Tag: News

• Tech is disrupting all areas of media and entertainment, and investors are rushing to cash in.
• Startups are attracting millions in investments to change how content is made, distributed, and more.
• Here are 23 pitch decks that startups used to fundraise for pre-seed and Series A rounds and beyond.

Technology is upending all facets of media and entertainment. New startups are raising capital to jump on audiences' shift to streaming, change hidebound production practices, and more.

Business Insider talked with founders about the pitches they used to raise millions and innovate in content creation and distribution. 

Investors have particularly chased AI startups like Runway, which promises to reduce the cost and time it takes to create special effects like de-aging and film restoration; and Papercup, an AI-based translation company.

"There's a lot of friction in making content," Peter Cioni previously said of his and his brother Michael's AI platform, Strada, which streamlines production processes. "We want to ease that."

There's Canela Media, which raised $32 million to build a streaming home for Latinos, believing the audience wasn't well served by mainstream streamers. "I kept reading about the streaming wars," cofounder Isabel Rafferty previously told BI. "But I'm a Latina and my options are very limited."

Legion M took an unconventional approach to fundraising. The production startup crowdsourced funding from ordinary people, who will then get a chance to help decide what projects the company pursues. The company called its app that lets users influence the development process a "fantasy football for film buffs." 

Check out the 23 examples below to learn more about how these and other founders have sold their vision (arranged in alphabetical order):

• Allstar, a startup that helps gamers become creators: $12 million Series A
• Almost Friday Media, formerly Friday Beers, a digital media company: $6 million seed
• Amagi, a media tech firm for streaming channels: $95 million
• Canela Media, a Latino-focused streaming startup: $32 million Series A
• Earth Speed Media, a media company launched by "Entourage" star Adrian Grenier: $150,000 in pre-seed
• Estate Media, a media platform cofounded by "Million Dollar Listing" star Josh Flagg: $1.7 million
• FilmHedge, a fintech company that helps new movies and TV series get made: $5 million
• Legion M, a startup film production company: 15 slides
• Lost iN, a creator-focused travel media startup: $4 million
• Metaphysic, an AI startup behind the viral Tom Cruise deepfake: $7.5 million
• Neosapience, an AI startup: $21.5 million Series B
• Overtime, the sports-media startup for Gen Z: $80 million
• Paper, an edtech startup behind a kids' streaming service: $270 million Series D
• Papercup, an AI dubbing company: $20 million Series A
• Rebel Girls, an empowerment-focused media company: $8 million Series A
• Recess, a live events startup: $5 million Series A
• Sonoro, a Latino-focused media company: $12.5 million
• Stagetime, a LinkedIn for performing artists: $1.5 million Series A
• StoryCo, a blockchain-based platform that links Hollywood creatives to fans: $6 million seed
• Strada, an AI startup to streamline content creation: $2 million
• Telly, an ad-supported TV startup from Pluto's cofounder: Seed round
• Toonstar, an animation studio: $4 million
• "Ultimate Beastmaster," Netflix's first reality show: 37-page deck

• I live in Maine, where browntail moth caterpillars can be found. 
• The caterpillars have a toxin on their hairs that can cause painful and itchy rashes on humans. 
• I woke up covered in what I thought were bug bites, only to realize it was the caterpillar rash. 

When I woke up, all I could feel was my entire body itching. I'm allergic to bug bites, and my first thought was that a mosquito had snuck under the covers and attacked me.

When I looked at my body, I was shocked. Yes, it was extremely itchy, but it looked more like a rash than a bite. All I wanted to do was scratch my entire body. Desperate, I went to my dermatologist to make sure it wasn't something dangerous. She took one look at me and said, "Yup, you got the classic presentation of browntail moth rash."

The moth is native to Europe and Asia and was introduced to New England in the 1800s. Maine, where I live, has a large population that comes out from hibernation in April and can cause rashes in humans until July.

The browntail moth caterpillar lives in trees

I first heard about browntail moths from my kids' preschool. They have backwoods where kids explore nature throughout the year, and it's not uncommon to get an email from the administration warning that some kids are coming home with rashes.

