Robot or Not?

243: Wheels and Doors

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, everyone on the Internet wants John’s opinion. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

242: A Group of Robots

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When robots flock together naturally, will humans give them a name? Or will we be too busy dying? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

241: Voltron

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many robots, one robot, or no robots? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

240: Holes in a Straw

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Topology can be tricky. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

239: Monolith

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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.

238: Electronic vs. Electric

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When is something electronic, and when is it electric? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

237: Cameos

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is that just a really short acting part, or is it only a cameo? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

236: Stay-at-Home Moms

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We salute all Moms, no matter their classification. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

235: Robot Loathing

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

234: Pasta Draft

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A bunch of baseball writers drafted pastas. John has thoughts. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

233: Magnetic Slime

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Does texture matter when it comes to robots? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

232: Stillsuits

18 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 epi...

231: CAPTCHAs of South African "robots"

04 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Select all ROBOT RELATED PODCASTS. If there are none, click Stop. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

230: Accents

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

John has one, but also doesn’t have one. Mary married some merry carrots. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

229: Friendship

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listener Ashley wants to know about the true meaning of friendship. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

228: America

21 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 countr...

227: Semi-Homemade Cooking with John Siracusa

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listener Scott wants to know what “homemade” cooking is. Jason made this episode from scratch. (But the theme song was store-bought.) John Siracus...

226: Email, and Preparing the Way (for Roombas)

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jason starts to ask John a question, but everything gets derailed. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

225: Car

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What makes a car a car, and not a truck, or an SUV, or a crossover? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

224: Next Wednesday

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When is Next Wednesday? Is it Wednesday? Or the Wednesday after that? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

223: Money

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What makes something money? Is gold money? Is Bitcoin? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

222: Sundays

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Do Sundays start the week, or end it? When does the week end, and is that the weekend? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

221: Cooking

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What’s cooking? Is making tea cooking? John’s answers may surprise you. They certainly surprised Jason. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

220: Popcorn

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The proper way to eat popcorn. 🍿 John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

219: Camping

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Listeners Jono and Chris, and friend Tony Sindelar, have questions about what John defines as ‘camping.’ Suffering is surprisingly part of the cal...

218: Photo

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Listener Beth seeks enlightenment about what makes something a photo. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

217: Floating Bridge

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 an...

216: Grocery Robot Swarm

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 Snel...

215: A Criterion of Data

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Singular or plural? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

214: Religious or Spiritual

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When you see an org chart and money changes hands, your spirituality has become something else. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

213: Daylight Saving Time

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Should we really spring forward and fall back? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

212: Dishwasher

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When do you run the dishwasher? Do you rinse the dishes first? And wouldn’t it be nice if our dishwashers were robots? John Siracusa and Jason Snell...

211: Rules for Watching TV

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Do you always start watching at the beginning? And do you have to watch till the end? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

210: Burrito, Part 2 (Qdoba v. Panera)

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The strange case of the burrito sandwich. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

209: Dog-Shaped Dogs

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the shape of a dog? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

208: Self-Driving Cars, Part 2

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Cook thinks that self-driving cars are robots. Does John want to revisit his opinion? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

207: Pandemic Changes (or not)

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Has the pandemic made John reconsider some of his previous rulings? (One guess.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

206: Relish

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Not all pickles are pickles, and not all relish is pickle relish. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

205: Pots and Pans

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What divides pots from pans? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

204: Peanut Butter

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Chances are pretty good that the peanut butter you eat is terrible. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

203: Bagel Update

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A very unfortunate bagel on either side of the Atlantic. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

202: Books

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is a book a bound, printed collection of pages, or is it something more? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

201: Apocalypse

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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? John ...

