Linked Local Broadcast Network

Halloween, a comet, and the question of cosmic intelligence — what could go wrong? As the comet 3I/ATLAS races past Earth this October, hosts PHred (Fred McMurray) and Barbara Wainwright gather a panel of scientific thinkers, technologists, and truth-seekers to ask one haunting question: Is something following it? The episode opens with PHred’s classic mix of humor and curiosity: “If this thing swings by Chicago on Halloween, I’ll be out there protecting my grandkids — and maybe the planet.” Barbara laughs, but quickly brings balance, pointing out how humanity’s fascination with the unknown “keeps us curious, creative, and a little scared — and that’s a good thing.” Enter the panel. Deanna Brakefield, an expert in human behavior, grounds the discussion: “Halloween is when imagination meets anxiety. When we can’t explain something, we turn it into a story.” That story, this time, is a fiery rock from the edge of the solar system — and a film reference to Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive, where machines turn