Robot or Not?
Technology
About
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.
Episodes
- 347: Official
Unofficial Fan of “Robot or Not” Alexander wants to know what makes something official. Why are David Smith’s transcripts of The Talk Show “unofficial” if John Gruber links to them? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other…
- 346: Pizza Wheel
Listener Ed doesn’t keep his pizza wheel in his knife, but it’s got a blade and cuts things. What makes a knife a knife? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a memb…
- 345: Wearable Robot
Listener Caleb saw an ergonomics assistance backpack at a trade show, advertised as a robot. Can you wear… a robot? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member .…
- 344: Look-Up
Listener Jason used ChatGPT to find information that answered a colleague’s question. But did he “look it up?” John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Membe…
- 343: Pizza Robot
Live from Estes Park, Colorado, listener Kyle has eaten at a pizza place where his food was delivered via a robot! But… is it a robot, or not? After a swift verdict, John and Jason then spend far more time digging deep on Antonio’s Pizza a…
- 342: Superhero Naming Conventions
Listener Joshua is really focused on the grammar of Superhero and Supervillain names. Is Batman a bat? Does Doctor Doom have an advanced degree? Can Rogue keep her name while joining the X-Men? Are there any rules at all? John Siracusa and…
- 341: Life on the Moon (and Mars?)
Listener Jack seeks a true definition of what it means when we say “humans will live on the Moon (or Mars).” Does a brief visit count? Do you need to grow your own potatoes? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows l…
- 340: Out of Pocket
Listener Tom really wants us to explain what it means if someone is “out of pocket.” This leads to some existential questions about the pocket and the people who may not be in it. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other s…
- 339: Can
Listener Niels follows on from the logical question of if a glass can be made of plastic to ponder what makes a can a can. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a me…
- 338: Facial Hair
Listener Justin tries to get us to stretch the definition of “facial hair” beyond the beard. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early acces…
- 337: Shirt
Listener Roy brings us into his debate with his teenage son about what makes a shirt a shirt. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early acce…
- 336: Building
Listener Jack wants to know if a few famous gates and statues are also buildings. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Brandenburg Gate (DW) Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a me…
- 335: Pop-Tart Pie
Listener Gregory thinks Pop-Tarts are pies. We have ratio questions. Also: We remember so many burned palates caused by calzones and McDonald’s fruit pies. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Inco…
- 334: Open-Faced Sandwiches and French Bread Pizzas
Listener Gregory tries to confuse us with a question about open-faced sandwiches and pizza. We largely ignore him and talk about different ways to eat things that are like pizza, but aren’t quite pizza. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show N…
- 333: Scrolling
Listener Scott’s wife sure has a strange definition of which way is up. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links See also: Swiping Right Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . M…
- 332: Basement
Listener Joel has discovered some Canadians referring to the first floor of a two-story house as a “basement.” Does this defy all reason? How low must you go to be a basement? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows…
- 331: Supercars and Hypercars
Host John Siracusa asks himself to discuss the difference between Supercars and Hypercars, while Jason looks on. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Mem…
- 330: Sleigh
The difference between a slegh and a sled. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Sleigh v. Sled, what's the difference? Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get ear…
- 329: Charger follow-up
Listener William challenges our ruling about chargers and we get deep into the weeds of car charging. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get ea…
- 328: Hoodie
Stephen Hackett has called us out and requests John’s ruling. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Connected 538: A Future That Is Now Stuck in the Past Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by b…
- 327: Blogs
What’s a blog, and what’s a news outlet? Are Jason and John bloggers? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus ep…
- 326: Spiders and Other Bugs
Listener Kev needs us to unpack John’s comment about “spiders and other bugs.” Does that mean spiders are bugs? And what are the other bugs? Spooky! John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparabl…
- 325: Wire
Listener Matt can’t stand it when someone calls a USB cable a wire. But what does John think? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early acce…
- 324: Landscaper
Who scapes the lands? Who gardens the gardens? Who mows and who blows? Not us! John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts,…
- 323: Pasta Roundup
