Real Coffee with Scott Adams
Episode 3009 CWSA 11/05/25
Date: November 5, 2025
Host: Scott Adams
Episode Overview
In this episode, Scott Adams uses his signature "persuasion filter" to examine current events, election results, media narratives, and technological trends. With a light, conversational tone, Scott intertwines personal updates—including his latest medical treatment—with commentary on politics, media, technology, and social psychology. He highlights examples of flawed causal reasoning, questions conventional wisdom, and offers reframing techniques from his own book to improve mental resilience.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Dilbert 2026 Calendar Launch & Counterfeit Warnings (00:00–06:30)
- Announces the Dilbert 2026 calendar launch on Amazon, emphasizing:
- Printed entirely in the USA.
- Features comics on front and back (“twice as good” as pre-cancellation versions).
- Backside comics are labeled "Dilbert Reborn" (spicier, uncensored).
- Warns listeners about counterfeit copies on Amazon.
- Counterfeits often have odd colors (e.g., blue) or typo: “Dilbert” with a space after the ‘I.’
- Quote: “Once I got canceled, I could do it any way I wanted… There’s nobody who’s my editor who tells me, 'I can't do this.'” (03:35, Scott Adams)
2. Reframe of the Day: Cold Perception (06:45–09:45)
- Shares a mental health reframe from his book Reframe Your Brain:
- Instead of seeing cold as pain, reframe cold as making you healthier and stronger (akin to a cold plunge).
- Notes it may not work for everyone but can be transformative for some.
- Quote: “If you feel like the coldness is contributing to your good health, it actually feels different.” (08:55, Scott Adams)
3. Media Bias & “Backward Science” (09:50–13:00)
- Observes that Wikipedia’s news sources are rated as moderately liberal—no surprise to audience.
- Introduces “Backward Science”:
- Cites a study claiming “voting is linked to future risk of death.”
- Scott argues it’s classic confusion of cause and effect (people who feel healthy are simply more likely to do anything—including voting).
- Quote: “Is it the voting that makes you live longer or... being in good shape makes you more likely to do everything that is physical?” (11:40, Scott Adams)
4. Current Political Events & Election Recap (13:00–28:00)
a. White House & Nicki Minaj
- Talks about a TikTok video featuring the President dancing to a Nicki Minaj song regarding Christian massacres in Nigeria; unsure how much is fact versus perception.
b. German Heating Costs
- Reports German heating costs are up 82% since the Nordstream blast; notes Germans know the cause and ‘just take it.’
c. Innovations in Dentistry
- Highlights development of a gel to fix or prevent tooth cavities—“half of dentistry just going away.”
d. The University of Austin
- Notes billionaire Jeff Yass donates $100M to the anti-woke University of Austin, giving it real institutional backing.
e. Election Results (Three States, Three Democratic Governors)
- Democrat wins in all three states with new governors (New York, Virginia, New Jersey).
- Emphasizes staggering percentages of young women voting Democrat (80%+ in exit polls).
- Considers why young women lead the progressive vote—suggests informational sources and evolutionary lack of self-defense orientation.
- Quote: “If women become big enough numbers to control the electorate… that would guarantee the destruction of those places. It would guarantee it.” (24:40, Scott Adams)
5. Personal Health Update (28:20–35:00)
- Shares he is "radioactive" due to a recent nuclear medicine cancer treatment (Pluvicto & bioshield).
- Reiterates commitment to share positive outcomes with listeners and ensure access for all if effective.
- Describes extreme fatigue; recounts falling asleep while typing that morning.
6. Observing Social and Political Behavior (35:10–42:30)
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On Bill Ackman:
- Praises the financier’s willingness to help New York’s new mayor, even after opposing him—values brave, useful people over ideological loyalty.
- Follows with commentary on Bill Maher’s fearlessness.
- Quote: “I'm going to choose that I like brave people who are trying to be useful. That's sort of my weak spot.” (38:55, Scott Adams)
-
On Millionaires Leaving Blue States:
- Questions if panic over millionaire outflow is overblown, citing commercial real estate in NYC already recovering.
7. Election Analysis & Media Narratives (42:40–56:00)
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Meaning of Victory:
- Mocks attempts to find deeper meaning in the Democratic gubernatorial sweep (“Probably… there’s not much meaning. They just said three candidates, they were better…”).
-
Media Narratives:
- Ridicules MSNBC for blaming a hypothetical White House ballroom for Republican losses.
- Discusses efforts to declare the Democratic Party “socialist” by designating newly elected leaders as party figureheads.
- Quotes Palantir CEO Alex Karp:
“Instead of asking, ‘Does it work?’ they ask, ‘Does it work in theory?’” (54:20, quoting Karp via Scott Adams)
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On California Proposition 50:
- Explains confusion: Voters overwhelmingly support “non-partisan” redistricting but voted to abolish the commission, likely not understanding the measure.
8. Filibuster & Legislative Process (56:15–58:30)
- Touches on Trump's threat to “nuke” the filibuster for legislative efficiency, expressing conditional support if one side refuses to cooperate.
