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.
Tue, April 22, 2025
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 like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.
Mon, April 07, 2025
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 Mushroom is Given a Robot Body and Runs Wild 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.
Sat, March 22, 2025
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 Sponsors Incomparable Memberships! : Sign up, support our show, and get access to exclusive podcasts and community! This year, John Siracusa watches “Robot” with Jason and the Lazy Doctor Who gang. Show Notes & Links Risky or Not? 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.
Mon, March 10, 2025
Flying
Listeners Joshua and Matthias want to know about flying in (or on) an airplane. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Sponsors Incomparable Memberships! : Sign up, support our show, and get access to exclusive podcasts and community! 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.
Mon, February 24, 2025
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 other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.
Mon, February 10, 2025
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 on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.
Mon, January 27, 2025
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 episodes, and more.
Mon, January 13, 2025
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 becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.
Mon, December 30, 2024
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 Notes & Links Death Cab for Cutie-inspired theme song by Host Jason in the spirit of “Transatlanticism.” It worked better than “The New Year,” okay? 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.
Mon, December 16, 2024
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 it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.
Mon, December 02, 2024
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 Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.
Mon, November 18, 2024
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 early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.
Mon, November 04, 2024
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 network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.
Mon, October 21, 2024
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.
Mon, October 07, 2024
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 . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.
Wed, September 25, 2024
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 Show Notes & Links Relay FM for St. Jude 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.
Mon, September 16, 2024
Catchphrase
Oh, Listener Sean wants to know about catchphrases! Well, isn’t that special? 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.
Mon, September 02, 2024
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 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.
Mon, August 19, 2024
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 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.
Mon, August 05, 2024
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 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.
Mon, July 22, 2024
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 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.
Mon, July 08, 2024
Hawaiian Shirts
Are Hawaiian shirts just fun to wear, or are they cultural appropriation? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links National Geographic: It’s OK to wear an Aloha shirt 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.
Mon, June 24, 2024
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 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.
Mon, June 10, 2024
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 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.
Mon, May 27, 2024
El Camino
Thanks to Friend of the Show Casey, we’re talking about weird cars and car classes again. 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.
Thu, May 16, 2024
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 Show Notes & Links Autonomous excavator constructs a six-metre-high dry-stone wall 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.
Mon, April 29, 2024
Dishwashing Methods
A tale of dishwashers and large sinks. 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.
Mon, April 15, 2024
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 Show Notes & Links End theme lyrics written and sung by Lex Friedman. 🸠To become a member and hear all our members-only Robot Or Not bonuses, visit theincomparable.com/members . 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.
Thu, March 28, 2024
⚾️ 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 Show Notes & Links We May Never Find Out How Good Umpires Can Be 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.
Thu, March 14, 2024
(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 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.
Mon, March 04, 2024
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 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.
Mon, February 19, 2024
Killer Robot
Listener Kent is building actual killer robots. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links 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.
Mon, February 05, 2024
Hat
What makes a hat a hat? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links 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.
Mon, January 22, 2024
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 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.
Mon, January 08, 2024
Spatula
Spatulas, scrapers, flippers, and home economics. 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.
Mon, December 25, 2023
Coffee
A question about cold brew coffee makes us question everything about coffee. Is everything coffee? Probably not. 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.
Mon, December 11, 2023
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 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.
Mon, November 27, 2023
Musician
When is someone a musician? Are DJs musicians? And more importantly, are John and Jason musicians? 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.
