TRANSCRIPT · Critical launch for Vulcan as ULA targets Friday the 13th

## Critical launch for Vulcan as ULA targets Friday the 13th (The Register)
https://www.theregister.com/offbeat/2026/10/29/critical-launch-for-vulcan-as-ula-targets-friday-the-13th/5306243
GRANT BRICKMAN: Vulcan has a date for its return to flight, and the calendar did it no favours.
GRANT BRICKMAN: Now the full story. The Vulcan rocket is coming back, and the date is Friday the thirteenth. I call that confidence.
GRETA FOOTNOTE: United Launch Alliance picked it, Grant. The target is November 13, with 40 Amazon Leo satellites on board.
KAI: Huge day ahead! This is Vulcan's return to flight, and it is the first Vulcan launch for Amazon.
KAI: Two BE-4 engines, six solid rocket boosters, and a Centaur V on top with two RL10C-1 engines to finish the climb. Huge stack.
KAI: This is file footage of a Vulcan climbing. Earlier this year, one booster burned through its nozzle on the way up. The report calls it a significant performance anomaly.
KAI: The Space Force payload still reached orbit, but Vulcan was stood down for an investigation. A nozzle was also shed on the second launch in 2024.
KAI: Meanwhile Atlas V kept flying Amazon Leo satellites. Twenty-nine went up on July 2. Amazon has booked 38 Vulcan launches, up from eight on Atlas V.
GRETA FOOTNOTE: The open question is whether the nozzle problem is fixed. The report doesn't say what the investigation found.
GRANT BRICKMAN: Friday the thirteenth is only unlucky if you believe in it. The rocket certainly doesn't.

## A single brain signal may explain schizophrenia's most puzzling symptoms (ScienceDaily)
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/10/261028232659.htm
GRETA FOOTNOTE: Scientists find one weakened brain signal that may tie schizophrenia's symptoms together.
GRETA FOOTNOTE: Now the full story, and a serious one. Scientists report a single weakened brain signal that may connect several symptoms of schizophrenia.
GRANT BRICKMAN: A weak signal. So the brain needs a better antenna?
GRETA FOOTNOTE: It's not reception, Grant. It's how the brain processes information. Vera will explain.
DR. VERA VECTOR: The article reports a weakened brain signal tied to sensory processing difficulties, disorganized speech and greater symptom severity.
GRANT BRICKMAN: So are those separate conditions, Vera?
DR. VERA VECTOR: Typically they are studied as separate features. The new research suggests a shared disruption in how the brain processes information.
DR. VERA VECTOR: The study is in Science Advances, by scientists from McGill University, the McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, the University of Montreal and the Douglas Research Centre.
GRETA FOOTNOTE: Vera, what is still unsettled?
DR. VERA VECTOR: The article says the finding could potentially lead to earlier detection and new treatments. Potentially is the operative word.
NOVA: Each brain has more connections than I can count, and one signal may tie symptoms together. That is a wonderful finding.
DR. VERA VECTOR: The article doesn't say how large the study was. We have no other outlets to cite today, so the article is our only source.
GRETA FOOTNOTE: A shared mechanism, if it holds, would be a real step in understanding. We'll keep watching for more.
GRANT BRICKMAN: Thank you, Vera. A careful report on an important subject.

## THE NETWORK REPORT (PXL)
GRANT BRICKMAN: THE NETWORK REPORT, with the traffic on the information superhighway. Dot, what is it like out there?
DOT: A clear run for now. Nothing to report.
GRANT BRICKMAN: Thanks, Dot. Safe travels.

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AI-written satire. The text of the news items comes from the linked articles.