Real Coffee with Scott Adams – Episode 2945 CWSA (09/01/25)
Date: September 1, 2025
Host: Scott Adams
Theme: Examining current events and culture through a persuasion filter, with Adams’ signature blend of satire, skepticism, and insight.
Overview
In this Labor Day episode, Scott Adams delivers his perspective on the week’s news, engaging with stories ranging from energy infrastructure and local politics to AI development, government waste, shifting narratives on public health, and the psychological impacts of modern pharmaceuticals. Using his trademark filter of “persuasion,” Adams challenges listeners to question surface-level narratives, highlighting propaganda techniques, the complexities of policy decisions, and the oddities of elite culture. All this is seasoned with comedic asides, running jokes, and the occasional (literal) catfight.
Major Discussion Points & Insights
1. Judging People by Their Haircuts
00:00 - 03:00
- Adams humorously suggests that a person’s haircut might reveal their character or ideological bent, referencing Greta Thunberg and Alex Karp (Palantir CEO).
- “Her haircut tells me everything I need to know about her.” – Scott Adams [00:50]
- “Alex Karp…looks like he lost a bet. You’re gonna have to do something with your damn hair, or I just can’t take you seriously.” [02:13]
- Playful self-mockery about his own hairstyle as a distraction, reinforcing the satire.
2. Global Energy: China's Solar Plant vs. US Nuclear
03:10 - 05:10
- Discusses Tibet’s upcoming solar plant, the size of Chicago, questioning its cost-effectiveness and what this signals about China’s direction in energy.
- “Are we going to do that? I feel like we’re going to go hard at nuclear, but maybe, maybe solar is faster.” [03:57]
- Raises practical points about project rollout timelines and investment choices between solar and nuclear.
3. Cats vs. Rats: Curtis Sliwa’s New York Plan
05:15 - 07:30
- Introduces Gary the cat to “interview” about using cat colonies in NYC to counter rat infestations.
- “Turns out Gary is a big fan of Curtis Sliwa and absolutely supports the idea of cats solving all our problems. Now you might ask, how many problems can cats solve? I don’t know, but I feel like it could be all of them.” [06:34]
- Moves into comedic speculation on cats ending wars, loneliness, and even saving marriages.
4. Law Enforcement: California’s ‘Surge’ and Trump’s Role
07:40 - 09:05
- Notes California’s police “surge,” arguing it’s a response to pressure from Trump rather than intrinsic initiative.
- “I feel like the only way this would have happened...is because Trump embarrassed [Newsom] publicly.” [08:20]
- “If Newsom is successful...this would be Trump success.” [08:45]
5. Microsoft’s AI Strategy: Signals of Trouble with OpenAI?
09:10 - 10:35
- Highlights Microsoft developing AI outside its OpenAI partnership—speculates it may reflect insecurity or loss of faith in OpenAI.
- “Why would they be building alternative models when they have the dominant AI model in the world…?” [10:19]
- “So I’d say keep an eye on that.” [10:33]
6. How AIs Get Trained: The Risks of Internet Content
11:09 - 14:20
- Raises concern over large language models learning mainly from Reddit, Wikipedia, YouTube, Google, Yelp, and Facebook.
- “Are you comfortable knowing that the advanced intelligence learned to be that way by Reddit posts?” [11:24]
- “I don’t trust any of those sources…” [12:12]
- Critiques the bias and manipulability inherent in these sources, especially Yelp.
7. Trump Health/Status Speculations, Celebrity Culture
14:22 - 17:20
- Covers online speculation about Trump’s wellbeing, jokes about possible explanations (like prepping for a colonoscopy).
- Comments on The Rock’s significant physical change for a film role, mentioning rumors about steroids and health tradeoffs past age 50.
- “He lost the thing that made him special…one of the things that works so well about him is that his personality and his physical situation were sort of an interesting combination.” [16:10]
8. International Affairs: EC President’s GPS Incident & ‘Russia Did It?’
17:30 - 19:15
- Skeptically reviews a story that Russia tried to assassinate EU’s Ursula von der Leyen via GPS jamming; doubts “too on the nose” narratives.