Mon, November 13, 2023
Avoid All Robots
Some timely news regarding a university warning its community members to “avoid all robots.” John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Jason: John, I’ve got some breaking robot related news, got a link literally just half an hour ago before we recorded this. What are the chances? Because we only record this two or three times a year. From our friend Shelly, it’s a story on Ars Technica with a headline, Do Not Open Robots, warns Oregon State, amid college food delivery bomb prank. These are those college… Campus delivery robots that we said weren’t robots. And then it turns out people who were involved said they might be a little more autonomous than we thought. And so they might be robots. Anyway, I just want to read, Bomb Threat in Starship, that’s the name of the robots, Food Delivery Robots, reads the post from Oregon State University. Do not open robots. Avoid all robots until further notice. And then in a follow up post they said, We are remotely isolating robots in a safe location. And later they were put back in service because it [00:01:00] was just a prank. I just don’t know if you have any feelings about this. I enjoy being told to avoid all robots. We live in an era where somebody can dead seriously say avoid all robots until further notice. John: It’s kind of a strange phrasing. Especially with not all the qualifiers, it assumes that you understand that these robots are the kind that can be opened, like that they’re essentially containers. Right? So, not all robots can be opened in that way. Maybe you would see a warning that says, Do not open robots. No user serviceable parts inside. As in, don’t open the robots. That’s like dissecting them. They should remain closed. You wouldn’t like it if a robot opened you, would you? Jason: no. I’ve seen a movie John: not at all. In any way, probably. So, do not open robots. Yeah, do not open food delivery robots. Compartments? I guess they just wanted to cover all bases. Do not open robots. Jason: And they don’t, all robots, right? Like, I imagine these are the only robots people would come in contact with, but to be clear about it, just avoid all robots until further John: Avoid opening them. I mean, it doesn’t say not to be near them. If Jason: No, it does. It says do not open robots. Avoid all robots until further John: Okay, all right, Jason: Stay away from all John: be need some kind of perimeter like as if there’s a bomb inside like I’m avoid Do I just step to the side on the sidewalk? I’m still not safe from the the robot Jason: got to stay away from the robots. I love that we live in a world where tha
Mon, October 30, 2023
Lies
On John’s other podcast, Casey Liss often says he lied when he means he made a mistake. So what is a lie? (Trust us, we totally answer this one.) 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.
Mon, October 16, 2023
Spoiler Policy
Listener Nick wonders what John’s policy on spoilers is. (Spoilers for “Romeo and Juliet” and “Citizen Kane.”) 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.
Mon, October 02, 2023
Nachos
Hold on, John, Jason’s got this one. 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.
Tue, September 26, 2023
Relay FM Podcastathon Special
Live from the Relay FM Podcastathon, Jason and special guest Stephen Hackett ask John a bunch of questions from the Robot Or Not question list. Topics include: Toast, Roadkill, Sandwich Order of Operations, Garage, and Cereal Soup. Please donate to St. Jude and help move us one step closer to the day where no child dies from cancer. John Siracusa and Jason Snell with Stephen Hackett 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.
Mon, September 18, 2023
Sigh
Listener Jamie wonders whether his dog is really sighing. We discuss noises dogs make. Also, after posting our previous episode we realized we got the numbering of the podcast out of order. Sigh. 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.
Mon, September 04, 2023
The Worst
Listener Andrew is worried that things we say are “the worst” are really just bad. 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.
Tue, August 22, 2023
Hiatus
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 Show Notes & Links Hello Internet: On Hiatus 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.
Mon, August 07, 2023
AI Camerabot
Finally we talk about robots again. If a robot controls a camera, is it a camera robot? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links AI Camerabot video 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.
Mon, July 24, 2023
Frown
☹️ 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.
Fri, July 07, 2023
Cookie Dough
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 Show Notes & Links Cookie Dough Bites Baking a cookie from Cookie Dough ice cream 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.