9. International Affairs (58:35–65:20)
- Gaza Security Council Proposal:
Uncertain prospects for multinational “boots on the ground” peace plan. - US–Venezuela Military Buildup:
- Interprets increased US naval activity as classic Trumpian negotiation—project threat, create bargaining power.
- Mexico & Cartels:
- US is escalating drone strikes to maintain air superiority before cartels develop enough drone tech of their own.
10. Tech News: Data Centers in Space & Lunar Computing (65:25–66:40)
- Google’s space data centers (targeted for 2027) and the prospect of using cold lunar craters as data server farms.
11. Space Policy & Elon Musk’s Influence (66:41–70:50)
- Story of Jared Isaacman, a Democrat, being considered—then dismissed—then allegedly re-hired as NASA administrator due to Elon Musk’s advocacy.
- Praises fast corrections in government hiring, valuing action, and quick course corrections.
12. Job Cuts & “AI-washing” Narrative (70:53–72:30)
- Reports that some companies are blaming AI for layoffs (“AI-washing”) when the real cause is underperforming business.
13. DEI Pushback in the Arts (72:32–73:30)
- Mentions that Philadelphia Art Museum director was fired for focusing too much on DEI—a potential sign of shifting public mood.
14. Amazon vs. Perplexity Legal Tussle (73:31–74:30)
- Discusses a legal scuffle between Amazon and Perplexity (despite Bezos ties to both), over Perplexity’s agentic browser scraping Amazon content.
15. Impeachment News & Judiciary Accountability (74:31–75:30)
- Notes pending articles of impeachment against Judge Boasberg for perceived misconduct in the Arctic Frost scandal.
16. Agricultural Innovation: Fertilizer from Air (75:31–76:30)
- Announces breakthrough in fertilizer technology: “pulse electrolysis” process to pull nitrogen from the air for sustainable agri-use.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On self-correction:
“I always judge people by the correction, not by whatever you thought was a mistake. It's just a better standard.” (70:20, Scott Adams) -
On blurred political labels:
“A lot of registered Democrats… said, yeah, I can be a registered Democrat and work with Trump on all these things I agree with.” (69:05, Scott Adams) -
On fatigue from cancer treatment:
“Whatever this is, this is a whole new level of fatigue… I literally fell asleep while typing. Probably, I don't even know how many times. Maybe a dozen, maybe 20.” (33:30, Scott Adams) -
On California’s election confusion:
“There was an election just for the purpose of getting people to vote for the opposite of what they thought they wanted without knowing that's what they just did.” (51:10, Scott Adams) -
On media explanations:
“Isn’t it a little bat shit crazy to think that the election results in these three states had anything to do with building a ballroom for the White House?” (52:55, Scott Adams) -
On “AI Layoff” excuses:
“I keep telling you that big companies are going to pretend that AI is the reason they’re downsizing, but the real reason is their business isn’t doing as well as they thought.” (71:30, Scott Adams) -
On government hiring:
“Whenever I see my government, especially the Trump administration, act quickly and then sometimes act too quickly, it never bothers me because action tends to be the thing that’s more determinant of success than non-action.” (69:45, Scott Adams)
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Show open / Dilbert 2026 calendar launch & piracy warnings | | 06:45 | Mental reframe: perceiving cold as health | | 09:50 | Wikipedia’s moderate liberal bias & “backward science” example | | 13:00 | Political developments: White House, Nicki Minaj, German energy, tech | | 18:45 | University of Austin receives $100M anti-woke donation | | 21:20 | Democrat sweep in governor’s races / Young women’s political sway | | 28:20 | Scott’s health update and “radioactive” treatment effects | | 35:10 | Reflections on Bill Ackman and Bill Maher’s public bravery | | 42:40 | Election analysis / Media spin / Socialist label debate | | 51:10 | California redistricting voter confusion | | 56:15 | Filibuster discussion / Legislative process | | 58:35 | International: Gaza, Venezuela, U.S. anti-cartel military strategy | | 65:25 | Future of data centers: Space and lunar prospects | | 66:41 | NASA administrator shuffle (Elon Musk, Jared Isaacman) | | 70:53 | “AI-washing” in corporate layoffs | | 72:32 | DEI overreach backlash at Philadelphia Art Museum | | 73:31 | Amazon vs. Perplexity legal battle | | 74:31 | Impeachment move against Judge Boasberg | | 75:31 | Air-to-fertilizer agricultural breakthrough |
Tone & Language
Scott maintains his trademark blend of dry wit, skepticism, and irreverent commentary. He oscillates between lighthearted self-reference and pointed criticism of political and media narratives, always encouraging listeners to question the presented "frames" and motives.
Conclusion
This episode showcases Scott Adams's unique filter on current events, mixing personal vulnerability with sharp critique of political and media orthodoxy, theoretical policy versus practical outcomes, and the psychology beneath our collective choices.
Note: All advertisements, intros, and outros have been excluded. Focus remains on the episode’s main content and Scott Adams’s perspectives.