200: Microscopic "Robots"

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

199: Christmas Special

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the spirit of the season, we discuss when a Christmas tree is dead. (Thanks to Listener Darran.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

198: Soda

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

197: Indoors

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When are we indoors and when are we outdoors? And where do tents fit in? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

196: Video

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is a GIF a video? (Incomparable members also get a bonus episode about movie studio logos, released today.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

195: Child

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When is a child no longer a child? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

194: Henge

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When the definition escapes its antecedent. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

193: Puppet

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When is it a puppet, and when is it just someone in a suit? And what does this mean for the future of Gritty? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

192: Backup Brain

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If we clone your body and transfer your memories to it, is it you? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

191: Game

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The universe is Candy Land. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

190: Pillow

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You can use this podcast as a pillow, if you like, but it’s still not a pillow. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

189: What We're Owed

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When a book series hasn’t completed, what does the author owe us? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

188: Reboot

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Beginning in this episode, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto will be portraying John and Jason. Or not. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

187: The Cloud

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is The Cloud just Other People’s Computers? Watch out for Cloud Men! John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

186: Gum

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Most people aren’t eating light bulbs. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

185: Blanket

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Listener James sends us a special message from beneath his blanket. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

184: Indie Developer

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What’s an Indie Developer, and is John one now? What does it mean to be “indie?” John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

183: Slots and Ports

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is a port a slot? PCMCIA cards have slots, but USB devices have ports. Either way, Jason has to make amends. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

182: Working From Home

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Whatever this is called, a lot of us are doing it these days. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

181: Camera

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

My other car is also a camera. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

180: Tabs

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tabs or spaces? AFTERSHOW: Commas. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

179: Grocery Store

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

But what if they also sell shampoo there? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

178: Morning

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Morning has broken, like the first… morning? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

177: Walking Distance

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s within walking distance. How far is that? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

176: Swipe Right

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Where does your finger go when you “swipe right”? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

175: Beard

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When is it stubble and when is it more? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

174: Reading

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s fundamental, yes. But is it something you can do with your ears? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

173: River

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When is a body of water a river? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

172: Soup, Part II

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is soup a drink? What separates liquids from food? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

171: Dish

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From dish to plate to bowl. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

170: City

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Does it all come down to the U.S. Postal Service? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

169: Burgers

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

And do sliders have to slide? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

168: Augmented Reality

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

An Accidental AR podcast. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

167: Pet Names

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Can we differentiate between how people name pets and how they name children? Listeners Rover and Whiskers, drop us a line. John Siracusa and Jason Sn...

166: Smart Devices

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Where do we draw the line between a regular device and a “smart” device? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

165: Leftovers

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When does a meal turn into leftovers? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

164: Cover Version

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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? John S...

163: Family

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What constitutes family? Blood relatives only? Are friends family? Are co-workers family? Can you escape your family? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

162: Doors

29 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What about when they’re ajar? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

161: Storefronts

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Select all the STOREFRONTS to prove that you’re a human. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

160: Bacon

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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. John Siracusa and Ja...

159: Campus Delivery Robots

11 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Prompted by a note from Listener Zach, we discuss the trend of “autonomous food delivery vehicles” on college campuses. John Siracusa and Jason S...

158: Pants

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The entire conversation is pants. (The Brits will get that.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

157: Board Games

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How much board is required? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

156: Combination Restaurants

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’ll see you at the Carl’s Jr./Green Burrito/KFC/Taco Bell. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

155: TV and Movies

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When is it a TV show and when is it a movie? It’s confusing. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

154: American Food

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It all goes back to Mesopotamia. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

153: Live Action

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 anima...

152: Milk

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Legal news: Is Almond Milk milk? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

151: "Chick Flick"

18 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is a “Chick Flick”? Let’s start off by taking apart the term itself. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

150: Marty the Supermarket Robot

04 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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. Do...

149: Simulated Universe

21 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is this real or are we in a video game? How can we tell the true nature of the universe? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

148: Hacker

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Do hackers do good, or bad, or both? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

147: Cult

24 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.” Merry Christmas, everybody! John Siracusa and Jason Snel...

146: GIF

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Choosy mothers pronounce it differently. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

145: Database

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Where spreadsheets and databases collide. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

144: Soup

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

“You haven’t done soup yet, have you?” John Siracusa and Jason Snell.