Mon, June 26, 2023
Shade
This time we’re throwing shade. But do sunglasses? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links John, listener Andy wrote in to robot@theincomparable.com. You know, I say listener, maybe Andy doesn’t listen to the podcast at all, but for some reason submitted a question. I don’t want to assume, but probably a listener. Andy says, “As we head into the sunnier months of the year, I wonder what you define as shade. I think most people agree that trees and umbrellas provide shade, but do clouds provide shade? Does clothing provide shade? Does it matter if the clothing is loose like a dress or tight like pants?” Oh, Andy. “Is shade synonymous with shadows? Can something cast a shadow but not provide shade? Some people call sunglasses shades, but do they really cast a shadow?” Whoa, Andy, you blew my mind there. John, what is shade? Throw shade on Andy if you want to, by the way. So I think all of those things do provide shade, even things like clothes, no matter how tight they are, because they block some portion of the sun from things that are underneath them. It’s just not really useful to talk about because it’s so localized and not really available for any other use. You know, setting aside sunglasses as shades, glasses on your face of any kind, but especially sunglasses, do provide some small amount of shade to your face. If you don’t believe this, fall asleep while wearing them in the sun, and you’ll wake up with a weird sunburn, and some part of your face will have been shaded by the shades. I’ve had that happen with a hat. And hat is clothing, and would I say that the brim of my baseball cap provided shade for my face, the upper portion of my face? Absolutely it did. Yeah. And clouds do it too, right? You’ll notice this especially, again, the distinction is not really important until you have some particularly dense and small cloud, and it’s moving in the upper atmosphere, and you could see the shade provided by it moving. This distinction may seem silly, even if that’s not really shade, until you’re trying to sit outdoors and watch a concert, and somebody has the seat that’s three feet away from you, it’s in the shade of a cloud, and you don’t have it, and you’re roasting in there better, and you’ll say, “You know what? I agree now, that is shade.” That is shade. Also, if it’s a sunny day, and you sit in the shade of a tree, and then a cloud passes over, guess what? Your shade is gone because your shade is everywhere now. It depends on how much is the tree blocking a little extra. There are degrees of shade. How many shades might there be? It’s just adding shade. It’s just adding shade collectively, and then it makes your shade less special. There’s probably at least 50 shades. Wow, that was shady. Sorry, what can you do? Support this show and other shows like it on The
Mon, June 12, 2023
Keys
If any device can open a door, is every device a key? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links John, Lister Gabriel wrote into robot@theincomparable.com, which is the right place to do this, and said, “What is a key? Is a tag that opens my house door is a key? The app that unlocks the door of my building is a key? Or just those pieces of metal are considered keys? What makes something a key?” Yeah, so the things with the, like the little, you know, a card or using your phone or stuff like that, right now, in 2023, whenever we refer to those things as a key, what we really mean is, this object acts as a key for your door. You can use your phone as the key for your door. You can use this card as the key to get into your hotel room or whatever, right? But it is some other thing, performing the function of a key, but if you were to put the object on a table and say, “What is this?” That’s a phone, that’s a card, right? Or maybe they would say that’s a key card, but still it is not a key. This distinction may disappear in 50 to 100 years, but for now, keys are keys. Now, there’s metaphorical keys, like this is the key to the thing you’re doing, or like you could have a key to like a drill bit to loosen and tighten the drill bit, which is a totally different kind of key. And there’s like key to the city, or one of those, I think the pieces of metal, like you get a church key to open a can of beer or something like, there are other kinds of key-like things. Right, but those are different. Well, the key to the city is a metaphorical key. It doesn’t actually open the city, right? But that’s the kind of key we’re talking about, but the key for opening a can or whatever, like that is a different thing. The drill bit key is a different thing. Your roller skate key, a different thing. But for the door key with the little pins and the little jagged edge and all that stuff, and however it’s done, like, only the metal, the thing that goes into a slot that you turn to open something, whether it’s the old-fashioned looking one with the two big buck teeth hanging down from a rod, or a more modern one with jaggy things, or an even more modern one with laser-cut things in the sides, those are keys. And then the things we use to perform that function that are not keys, they’re acting as keys. So your phone acts as a key, the card acts as a key, whatever. You said it would be a little while. I don’t know, I feel like this may get away from us real fast. No, the problem is the metal keys are gonna be around for so long that they’re gonna hold onto that pretty doggedly. I mean, you think about it like a phone, ‘cause a smartphone kind of is barely a phone at this point. That name has come to mean something else pretty fast. I feel like if we, it depends on how this technology is taken up, but how long before every key card and every digi