- “I’m not automatically going to buy the Russia try to assassinate the European Union leader because it’s a little bit too on the nose…” [18:41]
9. Government Waste & ‘Special Problems’ Contracts
19:22 - 23:00
- Highlights a PJ Media report on billions in cancelled “wasteful” US government contracts, including those for transgender health, LGBTQ magazine advertising, and a Belarus “regional initiative.”
- “Why are some people’s problems special problems? Why is somebody else’s problem—because they’re a member of some group—more important than…my own problems?” [22:10]
- Critiques the opacity in US spending, wonders why some groups get “special” attention.
10. Redistricting & Political Power Shifts
24:00 - 25:10
- Mentions GOP-advantaged redistricting, predicts Democrats will “lose it big.” [24:15]
11. Greta Thunberg, Gaza, and Middle East Megaprojects
25:18 - 31:40
- Satires Greta’s attempt to “break the siege” of Gaza, criticizes her waning public impact.
- “She looks like one of those troll dolls…She’s exactly the same as she was except she’s older and it kind of doesn’t work anymore.” [27:31]
- Discusses reported US-backed plan to relocate Gazans for a decade, rebuild Gaza into a “Riviera.” Sees risks in active US involvement and doubts about funding, impact on terrorism, and the idea of displaced residents losing rights.
12. Democrats, Media Credibility & January 6th
33:57 - 37:40
- Argues that persistent alarmism over Trump and “cried wolf” narratives have eroded mainstream trust; challenges “insurrection” framing of January 6th.
- “Not a single person…has ever said, you know, I really thought we could overthrow the country. Because nobody had that plan.” [36:06]
- Notes differences in how similar protests are labeled in Brazil.
13. Election Misinformation: ‘Pre-bunking’ & Propaganda
37:41 - 40:10
- Warns that pre-emptive “inoculation” against misinformation (“pre-bunking”) is itself propaganda.
- “If you see pre-bunking and inoculation in the same story, that’s propaganda. …they’re trying to tell you that there’s somebody…the people in charge, who know what’s true.” [39:32]
- Describes the “documentary effect”—one-sided exposure breeds belief regardless of evidence.
14. Neuroscience of Conspiracy Theories
40:12 - 41:15
- Discusses a Psy Post study on how conspiracy believers use different brain structures for information processing.
- “Didn’t you all know that conspiracy theorists, their brains are wired differently? I feel like we all knew that.” [40:32]
15. Democratic Narratives: National Guard ‘Conspiracy’ & Framing
41:16 - 43:30
- Skewers Illinois Governor Pritzker for claiming Trump’s interest in deploying National Guard is a ploy to “cancel elections.”
- “Does he really believe that? Or does he know exactly what he’s doing?” [42:12]
- Dissects the use of “slob” as a powerful branding insult in political framing.
16. Brandon Johnson’s ‘War on Poor People’ Accusation
46:31 - 48:20
- Mocks Chicago Mayor Johnson’s claim that Republican policies are a “war on poor people,” calling it disconnected and illogical.
17. Free Market vs. Affordable Housing Subsidies
48:21 - 49:50
- Argues government interference and subsidized home programs impede organic housing availability and affordability, instead favoring a freer market approach.
18. Mental Health: SSRIs, Safety, and Science
49:51 - 50:40
- References Dr. Joseph Whit Doring’s claim of insufficient long-term safety data on antidepressants used by millions of Americans.
19. GLP-1 Agonists (“Miracle Drugs”) – Hype or Help?
50:41 - 52:25
- Discusses buzz about GLP-1 agonists’ broad health claims (e.g., reducing suicide by 58%), but AI Grok reports these are unsubstantiated except possibly substance use reduction.
20. Birth Control Pills & Emotional/Political Effects
52:26 - 55:15
- Considers possible neurological and emotional side effects of hormonal birth control, asking whether it makes young women more emotionally susceptible—tying this to higher support for emotional policy appeals among highly-educated young white women.
- “It makes me wonder if the things you think are political conversations are nothing but medical malpractice.” [54:26]
21. COVID Vaccine: The RFK Jr. Paradox
55:16 - 58:12
- Ponders why even hardcore skeptic RFK Jr. hasn’t produced definitive proof that nobody benefited from COVID vaccines, seeing this as a credibility check and sign of scientific uncertainty.
