Real Coffee with Scott Adams – Episode 2997 CWSA 10/23/25
Date: October 23, 2025
Host: Scott Adams
Main Theme: Scott Adams analyzes major headlines and trends through his "persuasion filter," breaking down current events, technology, politics, and media narratives to provide deeper context and alternative frames of understanding.
Episode Overview
Scott Adams opens with trademark humor and self-deprecation, setting a relaxed, conversational tone as he tackles the day’s news and controversies. Central topics include technology breakthroughs (quantum computing, AI), economic issues (geothermal energy, beef prices), American politics (Trump administration moves, Democratic strategies), and the shifting landscape of media narratives, all reframed to surface persuasive blind spots and deeper realities.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Opening Reframe: The Passion Fallacy
- Adams revisits his critique of the "follow your passion" advice, now widely questioned:
- “Every single object in your room was made by somebody who wasn’t that passionate about it... Forget about your passion. Make some money.” [06:20]
- Cites Scott Galloway and offers a practical frame: secure income before worrying about passion.
2. Latest Science & Tech News
a. Science of Holding Hands
- Discusses neurobiology suggesting “Holding hands can change how your brain processes pain and stress.” [08:45]
- Makes a tongue-in-cheek joke: “If someone’s in pain, one of your loved ones, get as far away as you can… No, just kidding.” [09:10]
b. Ketamine & Depression: Contradictory Science
- Highlights a new study showing ketamine ineffective for depression, underlining scientific inconsistency.
- “You have a body of science that says ketamine is a miracle cure… but also really good science that says it doesn’t do a damn thing.” [10:25]
- Cautions against medical advice: “Don’t do anything I tell you. Medically.” [11:10]
c. Quantum Computing Breakthroughs
- Google’s ‘Willow’ chip and ‘Quantum Echoes’ algorithm: “Ran 13,000 times faster than the best regular computer… results are verifiable and reproducible.” [12:20]
- Elon Musk signals optimism about quantum’s practical utility.
- Notes Trump administration’s venture-capital-style approach: “Government would take an equity stake.” [14:30]
- “Quantum is getting big.” [15:00]
d. China’s Alleged Analog AI Chip
- Cites ‘Dr. Singularity’ on rumors of a Chinese analog chip “a thousand times faster than Nvidia’s best GPU.” [15:40]
- Adams is skeptical but acknowledges transformative potential if true.
e. AI Reliability & Meta’s Layoffs
- “AI assistants… made errors around half the time when asked about news or current affairs.” [16:30]
- Thinks hallucinations are likely unfixable with current technology.
- Meta’s 600 AI job layoffs: evidence of “bloat” and questions of strategy amid their superintelligence push. [18:00]
3. Energy Innovations & Economic Concerns
a. Geothermal Energy
- Touts geothermal’s potential: “More energy than we would ever use, even for AI, if we could get to it.” [20:20]
- Bill Gates-backed Fervo Energy “almost economical”—notes challenge in drilling technology.
- Tax breaks are jumpstarting industry, but Adams warns about dependence on incentives.
b. National Debt
- U.S. debt surpasses $38 trillion: “The number one risk in the world is debt.” [23:00]
- Requests that media report not just totals, but the rate of growth.
4. U.S. Politics: Sanctions, DOJ, and Democratic Struggles
a. Sanctions on Russia & Trade Negotiations
- Trump targets Russian oil giants with new sanctions; Adams frames it as strategic negotiation leverage for future talks with Putin. [25:00]
b. Media Propaganda and Political Narratives
- Discusses a Hill poll about Trump using the DOJ against “political enemies.” Adams reframes:
- “He’s literally going after people who tried to overthrow the government and make it look like he was the one who did it.” [26:50]
- “Political enemies—that’s your propaganda term for today.” [27:45]
c. Democrat Party Woes: Kamala Harris & DNC Debt
- Kamala Harris’s failed campaign leaves DNC millions in debt; party must cover her bills.
- “I do enjoy watching Kamala Harris destroy her own party a little bit at a time.” [30:25]
- Adams questions polling showing Kamala would beat Gavin Newsom for the Democratic nomination—“I totally don’t believe this poll.” [56:15]
5. White House Ballroom “Controversy”
- Mocks Democratic attacks on Trump’s White House renovations:
- “Can you imagine that’s your best strategy… that upgrading the ballroom at the White House is what a king would do?” [33:15]
- Cites John Brennan’s “sacred” language as outlandish, humorously dismisses idea of sacred carpets.
