratulations continued in 1908, when the secretary for King Edward VII sent

2475-572: The offspring of centenarians are more likely to age in better cardiovascular health than their peers. Lymphoblastoid cell lines established from blood samples of centenarians have significantly higher activity of the DNA repair protein PARP ( Poly ADP ribose polymerase ) than cell lines from younger (20 to 70 years old) individuals. The lymphocytic cells of centenarians have characteristics typical of cells from young people, both in their capability of priming

2530-428: The original study of centenarians living in 14 mountain villages of Sardinia (the first proposed blue zone), the research team developed an Extreme Longevity Index (ELI) representing the ratio between the number of eventual centenarians born between 1880 and 1900, and the total number of births recorded during the same time interval for the region. The ELI was defined as the number of centenarians per 10,000 newborns, and

2585-442: The previous study, the culture of Okinawa has proven these factors to be important in its large population of centenarians. Ig Nobel Prize The Ig Nobel Prize ( / ˌ ɪ ɡ n oʊ ˈ b ɛ l / ) is a satirical prize awarded annually since 1991 to celebrate ten unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. Its aim is to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think." The name of

2640-432: The reign of King George V, only 24 telegrams were sent; however, with the aging population, this increased to 273 during 1952, when the longest-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne. The Queen also sent a telegram, and later a portrait-style greeting card with the notation, "I am so pleased to know that you are celebrating your one hundredth birthday. I send my congratulations and best wishes to you on such

2695-519: The same study found a median lifespan of 66 years for 100 individuals born after 100 BC but no later than 602 AD); by comparison, male individuals listed in Chambers Biographical Dictionary who died between 1900 and 1949 had a median lifespan of 71.5 years, with a range between 29 and 105 years. The author of the 1994 study concluded that it was only in the second half of the 20th century that medical advances have extended

2750-546: The two awards given for homeopathy research, prizes in "science education" to the Kansas State Department of Education and Colorado State Board of Education for their stance regarding the teaching of evolution , and the prize awarded to Social Text after the Sokal affair . Most often, however, they draw attention to scientific articles that have some humorous or unexpected aspect. Examples range from

2805-630: The typical Japanese diet, which is particularly low in refined simple carbohydrates, and to hygienic practices. The number of centenarians in relation to the total population was, in September 2010, 114% higher in Shimane Prefecture than the national average. This ratio was also 92% higher in Okinawa Prefecture . In Okinawa, studies have shown five factors that have contributed to the large number of centenarians in that region: Although these factors vary from those mentioned in

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2860-565: Was concentrated in the Nuoro province of Sardinia, specifically in its mountain regions where locally-born men lived longer than those in the rest of Sardinia, although reasons for the longevity were unknown. Beginning in 2005 in collaboration with author Dan Buettner , the list of blue zone regions was extended from Sardinia to include Okinawa, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Icaria in Greece. In

2915-734: Was one per 3,522 people in 2008. In Japan, the number of centenarians is highly skewed towards females. Japan in fiscal year 2016 had 57,525 female centenarians, while there were 8,167 males, a ratio of 7:1. The increase of centenarians was even more skewed at 11.6:1. The total number of centenarians in the world is uncertain. The Population Division of the United Nations estimated that there were 23,000 in 1950, 110,000 in 1990, 150,000 in 1995, 209,000 in 2000, 324,000 in 2005, 455,000 in 2009, and 935,000 in 2024. These older estimates, however, did not take into account downward adjustments of national estimates made by several countries such as

2970-424: Was unable to verify whether residents were as old as they reported due to many records not surviving World War II . Costa Rica’s “Blue Zone” is now being re-examined and shown to be a result of cohort effects. Harriet Hall , writing for Science-Based Medicine , stated that there are no controlled studies of elderly people in the blue zones, and that blue zone diets are based on speculation, not evidence through

3025-873: Was used to determine the probability that any person born in that municipality would reach 100 years old while remaining mentally and physically functional. Another longevity index applied was the Centenarian rate (CR) for the 1900 birth group (number of persons surviving to 100 years old per 10,000 people alive at age 60) in December 2000. The Sardinia and Okinawa blue zones had CR values for men substantially higher compared to several other countries, whereas values for women were mostly above those in other countries, while comparable to others. Several possible errors or limitations exist for these estimates, such as failure to validate accuracy of ages, unreliable interviews or missing birth records. In 2008, Dan Buettner established

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