Still, the rashes I had seen on my kids were minor — little bumps on their fingers or the back of their hands. Nothing like mine, which spread on my arms, chest, back, legs, and toes.

The caterpillars' hairs contain a toxin that, when brushed against skin, produces a poison ivy-like rash that is incredibly itchy and uncomfortable.

Derek V. Chan, a board-certified dermatologist at All Dermis Dermatology in New York City, said it's key not to scratch the initial bumps. "You can spread the toxin and hairs to other areas of the body and cause new lesions to develop elsewhere," Chan told me.

I tried over-the-counter products, but nothing worked

Before my dermatologist prescribed a topical steroid medication, I tried over-the-counter products to help with the itching.

I took Benadryl before bed and Claritin during the day. The ointment and gel helped ease the itchiness, but only for a little bit. I was especially uncomfortable at night and would wake up scratching my skin raw.

Now, I'm trying steroid cream, but my dermatologist warned me that I wouldn't see results immediately. The duration of the reaction depends on your sensitivity to the toxin. In some people, it can last several weeks, Chang told me.

Chang said that on top of over-the-counter medication, "a cool bath with baking soda and/or finely ground colloidal oat powder" can ease the discomfort.

If you've already picked at the bumps — like I did, because I couldn't stop scratching — Chang recommends wearing sun-protective clothing to avoid scarring, and always wearing SPF when outside.

Chang added that if your tongue swells or you have difficulty breathing after coming in contact with the toxins, it becomes a 911 emergency.

I didn't touch an actual caterpillar

What's tricky about browntail moth is that you don't necessarily need to come in contact with it to get the rash. Touching an item that the moth walked over is enough to generate a reaction.

I still don't know where I came in contact with one since my husband and three kids were thankfully spared from this torture. The only thing I can think of is that I took a nap with our dogs while my husband was doing bedtime with the kids. I assume they rolled on a caterpillar or a nest and then laid on me, transferring the toxins.

My dermatologist said she's been seeing an increasing number of patients with browntail moth rashes. If you're traveling to Maine this summer or your kids attend summer camp here, watch out for these caterpillars. The Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry recommends using pesticides to control the population outdoors and a wet vac to remove any caterpillars from indoors.

Chang added that after spending time outdoors, people living in browntail moth-prone areas should keep their skin covered, take a cool shower once they are inside, wash clothes immediately after, and if they come in contact with any other surface where hairs or toxins may linger, wash bedding and towels.

• Elon Musk gave YouTuber Tim Dodd a tour of SpaceX's Starfactory rocket production center.
• Starbase, located in south Texas, has transformed from tents to a massive production facility.
• SpaceX hopes the factory will lead to serialized production of the Starship rocket.

Elon Musk gave an early glimpse into SpaceX's new Starfactory production facility.

Just a day before Starship's Flight 4 successfully landed in the ocean, Musk was at the SpaceX site giving science YouTuber Tim Dodd, known by his channel moniker "Everyday Astronaut," an exclusive tour of SpaceX's rocket factory, including the new facility.

Located in south Texas, Starbase, which just a couple of years prior consisted mostly of tents, has now transformed into a massive facility that Musk anticipates will "dramatically improve production."

"We've got this pretty good-looking rocket factory building that we've almost completed," Musk said. "This will enable us to have serialized production of the rocket, especially the ship, which would ultimately, long term, probably be making a thousand a year of the ship."

Musk showed off various sections of the factory, including the Megabay, which holds three booster rockets. Viewers also saw a closeup of the Raptor engines that power Starship's Super Heavy booster.

Musk explained the new design of the next-gen Raptor, which will not require a heat shield but instead will have integral cooling circuits throughout the engine. "So it looks very simple on the outside, but it's complicated on the inside," Musk said.

The SpaceX CEO also took Dodd inside the brand new Starfactory, which, once completed, is expected to have multiple production stations. Musk said that the now barren site "will be filled with equipment in three months."

"We'll finally have a real factory for Starship," Musk said. "Not just making it in tents."

In a second video uploaded a few days later, Musk also toured the launchpad, where the full-stack Starship awaited launch. The spacecraft, which weighs 5,000 tons at liftoff, is the largest flying object of any kind, Musk said.

