Entertainment
The Most Groundbreaking Sci-Fi Journey Of The 60s Is Still Worth Streaming
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Watch enough science fiction, and you’ll come across a few themes that every series ends up dabbling in, from the And Then There Were None murder mystery bottle episode to evil twins or parallel universes. Among those themes is the recently somewhat forgotten but once-popular idea of a miniature journey into the human body.
Long before Ms. Frizzle took the Magic School Bus into one of her students and the Futurama crew traveled into Fry’s bowels, Fantastic Voyage explored the inside of a Soviet defector. The movie won multiple awards, features a star-studded cast, and, to this day, has provided the visual language for every film or television show you’ve seen that goes inside the circulatory system.
Where No One Has Gone Before
Released in 1966, Fantastic Voyage is a technical marvel. The movie’s original trailer heralded it as “a new kind of moviegoing experience,” and for once, that wasn’t hyperbole. It was a fact.
In order to save the life of a Soviet defector named Dr. Benes, who has invented the science of miniaturization, a five-person crew boards the submarine Proteus. The sub and its crew are then shrunk to the size of a microbe (one-tenth the size of a human cell) and tasked with a mission to try and remove an inaccessible blood clot.
The journey to reach their destination takes them through an unknown universe inside the human body. It’s a place filled with things not seen before, and they only have one hour to survive.
The crew making the dive consists of brain surgeon Dr. Peter Duval (Arthur Kennedy), his assistant, Cora (Raquel Welch in her debut role), circulatory specialist Dr. Michaels (Donald Pleasance), Captain Owens (William Redfield), the Proteus’ pilot, and finally, CIA Agent Charles Grant (Stephen Boyd). Grant was sent by the Combined Miniature Deterrent Forces (CMDF) of the United States to prevent another attempt on Dr. Benes’s life. Which, of course, is precisely what happens.
All you need to do is look at the cast, and you know exactly who the traitor is now, but this was one year before Donald Pleasance debuted as James Bond’s arch-enemy, Blofeld. At the time, it was a twist.
A Trippy Visual Showcase
A traitor on board the Proteus adds tension when acts of sabotage start to crop up, but the story could have been about saving a life without the Cold War subplot, and it would have been just as good. Fantastic Voyage is at its best when the crew is exploring the inside of Dr. Benes’s body, traveling through the circulatory system through the heart, which has to be stopped in order to allow them safe passage.
They journey into the lungs to collect oxygen, into the ear, and even through the nervous system. Each new body part is another amazing visual playground for the cast to explore, and while yes, the special effects are incredibly rudimentary compared to the VFX showcases of modern blockbusters, there’s a kitschy appeal in “antibodies” that are clearly thick patches of string being tossed by crew members from off-screen.
The backgrounds and visual effects of the Proteus traveling through the body were enough for Fantastic Voyage to win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects and a second for Best Art Direction, which is now known as Best Production Design. It was a well-deserved win, and even with the special effects of the 60s, the creepy white blood cells look like monsters from deep space instead of a needed, functional part of the human body.
A Genre-Defining Must-Watch Film
As groundbreaking and revolutionary as Fantastic Voyage was visually, it’s the story, which finds conflict and danger out of the simple act of exploring, that helped it become a genre-defining film. Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest sci-fi authors of all time, wrote the novelization of the film, which came out before the movie. That led audiences to believe Fantastic Voyage was an adaptation when, in truth, the film was developed first.
Asimov was a little frustrated by some of the film’s science. While he honored it in the novel, he went on to write a sequel, Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain, that was more scientifically accurate.
Today, Fantastic Voyage stands out as a turning point in sci-fi movies by exploring a brand new setting that had never been done on this scale before. The story focused on exploration and discovery, something that Hollywood movies, even back then, had replaced with aliens and monsters. It’s a simple plot, but even if there was no external conflict, the ticking timer of only one hour to complete the mission added enough tension to make it compelling the whole way through.
You can stream Fantastic Voyage today through Video on Demand via Amazon Prime, AppleTV, Google Play, and Fandango at Home. It’s worth the trip.
Entertainment
Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI for allegedly practicing medicine without a license
Pennsylvania has taken the unusual step of suing an AI company for practicing medicine without a license.
In a lawsuit filed May 1, the state is targeting Character.AI after an investigator found a chatbot on the platform posing as a licensed psychiatrist and providing what the state characterizes as medical advice.
According to the complaint, filed by the Pennsylvania Department of State and State Board of Medicine, a Professional Conduct Investigator for the state created a free account on Character.AI and searched for psychiatric characters. He selected one called “Emilie,” described on the platform as a “Doctor of psychiatry.”
