Scott Adams died today (or yesterday) after a long illness.

For the last ten years or more, Scott was a big deal on the internet. He hosted daily “Coffee With Scott Adams” video blogs (do we still call them that, or do we go with vlogs?). He predicted Trump’s win in 2016, when everybody was sure the Wicked Witch of Arkansas was going to take it. Later, he aired some contrary views on race relations which –I think unfairly– cost him most or all of his Dilbert contracts. But he switched to a 100% online presence and kept producing his comics for subscribers.

I’m going from memory on the info above. I think the large strokes are right, though the details may be slightly off.

Many of us who roam the internet will miss Scott’s insights and unique way of approaching the issues of the day.

For my part, I didn’t always agree with his views, but he was always interesting. You may say that “being interesting” is a fairly low bar to hit, and you’d be right. But I’m not very interesting, and have been told as much by many. So while “being interesting” may be easy for most, it remains a far-off country for some of us.

Knowing the end was near, Scott composed a letter to the world on January 1, 2026 in which he offered his final thoughts. Part of the letter included a statement of conversion to Christianity.

“My body failed before my brain. I am of sound mind as I write this, January 1, 2026… please know I am free of any coercion or inappropriate influence of any sort, I promise.

“Next, many of my Christian friends have asked me to find Jesus before I go. I’m not a believer, but I have to admit the risk-reward calculation for doing so looks attractive. So, here I go:

“I accept Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, and I look forward to spending an eternity with him. The part about me not being a believer should be quickly resolved if I wake up in heaven. I won’t need any more convincing than that. And I hope I am still qualified for entry.”

I’m sure many Christians call that a win for their side. And I’m sure many nonbelievers are grumbling at the loss.

As a former Christian of the Catholic variety, now a nonbeliever, I couldn’t help smiling at Scott’s conversion statement. It was so like him to use Pascal’s Wager to thread the needle at the last possible moment. The style was typical Catbert.

If you are unfamiliar with Pascal’s Wager, here’s the blurb from Search Assist:

“Pascal's Wager is a philosophical argument by Blaise Pascal suggesting that it is a rational bet to believe in God, as the potential benefits of belief (eternal happiness) outweigh the risks of disbelief (eternal loss). Essentially, if God exists, believers gain everything, while non-believers risk losing everything.”

Now there are lots of reasons to put little faith in Pascal’s Wager regarding the existence of God. The first objection is, of course, “Which God?”. Humanity has believed in thousands of gods throughout history, any of which may in fact be the True God.

Personally, if I had to choose, I think I’d go with Odin.

There are many other strong logical objections to the Wager but they are all very boring. Since I’m trying to be more interesting, I’ll leave you with a phrase I heard years ago when I was first wrestling with these Big Ideas:

“Pascal’s Wager is the green plastic cocktail sword of apologetics.”

Rest in peace, Scott. I'm gonna miss your high-powered brain.