6. Trade, Beef Prices, and Consumer Focus
- Trump’s possible plan to import Argentinian beef to help Argentina’s economy may undermine U.S. ranchers.
- “He’s focusing on the things that people are focusing on… that’s kind of brilliant.” [43:30]
7. Climate Change: Fading Narratives
- Media has “given up shoving climate messaging down America’s throats.” [46:00]
- “Did they ever think the climate crisis was real? Because if they thought it was real before, it would still be real, wouldn’t it?” [46:30]
- Suggests shift in messaging is really about energy costs now.
8. Crime & Social Unrest
a. FBI Pipe Bomb Video Release
- New footage of 2021 DNC pipe bomber surfaces: “Somebody knows who that guy is… why are we seeing new video for the first time?” [50:00]
b. Urban Property Crime
- Portland and Memphis’s high property crime rates—strong personal anecdotes from Adams on being a crime victim. [51:30]
c. Antifa Infiltration & FBI RICO Investigations
- Reports of Antifa influencing Seattle homeless services.
- FBI, per Kash Patel, is close to RICO case unmasking Antifa structure, but Adams is skeptical about the timeline: “Seven months doesn’t seem fast to me. Could have done it in a month.” [54:00]
9. Global Affairs: Trump & China, Ukraine Conflict
- Trump preparing for high-level deal talks with Xi Jinping—potentially a sweeping package including trade, nuclear, agriculture.
- Trump refutes Wall Street Journal claims of approving long-range Ukrainian missile strikes; Adams finds both sides’ stories oversimplified.
10. Media Lawsuits & AI Defamation
- Robbie Starbuck’s lawsuit against AI for false allegations leads Adams to ponder his own such case.
- “AI has some really bad opinions about me...” [70:20]
11. Framing Crime & Immigration
- Resists discussing viral immigrant crime anecdotes as representative: “The individual anecdotal stories are just propaganda… If there’s a statistic… that’s a story.” [73:10]
12. Second Reframe: Energy vs. Money
- Counters “it takes money to make money” with:
- “I can turn energy into money. Energy, your own energy… is mixable with money.” [76:00]
- Describes working full-time while earning his MBA as a living example.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Passion & Success:
“Every single object in your room was made by somebody who wasn’t that passionate about it…” – Scott Adams [06:20] -
On AI Hallucinations:
“Do you think that’s fixable? Not with any current version of the technology.” [16:55] -
On Political Enemies Narrative:
“Political enemies—that’s your propaganda term for today. It should be: he’s going after the insurrectionists and coup plotters and lawfarers.” [27:45] -
On Climate Messaging:
“Did the Democrats and the corporate media ever think that the climate crisis was real? Because if they thought it was real before, it would still be real, wouldn’t it?” [46:30] -
On Crime Anecdotes & Propaganda:
“The individual anecdotal stories are just propaganda… If there’s a statistic… that’s a story.” [73:10] -
On Turning Energy Into Money:
“So there’s no such thing as not having money if you do have energy.” [76:45]
Timestamps by Key Segment
- Opening & Reframe: 00:00 – 06:45
- Science & Ketamine: 08:45 – 11:10
- Quantum & AI: 12:20 – 18:30
- Geothermal & Debt: 20:20 – 23:20
- Sanctions & DOJ Discussion: 25:00 – 28:00
- Kamala/Party Finances: 30:18 – 33:00
- Ballroom Controversy: 33:15 – 36:45
- Trade & Beef: 43:30 – 45:30
- Climate Narrative: 46:00 – 47:30
- FBI Pipe Bomb/Crime: 50:00 – 52:45
- Antifa & RICO: 54:00 – 55:30
- China, Xi, Ukraine: 59:00 – 62:30
- AI Lawsuits: 70:20 – 72:10
- Crime Anecdotes vs. Statistics: 73:10 – 75:35
- Energy vs. Money Reframe: 76:00 – 78:15
Tone & Style
Scott Adams mixes humor, sarcasm, and directness. He often gently mocks mainstream narratives and his own audience, using rhetorical questions and self-aware asides to challenge assumptions (“You brought it up, not me…”; “I feel like you asked me to do propaganda…”). His delivery is informal but layered with his signature "persuasion" framing, encouraging listeners to rethink both headlines and habits of thought.
Conclusion
This episode offers a whirlwind tour of today’s big issues—technology, economics, global and domestic politics—all run through Scott Adams’ unique filter. He raises persistent questions about media framing, refutes surface-level narratives, and models reframing as both personal and political strategy, leaving listeners with new ways to view the day’s news and their own possibilities.