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A larger coffee scoop supplies Lateral's kitchen mystery

Elle Cordova presents the question, with Tom Scott, Jarvis Johnson and Jordan Adika working towards the unexpected cause.

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Lateral with Tom Scott Story of November 12, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The channel's weekly summary: what went up this week, what is drawing views now, and where the channel stands among similar channels.

The utensil that can give you palpitations

Video summary

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0:07Elle presents Zach's question: how could buying a kitchen utensil lead to near-daily anxiety attacks?
1:00Elle rules out the utensil's material as the important clue.
3:31Tom reasons that a change in food or drink preparation must matter.
5:27Jarvis suggests coffee-making equipment, giving the panel a new direction.
6:40Elle confirms the full explanation and reveals that Zach submitted the question himself.

A new kitchen utensil, followed by near-daily anxiety attacks: Elle Cordova gives Lateral's panel a connection to explain, but the metal itself is a distraction.

In "The utensil that can give you palpitations", Tom Scott, Jarvis Johnson and Jordan Adika work through possible explanations before Johnson suggests coffee-making equipment. Scott identifies caffeine as the crucial ingredient, and Johnson arrives at the oversized scoop. Cordova explains that the replacement was larger than the old one, unintentionally increasing the amount of coffee Zach used. Zach submitted the question himself.

With about 30,000 views, it is the most-watched of Lateral with Tom Scott's seven uploads this week. The same guests also tackle "A sneaky 'Fast & Furious' stand-in" and "The $100,000 bike", taking the questions from the kitchen to a movie mystery and an expensive pair of wheels.

The strongest momentum now belongs to "An upsetting windmill", featuring Michelle Wong, Bill Sunderland and Dani Siller. Their question about a lamenting landmark is drawing views faster than the other uploads, followed by their book-themed "These quotations help you... 'literally'".

Daily channel views are running at more than twice their usual level, although the subscriber total was unchanged over the week. Among nearby podcast channels, Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker is also enjoying elevated daily viewing, while Bach and Arthur Podcast is closer to its usual rhythm. Lateral's own week offers a particularly varied set of puzzles, including Ria Lina, Sunderland and Siller investigating how hares helped get the post delivered.

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A different discovery todayVideo taking off 23x its usual first dayJimmy Kimmel takes on Hegseth's "doozy" of a press conferenceThe monologue moves from a Thomas Massie impeachment filing to Trump phoning C-SPAN, then closes with a parody trailer for Melania: The Series.Channel: Jimmy Kimmel Live · Story of November 12, 2026

What viewers say

The material is immaterial.
@spacewarpphotography1667See it on YouTube
I love the variety of camera angles on this one! Tom with the eye level shot, Elle with the high angle shot, Jarvis with a high angle, but more like a profile and, Jordan with a low angle shot...anyway, what was the question again!
@Ken_KingSee it on YouTube
Lovely to see Elle here! She's been one of my favorite people on the 'net for over ten years, and it's always a delight to see her take on something new.
@xela_mitSee it on YouTube

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