Robot or Not?
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
353: Stuffing/Dressing
Listener Wes has a Scotland-based observation about whether baked potatoes are stuffed or dressed. Seems straightforward, innit? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
352: 'Wolf-Inspired' Robot
Listener Santiago wonders if a ‘wolf-inspired’ vehicle from Kawasaki is a robot, a metal horse, or just a vehicle. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
351: Cobot
Listener Paul has heard the term “cobot” to refer to “collaborative robots,” but can a robot that requires a human to function really be a robot? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
350: Pasta Sauce
Listener Griffin wonders what you could put on pasta that would arguably make it a sauce. John probably considers this sacrilege, but here we are. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
349: Video Game
Listeners Mark and Matt wants to know if everything on a screen is a video game. Jason ponders the idea that a PDF printout of a crossword puzzle could be a video game. John says that he is being silly and he should take these questions more seriously. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
348: Colloquial Robot
Listener Matt has caught John in a trap, because once on ATP John referred to something as a robot that is not a robot. Does John use his own definitions in real life? Are podcasts real life? What is the meaning of this?! John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 and what sort of pizza it provides to the people of Colorado. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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 Jason Snell.
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.
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.
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.
338: Facial Hair
Listener Justin tries to get us to stretch the definition of “facial hair” beyond the beard. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
336: Building
Listener Jack wants to know if a few famous gates and statues are also buildings. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
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.
333: Scrolling
Listener Scott’s wife sure has a strange definition of which way is up. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
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.
330: Sleigh
The difference between a slegh and a sled. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
328: Hoodie
Stephen Hackett has called us out and requests John’s ruling. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
327: Blogs
What’s a blog, and what’s a news outlet? Are Jason and John bloggers? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
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.
324: Landscaper
Who scapes the lands? Who gardens the gardens? Who mows and who blows? Not us! John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
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.
321: Glass
Can a drinking glass be made out of plastic? Or is it just a cup? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
320: Parasol
Summer is in full swing, so Listener Ken has asked us to differentiate between umbrellas and parasols. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
319: Market
Listener Marc ponders the “VR headset market” and wants to know what makes a market a market. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
318: Charger
Listener Eric really needs his kids to differentiate between charger blocks and charging cables. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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 Snell.
316: Spacesuits
Listener Lorne asks what makes a spacesuit a spacesuit, and it gets complicated in a hurry. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
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.
313: Tech
Listener Jason (not host Jason) wants to know if “non-tech items” are really tech items. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
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.
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.
309: Flying
Listeners Joshua and Matthias want to know about flying in (or on) an airplane. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
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.
306: Roomba-like Items
In the end, the Grain Weevils and robot lawn mowers come for us all. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
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.
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.
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.
301: Fan/Light
Listener Patrick is concerned about taxonomy, most particularly involving fans that are also lights. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
299: Window
I can see clearly now. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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.
297: Relay Podcastathon Special 2024
Live from the Relay Podcastathon, Jason and special guest Casey Liss ask John a bunch of questions from the Robot Or Not question list. Topics include: All-In-One computers, dates, pasta, and antique vs. retro. It’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Please consider donating as a part of our campaign at stjude.org/relay. John Siracusa and Jason Snell with Casey Liss.
296: Catchphrase
Oh, Listener Sean wants to know about catchphrases! Well, isn’t that special? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
295: Homepods and Other Robots (or Not)
In a rare timely episode, John and Jason discuss a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that Apple is designing a series of robots, including a “robot” that sits on a table and moves its display around, and a “robot” that follows you around your house folding laundry, reminding you of your mortality, and possibly running a viral campaign for Apple TV+ shows. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
294: Double Space
Listener Daniel would like John’s blessing for his practice of putting two spaces after every sentence he types. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
293: Severe Weather
Listener Arne received a severe weather alert for a fire. Fires are very bad, but are they weather? Are some natural disasters weather, and others not? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
292: Tea
Is “truffle mushroom tea” just a soup? Did a fancy New York restaurant play a trick on Listener David and his wife? And what is tea, really? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
291: Hawaiian Shirts
Are Hawaiian shirts just fun to wear, or are they cultural appropriation? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
290: Airport Wheelchair
Listener Erik sent us this video of self-navigating wheelchairs in the Miami Airport. Does the Roomba Rule apply? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
289: Vending Machine
Friend of the show Frank is seeking to delineate when something is a “vending machine” and when it’s just a machine that vends. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
288: El Camino
Thanks to Friend of the Show Casey, we’re talking about weird cars and car classes again. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
287: Autonomous Excavator
Listener Ivan sent in a link to an autonomous excavator that assembled a six-foot wall out of rocks. Is it the Roomba of construction materials?! John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
286: Dishwashing Methods
A tale of dishwashers and large sinks. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
285: Theme Songs / Skip Intro
We follow up on some feedback about our theme songs, and theme songs in general, while taking on whether we use the Skip Intro button when we should be listening to TV theme songs. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
284: ⚾️ Robot Umps ⚾️
It’s baseball’s Opening Day, so here’s our discussion of automated balls and strikes, also known as “Robot Umps,” how they relate to automated Hawk-Eye tennis calls, and why we won’t ever know how good human umpires could actually be. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
283: (Pizza) Pie
Fresh out of the oven for Pi Day, here’s a discussion of who exactly thinks pizza is a pie. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
282: Places You've Been
Do you have to leave the airport or get out of the car to claim you’ve been somewhere? (And are you under oath?) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
281: Killer Robot
Listener Kent is building actual killer robots. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
280: Hat
What makes a hat a hat? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
279: Streets
I want to run, I want to hide, I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside. Sometimes the streets have no name, but other times they are named roads, or avenues, or boulevards, or drives. What does it all mean? Does Jason live on a road or a drive? When we go there, we go there with you. It’s all we can do. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
278: Spatula
Spatulas, scrapers, flippers, and home economics. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
277: Coffee
A question about cold brew coffee makes us question everything about coffee. Is everything coffee? Probably not. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
276: Italian Ice
A perfectly normal discussion of Italian Ice takes a left turn and goes into outer space, where other ices are available. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
275: Musician
When is someone a musician? Are DJs musicians? And more importantly, are John and Jason musicians? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
274: Avoid All Robots
Some timely news regarding a university warning its community members to “avoid all robots.” John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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