Robot or Not?: Recent Episodes
John Siracusa and Jason Snell
Jason Snell asks John Siracusa to rule on the meaning of various words and concepts. It’s not just about robots anymore.
Have a question for John? Email robot@theincomparable.com.
Listener Magnus is concerned that his favorite podcast is on hiatus. When is something on hiatus and when is it cancelled? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Finally we talk about robots again. If a robot controls a camera, is it a camera robot? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
If it’s never meant to make a cookie, is it still cookie dough? (Also: Peanut Butter Spread, Cheese Food, and other food labeling we have known.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
For the very first time, we do some housekeeping about holes, Russian robots, salad, genocide, Voltron, and available sales leads. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Sometimes, everyone on the Internet wants John’s opinion. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
When robots flock together naturally, will humans give them a name? Or will we be too busy dying? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
It’s a big thing in the middle of nowhere. Does it need to be a rock to be a monolith? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Is that just a really short acting part, or is it only a cameo? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Listener/Professor Lisa can handle conceptual analysis on her own, but she does wonder why campus delivery robots make her so angry. (It wasn’t just because they’re Russian.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
A bunch of baseball writers drafted pastas. John has thoughts. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Paul Atreides and the Fremen sure look cool, but won’t they die of hyperthermia in those suits? (Incomparable Members will find a special bonus episode of Robot or Not in the First Class feed today. Become a member for lots of goodies!) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Select all ROBOT RELATED PODCASTS. If there are none, click Stop. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
John has one, but also doesn’t have one. Mary married some merry carrots. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Listener Ashley wants to know about the true meaning of friendship. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Why do Americans crowd out the rest of two continents from the namespace? John thinks it’s about imperialism; Jason thinks it’s because our country has no proper name. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Listener Scott wants to know what “homemade” cooking is. Jason made this episode from scratch. (But the theme song was store-bought.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Jason starts to ask John a question, but everything gets derailed. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
What makes a car a car, and not a truck, or an SUV, or a crossover? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
When is Next Wednesday? Is it Wednesday? Or the Wednesday after that? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Do Sundays start the week, or end it? When does the week end, and is that the weekend? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
What’s cooking? Is making tea cooking? John’s answers may surprise you. They certainly surprised Jason. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Listeners Jono and Chris, and friend Tony Sindelar, have questions about what John defines as ‘camping.’ Suffering is surprisingly part of the calculation. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Listener Beth seeks enlightenment about what makes something a photo. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Listener Isaac wants us to judge if a certain “floating bridge” is actually a ferry. This leads, of course, to a discussion of infinite bridges and whether a fairy is a ferry in California. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
If robots at a grocery-store warehouse works in tandem, are they robots? If they have a hive mind, are they still robots? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
When you see an org chart and money changes hands, your spirituality has become something else. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
When do you run the dishwasher? Do you rinse the dishes first? And wouldn’t it be nice if our dishwashers were robots?
Tim Cook thinks that self-driving cars are robots. Does John want to revisit his opinion?
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the robot, happy stuff: When does the apocalypse start, and when do we reach post-apocalyptic times?
We celebrate our 200th episode by going back to where it all started—news about whether something is a robot or not. Also, we may have inadvertently started a religion. (Congratulations, Listener Eric!)
In the spirit of the season, we discuss when a Christmas tree is dead. (Thanks to Listener Darran.)
Fizzy water. Is it soda, or pop, or a soft drink, or something else? (Incomparable members also get a bonus episode about Coca-Cola and cocaine, also released today.)
Is a GIF a video? (Incomparable members also get a bonus episode about movie studio logos, released today.)
When is it a puppet, and when is it just someone in a suit? And what does this mean for the future of Gritty?
Beginning in this episode, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto will be portraying John and Jason. Or not.
Is a port a slot? PCMCIA cards have slots, but USB devices have ports. Either way, Jason has to make amends.
Can we differentiate between how people name pets and how they name children? Listeners Rover and Whiskers, drop us a line.
Listener Luke sent in this week’s theme song. Is it a cover version of our canonical theme song? When is a new version of a song not a cover?
What constitutes family? Blood relatives only? Are friends family? Are co-workers family? Can you escape your family?