"I mean, it's a damn tall rocket," he said. "And it's going to get taller."

The billionaire is already planning to add an even taller, more upgraded second launch tower for the next generation of rockets. But for now, Musk is pretty pleased with the orbital launch mount.

"This is the best launch site and the best rocket we've ever made on Starship," he said.

• A US Navy nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine surfaced in the Norwegian Sea.
• It was accompanied by a guided-missile cruiser and two naval aircraft.
• The show of force comes weeks after Russia sent a submarine and naval fleet to Cuba.

A US Navy nuclear-powered ballistic submarine popped up in the Norwegian Sea this week in a rare show of force. It was accompanied by a guided-missile cruiser and two naval aircraft.

US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/US 6th Fleet announced the movement of the USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) in the Norwegian Sea on Tuesday, writing that the sub was joined by the USS Normandy (CG 60) as well as a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and an E-6B Mercury strategic communications plane.

Per the US military post on X, the fleet was in the Norwegian Sea on Sunday. The specific intention is overtly stated, but these assets send a message to potential adversaries.

The flex notably comes amid persistent tensions with Russia, which has been rattling the nuclear saber lately, and just a few weeks after Russia sent a naval flotilla, including one of its own nuclear-powered subs, to Cuba.

USS Tennessee is an Ohio-class ballistic missile sub able to carry as many as 20 Trident nuclear missiles. Its accompanying E-6B Mercury "provides survivable, reliable, and endurable airborne Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) for the president, secretary of defense, and US Strategic Command," according to Naval Air Systems Command.

Like the Air Force E-4B Nightwatch, the Navy plane is sometimes described "Doomsday plane" as it can relay National Command Authority directives to US submarines as part of the "Take Charge and Move Out" (TACAMO) mission and fulfill "Looking Glass" obligations, which involves directing nuclear forces if the ground-based options are gone.

The E-6B Mercury had been tracked flying an operation off the coast of Norway on Sunday, which Hans Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, wrote on X "indicated forward operations with nuclear missile submarines."

While Kristensen said this was expected, he said that he didn't expect to see a nuclear sub surface, calling it "a blunt signal to Russia."

As the "boomers," or ballistic missile subs, are an element of the US nuclear triad, the US Navy doesn't regularly reveal where they are. Other elements of the submarine force also tend to be far less visible than the surface fleet.

But since 2020, it has been more frequently making its presence known in the North Atlantic and nearby seas, particularly around Norway and other NATO allies. Part of this reflects increased cooperation between Norway, the US, and other NATO partners.

Deliberately revealing submarine the locations of submarines also signals to Russia that American submarines are active in waters nearby, and it does so at a time when Russian subs are increasingly active in the Atlantic and even off US shores. The boomers also notably send a nuclear deterrence message.

The US has also made similar revelations in other parts of the world with its Ohio-class cruise missile submarines, which carry 154 land-attack Tomahawks.

Russia, too, is often intentional with how and when it reveals the movements of its subs, particularly its Severodvinsk-class submarines, which have concerned NATO officials for years now.

Russia made a show of having one of these vessels, the first-in-class Severodvinsk, surface off Norway in July 2022, and another one of these submarines, the Kazan, was spotted in Cuba earlier this month during a five-day official visit. Other Russian vessels, such as the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, joined the Kazan during the visit ahead of an air and maritime exercise in the Caribbean.

• I renovated a secluded chalet near Lake George, New York, and turned it into an Airbnb.
• Peel-and-stick wallpaper was easy to apply, and white paint gave the house an instant glow-up.
• Painting kitchen cabinets and changing their hardware updated the room for less than $100.

For the first few summers of our relationship, my husband and I took an annual camping trip to Hearthstone Point.

Situated right on the shores of upstate New York's stunning Lake George, we'd spend a few (dirty and slightly smelly) days enjoying morning swims and evening campfires.

We loved it and would fall asleep dreaming about what it would be like to own a house there one day.