22. Russia-China and Sanctions: Real or Rhetorical Risk?
58:13 - 59:10
- Questions conflicting media portrayals of Russia’s economy as either near collapse or invulnerable due to energy ties with China.
- “I’d be surprised, actually, because they just have too much energy. They’re going to find some way to sell the energy…” [58:54]
Notable Quotes
- “I’ve decided to start judging people by their hairstyle…Your haircut tells me everything I need to know about you.” – Scott Adams [00:43]
- “Turns out Gary [the cat] is a big fan of Curtis Sliwa and absolutely supports the idea of cats solving all our problems.” [06:34]
- “I feel like the only way this would have happened…is because Trump embarrassed [Newsom] publicly.” [08:20]
- “Why would [Microsoft] be building alternative AI models when they have the dominant AI model in the world?” [10:22]
- “I don’t trust any of those sources [training AIs], but I guess I don’t know if it’s the facts.” [12:12]
- “Why are somebody else’s problems—because they’re a member of some group—more important than…my own problems?” [22:10]
- “Not a single person…has ever said, you know, I really thought we could overthrow the country. Because nobody had that plan.” [36:06]
- “If you see pre-bunking and inoculation in the same story, that’s propaganda.” [39:32]
- “Does he really believe that? Or does he know exactly what he’s doing?” [42:12]
- “It makes me wonder if the things you think are political conversations are nothing but medical malpractice.” [54:26]
Memorable Moments
- The Cat “Interview”: Scott “asks” his cat Gary about NYC’s rat problem, translating purrs into support for Curtis Sliwa’s proposals. [06:00 - 07:00]
- Wig Bit: Self-deprecating humor by wearing a distracting wig while reading the news to riff on his “haircut theory.” [01:40 - 03:00]
- Practical Doubt: Repeated questioning of “official stories” throughout, notably in international incidents, AI motives, and study claims.
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Opening, Coffee Ritual: 00:00 – 02:00
- Haircut and Persuasion Satire: 02:00 – 03:00
- China Solar Plant/Nuclear Comparison: 03:10 – 05:10
- Cat Interview/NYC Rat Plan: 05:15 – 07:30
- CA Crime Surge/Trump’s Role: 07:40 – 09:05
- Microsoft-OpenAI Dynamics: 09:10 – 10:35
- AI Training Data & Risks: 11:09 – 14:20
- Trump Health/The Rock: 14:22 – 17:20
- Von der Leyen GPS Incident: 17:30 – 19:15
- Gov. Waste/Special Problems: 19:22 – 23:00
- Redistricting: 24:00 – 25:10
- Greta/Gaza Plan: 25:18 – 31:40
- Democrats ‘Cried Wolf’/Jan. 6: 33:57 – 37:40
- Election Misinformation Techniques: 37:41 – 40:10
- Conspiracy Brain Study: 40:12 – 41:15
- Pritzker/Trump National Guard Conspiracy: 41:16 – 43:30
- Brandon Johnson ‘War on Poor People’: 46:31 – 48:20
- Affordable Housing Policies: 48:21 – 49:50
- SSRIs and Safety Data: 49:51 – 50:40
- GLP-1 Miracle Drug Claims: 50:41 – 52:25
- Birth Control and Emotional Politics: 52:26 – 55:15
- COVID Vaccine Skepticism/RFK Jr.: 55:16 – 58:12
- Russia-China Economic Ties: 58:13 – 59:10
Tone & Style
- Satiric, questioning, skepticism of mainstream narratives
- Frequently flips between comedic riffing (especially with his cats) and serious critique
- Direct engagement with audience, often inviting listeners to “judge for themselves”
Closing
Adams wraps up with acknowledgments for Labor Day, teasing a private session for subscribers, and reminding listeners to “see you tomorrow, same time, same place.”
For listeners who missed the episode:
This show threads together a range of topical issues, using Adams’ “persuasion filter” to question, mock, and reframe what’s in the headlines. Expect a rapid-fire blend of news, satire, and skepticism—punctuated by cats and offbeat analogies—leaving you with new doubts about simple explanations and a smile at the absurdity of modern life.