By popular demand, John has done his research—or maybe not?—and is here to break down what is bacon and what is an impostor.
Prompted by a note from Listener Zach, we discuss the trend of “autonomous food delivery vehicles” on college campuses.
If the new “Lion King” film features CGI animals talking with other CGI animals, is it a “live-action” movie or just a different kind of animation? What about a movie like “Avengers: Infinity War”?
In a rare topical episode, John and Jason discuss Marty, the tall, googly-eyed robot that may soon be roaming the aisles of a supermarket near you. Does Marty meet the Roomba test? Are the googly eyes fooling anyone?
Is this real or are we in a video game? How can we tell the true nature of the universe?
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.” Merry Christmas, everybody!
John is given the opportunity to endorse or reject the rulings of the International Astronomical Union.
John’s worked (and left) a lot of jobs. What’s his personal philosophy about job security versus going it alone as an independent?
When is a game show a game show, and when is it reality television? Also, we reveal our favorite reality TV show.
Is a Mac a PC? Is an iPad a computer? Does John favor a broad definition or a narrow one?
Did both of Jason’s parents both come from the Midwest, or only one? What are the true boundaries of America’s heartland?
If you don’t go anywhere, is it a vacation? What if you go somewhere, but you don’t relax?
Is cheesecake cheese, cake, pie, tart, or none of the above? Does the angle of the pan matter? Does crust content matter? Do any of us matter, really?
As recently highlighted on “The Good Place”, it’s a classic ethical conundum that John wants absolutely no part of. And what if the trolley drives itself?
What makes a movie a holiday movie? How do they celebrate winter holidays in warm climates? Merry Christmas to all, especially in Australia!
Okay, time to call it. Time of death— wait, wait, everybody hold on. How do we define death?
It would seem like ice cream versus frozen yogurt would be the main debate. But the pronunciation of a third competitor completely derails us.
We discuss the names of meals and when they happen, and make an interesting(?) digression into human sleep cycles.
Continuing our confused series of episodes about food-related topics, it’s time for John and Jason to talk about Jason’s favorite food style and what happens when you put food on a grill.
If everything can be a smoothie, then nothing is. So we try to define what makes a smoothie and acts as a bulwark against the milkshake.
We don’t know quite what an old-fashioned donut is, but we know what we like… and what we don’t.
What makes machine intelligence “real AI”? And what is the difference between strong and weak AI?
Exploring Jason’s favorite food, what a “favorite food” even is, and the hazy dividing line between condiments and other edibles.
What’s science fiction? And more importantly, is Star Wars science fiction, fantasy, or something else?
Is everything a computer chip? Is nothing a computer chip? Jason thinks this is gonna be good. John thinks it’s obvious.
What is the canon of bagels? Why are some ingredients allowed in an Everything Bagel but not any other bagel style? What makes raisins an acceptable ingredient, yet bars blueberries? Mr. Siracusa, native of the great state of New York, educates Mr. Snell, one of those California hippie types, about what a real bagel is.
What toppings are allowed on pizza? And what about using a knife and fork to eat pizza? There are many rules.
John weighs in on what makes something a pizza, including the horror of the Turkey Dinner Pizza.
Exploring what makes a sandwich, while also discussing the history of food, sandwiches as satire, and the difference between llamas and camels.
Your hosts return to where it all began and then prepare to set out for new horizons. (Robot or Not will return in two weeks with a new series of episodes.)
What does a robot do when it gets to a web page with a checkbox that says “I’m not a robot”?
The gate at Jabba’s palace in “Return of the Jedi” talks to droids, or has something inside it that talks to droids. So is it a robot?
They roam the ocean, scanning for important data and relaying their information home. There are no humans on board. Are these lonely sea voyagers robots?
The robotic guardian of the Beams. He looks like a bear but has a satellite dish on his head. He’s a thousand years old.
Among the fiercest creatures in the machine kingdom are the Battlebots. They’re designed for fighting! But are they really robots, or is that just a clever marketing name?
High school students carry them around and learn what it’s like to be a parent. Or you learn how to revive them by pressing their chest and breathing into their mouths. But are these learning tools also educational robots?