Ten years later, I was scrolling Zillow and saw the most idyllic chalet for sale in our favorite part of Lake George — Bolton Landing. Even though the listing photos were bad, I saw its potential right away. Within a few days, the house was ours.

After closing, we got straight to work. Peeling back the distracting patterns, ornate fabrics, and dowdy furniture let the house sing.

Three months of backbreaking work revealed what is now known as Trout Landing, a four-bed, three-bath chalet situated on 6+ acres less than a mile from the lake, which we rent via Airbnb and VRBO.

We spent thousands and flexed our HGTV muscles in every corner of that house, but looking back, I'd say these five cheap upgrades made the biggest difference.

Peel-and-stick wallpaper adds personality to any space

Peel-and-stick wallpapers couldn't be easier to install, and the busy patterns are extremely forgiving of uneven walls.

Wallpaper helped us create the perfect accent wall in two of the house's four bedrooms, which would've been boring white boxes otherwise.

The diverse range of patterns available ensures there is something to suit every taste, every room, and every home.

NuWallpaper's Farmhouse Plaid and RoomMates' Twig Hygge Herringbone were both less than $30 a roll and drastically changed the vibe in the house.

When a full kitchen reno isn't in the budget, paint your cabinets and change the hardware

According to HomeAdvisor, the average cost of a kitchen remodel in 2023 was $26,930, which just wasn't in our budget.

Knowing how important a nice kitchen is when selecting an Airbnb, we made the cost-effective decision to paint the cabinets and change the hardware.

Although it was a lot of work, the kitchen really felt like a new room when we were done.

Playing off the house's wooded location, we chose Behr Dynasty's aptly named North Woods (less than $55 per gallon), and matte-black metal handles from Gliderite, which modernized the space for less than $2.50 each.

A fresh coat of white paint is an instant facelift for an old house

I'm all for a good painted accent wall, and throughout the house, we used moody greens and blues to do just that. But most of the walls were still a dingy off-white, which made the whole place feel dirty.

So, we painted over them with Behr Dynasty's Statement White. It cost us less than $55 per gallon, and we used about one per room.

A fresh coat of paint gave the house an instant glow-up.

Installing cool light fixtures is a great way to distract from popcorn ceilings

We didn't have the budget to smooth the dated popcorn ceilings — HomeAdvisor notes this can cost upwards of $3,000 and is a difficult and messy process.

But truthfully, once our vintage ceilings were adorned with modern fixtures, the popcorn almost seemed to disappear.

My favorite change was replacing the outdated ceiling fan in the living room with a wooden "chandelier"(Amazon Moujoe Wood Chandelier, $130).

We also replaced the house's dated stained-glass light fixture with a boring recessed light that immediately brought the space into modern times.

Feel like you're sleeping at a five-star hotel with crisp white linens

I worked in the hotel industry for many years, so I know how important a good bed is.

Luxury linens can be pricey — for example, the beloved Italian brand Frette has sheet sets starting at $1,500. I wanted to bring that hotel-level quality of sleep to my guests, but needed to do so in a way I could afford.

I spent a lot of time researching and testing bedsheets, duvets, and pillows for quality, durability, and price.

My picks? Costco's Kirkland sheet set ($80 for queen), Ikea's Fjällarnika duvet insert ($60 for queen), Amazon's ATsense duvet cover ($55 for queen), and the Sealy Elite Down Alternative Pillow from Kohl's ($16 each).

• Marlana Hodgins helped her kids learn CPR in the family living room.
• About two years later, her son Trevor used CPR after a friend collapsed.
• Doctors say Trevor's actions probably saved his friend's life.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Marlana Hodgins and her son, Trevor. It has been edited for length and clarity.

About two years ago a dear family friend had a pulmonary embolism, a block in the arteries that provide blood to the heart. He went into cardiac arrest and his wife did CPR. Our friend survived, but with severe brain damage.

Despite the sad outcome, the incident underscored how important CPR can be. My husband Steven is a state trooper and CPR instructor for fellow officers. After our friend's incident he brought home his CPR dummies and taught me and our three kids how to do CPR in our living room. I had been CPR certified as a teen, but my kids — who are now 12, 14 and 16 — were learning for the first time.