John fields some important questions about pasta from listeners Connor, Joshua, and Lee, including the definition of Al Dente and noodles versus pasta. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incompar…
- 322: Vehicle
Listener Eric asks if vehicles are only motorized, and we ponder how small a thing can be before it’s not a vehicle anymore. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a…
- 321: Glass
Can a drinking glass be made out of plastic? Or is it just a cup? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episod…
- 320: Parasol
Summer is in full swing, so Listener Ken has asked us to differentiate between umbrellas and parasols. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get e…
- 319: Market
Listener Marc ponders the “VR headset market” and wants to know what makes a market a market. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early acce…
- 318: Charger
Listener Eric really needs his kids to differentiate between charger blocks and charging cables. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early a…
- 317: AI Hype
Listener Christian, your time has come. Is an AI Lock the same as a Smart Lock? Or a Fuzzy Logic Lock? When bicycle gear shifters are called “AI”, how do we define what any of this means? I know—let’s ask John. John Siracusa and Jason Snel…
- 316: Spacesuits
Listener Lorne asks what makes a spacesuit a spacesuit, and it gets complicated in a hurry. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access…
- 315: 10th Anniversary Episode
Let’s get back to basics. We celebrate our improbable 10th anniversary with a letter from Listener Scott, who has a lot of questions about his son’s book “Science Comics: Robots and Drones.” John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links…
- 314: Bay Leaf
Listener Paul doubts the efficacy of the Bay Leaf. Host John ponders the longevity of Spices. Host Jason admits to keeping spices 15 years past their expiration dates. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it…
- 313: Tech
Listener Jason (not host Jason) wants to know if “non-tech items” are really tech items. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links WVFRM: Our favorite ordinary objects! Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable n…
- 312: Unanchored Buoys
Listener Ben asks: If a Buoy is unanchored and works hard to stay where it is, is it the Roomba of the seas? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Robotic Buoys Make their Mark at 2024 Olympics Support this show and other shows…
- 311: Mushroombot
Listener Jim wants John to weigh in on the story of the mushroom that was given a robot body , and while that does sound fascinating, the answer seems to be right there in the description. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links M…
- 310: Arc
Listener Victor brings us a question from another “or Not?” podcast about how many points are required to make something a story, episode, or character arc. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Risky or Not? Support this show a…
- 309: Flying
Listeners Joshua and Matthias want to know about flying in (or on) an airplane. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts…
- 308: Gibson Robot Guitar
Listener Jason (not that one) wants to know if the Gibson Robot Guitar is just trying to jump on the robot bandwagon as a form of fancy marketing. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Gibson Robot Guitar Support this show and o…
- 307: Sandwich Legal Update II
Two listeners have requested that we revisit recent court and podcast rulings regarding the definition of a sandwich. Also, Jason details his meager high-school lunch. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it…
- 306: Roomba-like Items
In the end, the Grain Weevils and robot lawn mowers come for us all. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus epi…
- 305: Console
Is a Game Boy a game console? What about a Switch? Can a handheld gaming device also be a console? What makes something a console? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becom…
- 304: Calendar Year
Listener Alexander has seen through the calendar’s deceptions and wants to know why any old day couldn’t be the start of a new year. When does the year begin in our hearts? (Happy New Year, everyone!) John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Not…
- 303: Tipping
Listener Ben and his sister-in-law have come up with a sophisticated system of rules for when and when not to leave a gratuity. But someone else may have his own rules. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like i…
- 302: Sandwich Legal Update
Many listeners are concerned about recent legal rulings that suggest tacos and burritos are sandwiches. But we all know who the real voice of authority is. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Inco…
- 301: Fan/Light
Listener Patrick is concerned about taxonomy, most particularly involving fans that are also lights. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get ear…
- 300: Fast Food
There are so many different ways to define fast food. Is pizza fast food? Also, Jason has a story about the Shake Shake in the Minneapolis airport. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable…
- 299: Window
I can see clearly now. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.
- 298: Henchman
As so often happens with us, discussions of evil henchman end up becoming discussions of legal employment status. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Me…