The HBO series “Westworld” makes us contemplate whether its central characters, the Hosts, are robots or not. (We recorded this episode after the first seven episodes of season one had aired; forgive us if it was revealed later that “To Serve Man” was actually a cookbook.)
Straight out of “Star Trek” come these technological villains. Also, we discuss larger issues including AIs and hive minds.
A little metal owl from “Clash of the Titans.” Crafted by the gods, can he possibly be a robot?
The robot from “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, plus a long digression into Star Trek androids.
A fancy “robot arm” from Canada. But when is a robot arm just an arm, and when is it a robot?
It’s Wimbledon time, and so our discussion turns to tennis, and Serena Williams—who is not a robot, despite her perhaps wishing she was.
They go up, they go down. They might even go sideways from time to time. And they can be smart. But are they robots?
From the AMC TV series “Humans,” the lifelike Synths look like humans but don’t act like it. And they bleed a funny color.
He’s an inflatable, medical robot from “Big Hero 6”—but can you back up your personality and still be a robot?
From Bungie’s bestselling video game, Ghosts, Exos, Rasputin, and other things that might be robots.
Roy Batty, Pris, and all the rest. They’ve seen the Tannhauser Gate, but are they robots?
Enter the realm of the very, very tiny as John and Jason ponder if size matters when it comes to whether something is a robot or not.
Security expert Bruce Schneier said the Internet of Things was a robot, but what does John think? You can probably guess.
Two enemies wrapped in metal shells from “Doctor Who” face their ultimate foe—the judgment of John Siracusa.
It’s right there in the name of this character from the acclaimed comic book “Saga,” but as we’ve learned, names can be misleading.
Things that clean your swimming pool: are they Roombas or just dumb hoses? Also, if a toaster can’t be a robot, can a robot be a toaster?
If the cars in Pixar’s “Cars” movies aren’t cars, what are they, and where did they come from?
Just in time for the holidays, some existential questions. Also, could a robot be on a podcast?
Doctor Who’s clockwork repair droids (from the episodes “Girl in the Fireplace” and “Deep Breath”) come under scrutiny. Sure, they start out as robots, but do they become something else..?
From the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and specifically “Iron Man 3” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” deep robot-or-not questions about Iron Man’s suits, Ultron, and the Vision.
She’s a small wonder, pretty and bright with soft curls. She’s a small wonder, a girl unlike other girls. She’s a miracle, and I grant you She’ll enchant you at her sight. She’s a small wonder, and she’ll make your heart take flight. She’s fantastic, made of plastic. Microchips here and there. She’s a small wonder, brings love and laughter everywhere.
It’s right there in the name, but what about the things that connect to it? And what about when Merlin talks about putting things “in the robot”? We need answers, John!
We take you back to the days of “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” to debate the show’s two artificial sidekicks.
V’ger and the Ilia probe, both from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”. Also, John complains about fake skin on androids.
The metal robots (and their fleshy successors) from the old and new “Battlestar Galactica.”
What would a toaster have to do in order to be a robot? This episode introduces Siracusa’s Law, which somehow involves kitchen countertops.
From golf carts on Mars to New Horizons flying past Pluto, these are impressive machines, but are they robots?
He tried to hitch his way across the country, but was dismembered in Philadelphia. Image by archier on Flickr.
From “Ghost in the Shell,” a human brain in a mechanical body. And what about uploaded brains and bodies?
The “Knight Rider” car is cool, but is it a robot? What about KITT’s evil twin, KARR? Also, the dark pre-history of Pixar’s “Cars.”
Honda’s ASIMO, Sony’s AIBO, and other cute things that can do The Robot dance. Also, our Radio Shack memories.
Does a self-guided vacuum cleaner cross John’s minimum bar for a robot? And what does that have to do with ants and dogs?
John and Jason try to understand robot dogs. Plus, a trip through old “Doctor Who” episodes.
John’s position on supermarket self-checkout machines, Jason’s need for beer when he visits his in-laws, and whether attaching arms to things makes them robots.
We explain why we’re here, and then discuss the protagonist of Styx’s 1983 album “Kilroy Was Here.”