I never imagined that my middle son, Trevor, would soon be using his skills to save a life right in our home.

My son's wrestling teammate collapsed at our house

My boys love to wrestle. We have a home gym that we call The Barn, with a treadmill, weights, and a wrestling area, so it's normal for kids on the high school wrestling team to stop by. On the morning of May 10th two of my sons' fellow wrestlers came over: Giovanni Scafidi and J.J Machnik, a senior who was captain of the team.

The boys headed into the basement, while Trevor was still upstairs. I was in the kitchen when I heard the treadmill start. About five minutes later I heard a crash, then Giovanni screaming J.J.'s name. The way he said it I knew something was very wrong.

J.J had wrestled with my older son since they were little, and I knew he had a heart condition. I dialed 911 before I even got to the basement.

Trevor started CPR while I spoke to 911

Trevor had run down from his room, and he and Giovanni were taking care of J.J. — rolling him onto his back and getting some of his bulky clothes off him — while I spoke with the 911 dispatcher. The dispatcher kept asking if J.J. was breathing. At first he was, but the next time I asked, the boys paused to listen for breath and heard nothing.

That's when Trevor stepped into action. He was only in eighth grade but he gave J.J. chest compressions, and prompted Giovanni for when to give rescue breaths. The boys kept up CPR until the first responders arrived about five minutes afterward. Later, in the hospital, doctors and nurses said the efficient CPR that Trevor delivered likely saved J.J.'s life.

A police officer tried to prepare me for the worst

At that point, though, we didn't know if J.J. would make it. I had called his mother, Laura, as soon as I hung up with 911. I was in auto-pilot, and told her that J.J. had collapsed and she had to get to my house immediately. She was about 20 minutes away at work.

Trevor, Giovanni, and I went upstairs to give the first responders room to work on J.J. We later learned they intubated him right in the basement and continued CPR the whole time.

After a while one of the police came up to talk to me. I think he was trying to prepare me. They were doing their best, but J.J.'s heart was working against them. Even with a shock from the AED, it wouldn't continue beating.

Laura arrived just as J.J. was loaded into the ambulance. As they went to the hospital, the boys and I were left at home, shocked and praying.

We visited J.J. in the hospital on his 19th birthday

Throughout the day, Laura called me with updates. I was afraid to answer the phone each time, because the prognosis wasn't good. There was hope though, since J.J. was able to see Dr. Matthew Martinez, who specializes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the heart condition that J.J. has.

Finally, two days after the accident, we started to get better news: J.J. was still on life support, but it looked like he was going to live.

On J.J.'s birthday, exactly one week after he collapsed, he called me, Steven, and Trevor to ask us to visit him at the hospital. He was turning 19. Steven and I cried when we heard his voice. After two weeks J.J. was discharged. He was able to go to the prom and his wrestling banquet. At that dinner, J.J.'s dad pulled Trevor aside to thank him.

When I think about what Trevor did, I have no words. I'm so grateful that Steven taught the kids how to react in an emergency. Dr. Martinez told us that early CPR was key in J.J.'s survival. There are adults that can't handle doing CPR, but my son was so calm under pressure. Trevor wants to be a doctor in the future, and I have no doubt he can handle it.

• A top game streamer admitted to messaging a minor in 2017.
• That's why the Amazon-owned Twitch platform mysteriously booted him in 2020, Dr Disrespect said.
• Brand partners and his own game studio have cut ties.

Exactly four years ago today, one of the biggest stars on Amazon-owned Twitch was mysteriously booted from the video game streaming platform.

The company didn't reveal much about the reason why at the time. But the mysterious circumstances surrounding the ban have now been revealed.

On Tuesday, that streamer, Guy Beahm — better known by his "Dr Disrespect" persona — shared why. He'd sent messages "that sometimes leaned too much in the direction of being inappropriate" to a minor over Twitch in 2017, he revealed in an explosive statement on X.

"Were there twitch whisper messages with an individual minor back in 2017? The answer is yes," Beahm wrote, referencing the "Whisper" direct messaging product on the platform. "Were there real intentions behind these messages, the answer is absolutely not."