The investigator told Emilie he had been feeling sad, empty, tired, and unmotivated. The chatbot mentioned depression and offered to conduct an assessment to determine whether medication might help.
When pressed on whether she was licensed in Pennsylvania, Emilie said she was and even provided a specific license number. The state checked and found that the number doesn’t exist.
The complaint also states Emilie claimed she attended medical school at Imperial College London, has practiced for seven years, and holds a full specialty registration in psychiatry with the General Medical Council in the UK.
Mashable Light Speed
In a similar case, 404 Media reported last year that Instagram AI chatbots were pretending to be licensed therapists, even inventing license numbers when prompted for credentials by the user.
Pennsylvania is seeking an injunction ordering Character.AI to stop allowing its platform to engage in the unlawful practice of medicine. The company has more than 20 million monthly active users worldwide and hosts more than 18 million user-created chatbot characters, according to the complaint.
In an email to Mashable, a Character.AI spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit. Further, they added that “our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our users. The user-created Characters on our site are fictional and intended for entertainment and roleplaying.”
The spokesperson added that the company “prioritizes responsible product development and has robust internal reviews and red-teaming processes in place to assess relevant features.”
A much bigger legal battle looms over AI health
The Pennsylvania lawsuit lands in the middle of an already messy legal debate over what AI is actually allowed to tell you — and whether any of it is even admissible in court.
As Mashable’s Chase DiBenedetto reported, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly advocated for “AI privilege,” arguing that chatbot conversations should be afforded the same legal protections as conversations with a therapist or an attorney. Courts have so far been split, with two federal judges reaching opposite conclusions on the question within weeks of each other earlier this year.
The stakes are high on both sides. Legal experts warn that sweeping AI privilege protections could effectively shield companies from accountability, making it harder to subpoena chat logs and internal records when something goes wrong. Meanwhile, health AI is booming — $1.4 billion flowed into healthcare-specific generative AI in 2025 alone, according to Menlo Ventures — and much of it operates outside of HIPAA protections.
Pennsylvania is one of several states to have introduced an AI Health bill this year, following a trend of states that aren’t waiting for Washington to act.
Entertainment
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Bayern Munich vs. PSG would have made an amazing Champions League final, but we should be happy that we’re getting two matchups between these electric teams. The first leg finished 5-4 to PSG. We’re not expecting the same again, because that was probably one of the best games of all time. If we get half that level of entertainment in the second leg, we’ll be delighted.
Expect more of the same from the likes of Michael Olise and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as these teams battle it out for a spot in the showpiece event. The winner will meet Arsenal at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Bayern Munich vs. PSG?
Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on May 6. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free
Bayern Munich vs. PSG is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.
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RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free by following these simple steps:
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Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
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Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
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Visit RTÉ Player
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Watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world
$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPn for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries including Ireland
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
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Fast connection speeds free from throttling
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Up to 10 simultaneous connections
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30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
Entertainment
AI stocks are cooling — this ChatGPT trading tool keeps delivering
TL;DR: A ChatGPT-powered investing platform that helps you find and manage stocks with clearer signals—lifetime access for a one-time $54.97.
Credit: Sterling Stock Picker
The AI trade has seemingly had its moment — big runs, big headlines, big expectations. The AI fun is not over by any means. But now that things are settling, the real question is what comes next?
Instead of chasing whatever’s trending, Sterling Stock Picker leans into a more grounded approach: using a ChatGPT-powered assistant (Finley) to help you understand what’s actually happening inside a stock. You can ask questions about companies, sectors, or your own portfolio and get explanations that are tied to real data — not just surface-level summaries.
Mashable Deals
It also handles the heavy lifting most people avoid. The platform analyzes financials, growth metrics, and risk, then surfaces signals like whether a stock is worth buying, holding, or avoiding. There’s even a “North Star” system that simplifies that call into something actionable.
Mashable Trend Report
If you’re building from scratch, there’s a done-for-you portfolio builder that aligns with your risk tolerance. If you already have positions, it can suggest adjustments based on your portfolio’s performance.
One thing that stands out is how it balances guidance with transparency. You’re not just handed picks — you can see the reasoning behind them, which matters if you’re trying to build a repeatable process.
Have a lifetime way to pressure-test your judgment — especially in a market that’s moving past hype and into something more selective.
Get lifetime access to the ChatGPT-driven Sterling Stock Picker while it’s on sale for a one-time $54.97 payment (reg. $486) through May 10.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI for allegedly practicing medicine without a license
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG online for free