The revelation sent shockwaves throughout the gaming world and led to swift repercussions as multiple companies severed ties with the content creator, known for his online streams playing "Call of Duty" and other games that draw millions of views.

Beahm moved to YouTube after his Twitch ban — though he's never announced a formal streaming contract with YouTube, and he's been critical of the platform over the years.

On his livestreams, the 42-year-old Beahm wears a black mullet wig, and has cultivated the brash persona of Dr Disrespect as "the most ruthless, athletic competitor in video game history," per his Instagram profile.

So why did this all come to light now?

Beahm's statement confirming his messages to a minor comes days after a former Twitch employee said on X that an unnamed streamer, widely believed to be referring to Beahm, had been "caught sexting a minor" and "trying to meet up with her at TwitchCon" — a convention hosted by the Amazon-owned platform.

In the days that followed the Twitch employee's social media post, The Verge and Bloomberg separately reported that Beahm had been banned from the platform for messaging a minor.

'Nothing illegal happened'

In his statement, Beahm denied being a predator or pedophile.

"Nothing illegal happened, no pictures were shared, no crimes were committed, I never even met the individual," he wrote.

Beahm also said he'd settled a civil suit with Twitch over the ban. A spokesperson for Twitch did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment ahead of publication.

The fallout from the reports and Beahm's post has been swift.

Midnight Society, a game development studio he cofounded in 2021, announced on Monday it had terminated its relationship with Beahm following its own investigation into the matter.

"If you inappropriately message a minor," Midnight Society studio head Ryan Bowling wrote on X, "I can not work with you."

Beahm confirmed he was leaving Midnight Society in his own statement, but vowed not to "disappear," saying he would return after an extended vacation with his family "with a heavy weight off my shoulders."

Beahm did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Former brand partners are distancing themselves

Since his Twitch ban, Beahm has been active on YouTube, where he counts 4.7 million subscribers and streams games like "Elden Ring" or "Call of Duty: Warzone."

YouTube did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

A spokesperson for CAA, the talent agency to which Beahm signed in 2019, told Business Insider, "He is no longer a client of ours and he hasn't been for some time now."

Other brand partners have distanced themselves from Beahm in the wake of his admission.

Gaming headset maker Turtle Beach told IGN it would not be continuing its relationship with Beahm. A spokesperson for the San Francisco 49ers, another former partner, told Digiday it would not work with Beahm going forward.

• Supreme Court posted abortion-related decision in Idaho case, then removed it.
• The decision, as written, would allow emergency abortions in Idaho.
• A Supreme Court spokesperson confirmed that a decision was inadvertently posted online.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared to have inadvertently posted an opinion in a closely watched Idaho case that would be the last abortion-related decision of the high court's current term.

Bloomberg News first reported that a copy of the decision was briefly posted on the court's website and then later removed. A Supreme Court spokesperson confirmed that something was inadvertently posted online but said the high court's final opinion remains unreleased.

"The opinion in Moyle v. United States, No. 23-726, and Idaho v. United States, No. 23-727, has not been released," a spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider referring to the two cases related to the Idaho law. "The Court's Publications Unit inadvertently and briefly uploaded a document to the Court's website. The Court's opinion in these cases will be issued in due course."

In the copy posted online, the court would allow for emergency abortions to continue in Idaho, according to Bloomberg's report. The opinion would be based on the holding that it should not have reviewed the case in the first place.

The Biden administration has argued that a decades-old federal law should supersede Idaho's near-total abortion ban and thus allow doctors to perform emergency abortions that are outside the scope of limitations under the state ban.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, opinions were only released on the court's official website. But justices have long since returned to the practice of announcing rulings from their historic courtroom.

After the announcements are made the decisions are posted online, according to SCOTUSBlog, a prominent source of news from the Supreme Court.

The court had announced earlier Thursday that it was done releasing opinions for the day after releasing two decisions — one concerning an effort by conservatives to push back on the Biden administration pressuring social media companies to clamp down on misinformation, and the other related to a federal law about bribes to state and local officials.

Neither case was among the hotly anticipated of the current term. The Supreme Court has yet to rule on former President Donald Trump's request for sweeping immunity from criminal prosecutions, a decision that could become one of the most famous in the nation's history.

Every abortion-related opinion, too, has been closely watched in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 landmark ruling to reverse Roe v. Wade.

• A 64-year-old grandmother said social connections and purpose are key to a long life. 
• Her low-cost habits have boosted longevity better than Bryan Johnson's $2 million routine. 
• Research suggests strong relationships and community can make a big difference in healthy aging. 

Amy Hardison isn't trying to live forever — but her longevity stats are still winning out over million-dollar antiaging routines.

Hardison, a 64-year-old grandmother, has ranked higher than tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson in the Rejuvenation Olympics, an online leaderboard that tracks metrics of longevity.

One of her biggest tips for living a long, healthy life is free.

She said focusing on the quality of her life and maintaining strong social connections is more important than obsessing over antiaging trends.

"I think that if you've lived a life where you're contributing to others, you feel like it makes a difference. You've given your life to something bigger than yourself," Hardison said. "We don't speak much in our society a lot about how amazing it is to get older."

Strong relationships have helped her stay healthy and active

Hardison attributes her health and happiness to close family ties and a deep sense of community, contributing to and being a part of something bigger than herself.

"Some of the greatest privileges of my life have been to engage with people that I love and to make a difference," she said.

Research suggests this sense of purpose and community is a major factor in some of the longest-living people in the world.

For Hardison, spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren, and friends is part of what keeps her excited to start each new day.

"Life is still sweet, it's still good. It is so amazing to have lived my life and then look at my kids who are amazing adults and just be in awe of them," she said. "It's the reward of a life well lived."

• Researchers unveiled a smiling humanoid robot with lab-grown, self-healing skin.
• The team from the University of Tokyo used collagen gel to bond living skin tissue to 3D models.
• The researchers said it could benefit the cosmetics industry and help train plastic surgeons.

It's not just nuts and bolts keeping robots together — now they can be made with living skin. Skin that can be made to smile.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo revealed on Tuesday a rather unsettling humanoid robot covered with lab-grown skin cells. The team said it was able to mimic human skin ligaments by bonding skin tissue to perforated 3D facial models and 2D robots.

The team hopes the advancement will be useful "in the cosmetics industry and to help train plastic surgeons," according to a press release.

While the development could prove helpful, some people online reacted to the robot's fleshy skin and facial movements with jokes or said they found it disturbing. One user on X wrote, "You will live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension," while another said, "We don't want this. Nobody wants this. Stop it."

Unlike other robot materials used as skin, the method of using biological skin grants these robots self-healing capabilities that don't require triggers such as heat or pressure, the researchers said.

"Biological skin repairs minor lacerations as ours does, and nerves and other skin organs can be added for use in sensing and so on," said Professor Shoji Takeuchi, lead researcher for the study.

Other techniques, which require mini anchors or hooks, are often limited by the types of surfaces that can be used and could be damaged, the researchers said.

However, by using a "special collagen gel for adhesion," researchers were able to apply the skin to any surface, even curving or moving ones — like a smiling robot.

"The natural flexibility of the skin and the strong method of adhesion mean the skin can move with the mechanical components of the robot without tearing or peeling away," Takeuchi said.

The team also hopes to create a thicker and more realistic skin by "incorporating sweat glands, sebaceous glands, pores, blood vessels, fat and nerves." Takeuchi said that creating humanlike expressions is another significant challenge they hope to tackle by incorporating actuators, which would act as muscles, into the robots.

This is just the latest development in humanoid robotics, which, sometimes disconcertingly, feature designs that mimic the look or functionality of people — sometimes falling into the uncanny valley.

Tesla is in the works of developing its Optimus robot, which CEO Elon Musk hopes people will regard "sort of as a friend." Other bots operate on all fours, like Boston Dynamic's four-legged robotic police dog.

While you probably don't have to worry about seeing living skin on a production robot anytime soon, the University of Tokyo researchers have at least proven that it's possible — even if that means a bit of nightmare fuel for the rest of us along the way.