Mon, May 29, 2023
Buildings
A chair is not a house and house is not a home, but is a house a building? And what about gazebos? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links John, we were having a discussion in the Incomparable member slack. People can become a member of the incomparable sport this podcast directly. This is not meant to be a member appeal. I’m just mentioning it in passing. And the question was about a building. We were talking about, we actually played D&D honestly, and we were talking about a building and what comprises a building. And the idea is, how good does it have to be? Like, does it have to have walls to have a building? Is a gazebo a building? Is an oil derrick a building? ‘Cause it doesn’t have any rooms, it’s just a structure. When is something a structure? When is something a building? And I think the most important question of all is, yeah, is a gazebo a building? So I’m gonna say no for building on gazebo and also oil rig. It’s not so much because they don’t have walls or whatever. It’s just that, I feel like those things have specific names to identify them because they’re too far outside the definition of building. And building is, you know. Is a house a building? So here’s the thing about it. In a particular context, a house could be a building, right? In the context of a discussion about, I don’t know, taxation or land use or something, any buildings on this, whatever, then houses would fall under that. But only in that context. In a context where you’re not sort of trying to categorize distinguishing buildings from streets from stuff like that. You know, like in a more general context, you probably wouldn’t call a house a building because you would use the word house. You would say, you know, I’m the blue building on the left when you’re coming down the street. If you said that, people will be looking for a blue building. They wouldn’t be looking for a blue house. And what’s the difference? In that context, building is a big rectangular thing with a flat roof, right? That maybe is more than one story, maybe not. But like, it’s not a house. It’s not like, even though in the other context, when they were talking about zoning or whatever, then houses definitely were buildings. And then gazebos and stuff, you have things like outbuildings, right? Ah, yes. The subcategory of buildings that are, yeah. Ancillary satellite buildings, which may be less building-like than the main building, but probably still aren’t gazebos. So yeah, I’m gonna say no, a gazebo is not a building except in specific contexts where it’s important to lump everything together. Like there is the broad definition of building, but I think that’s not used in most contexts. Yeah, so I just looked this up in the dictionary and it says a structure with a roof and walls, such as a house, school, store, or factory. But I think that while you can use
Mon, May 15, 2023
Dish v. Plate (revisited)
Jason’s trip to his mother’s house makes him rethink his definition of what a dish is. Also, he gets some upsetting news about the long-term relationship between the fork and the spoon. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links “Robot Or Not? (Boardwalk Mix)” performed by Lex Friedman (feat. Jason Snell). Parody lyrics by Jason and Lex. 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.
Mon, May 01, 2023
Ports
Don’t anthromorphize ports. They hate that. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Jason: John, listener Chris wants to know about plugs. He writes, “I’ve been taught that computer cables and ports are gendered to identify each side of the connection. The male end refers to the tab or protuberance and the female end is the cavity that receives the tab. For example, in the Lightning connection on Apple products, the cable is the male end and the devices contain the female end, except for the general one, Apple Pencil, which has a male end on it and came packaged with an adapter.” Lots of adapters out there these days. What do you think about this? And I will throw in an alternate, which is: I often in my writing about tech will refer to ports and jacks instead of using gender terms about it. I don’t know how you feel about all of that, but sometimes you do need to explain this. And then there’s the added complexity of USB-C, which also came up, which is the idea that at USB-C there’s like a protuberance inside the port that the cable goes around. And so there’s a question of what that even is. John: Yeah, so using, you know, it’s extremely gender normative to try to use male and female terms for computer ports. And it really doesn’t make much sense and also sort of reveals a kind of preoccupation with sexual intercourse that is not relevant to the technology world. Like, of all the things that you might use as an analogy for a thing that is a hole and a thing that goes into the hole, you know, the minds of humans, because we’re so driven by our reproductive drive to pass on our genes or whatever, goes right to sexual intercourse and then of course goes right to gender normative and say, “And therefore I’m going to say the thing that goes in is necessarily male, and the thing that it goes into is necessarily female.” So it is problematic on multiple levels and representative of sort of the most base lizard brain kind of, you know, evolutionary—not going to say evolutionary garbage because without it we wouldn’t be where we are—but concerns of a lower life form, let’s say, because lots of living beings have a drive to reproduce. If we didn’t, they wouldn’t be around, because you kind of need a drive to reproduce to reproduce, and if you don’t reproduce you’re not around anymore. And we have that too in spades, but it is not the appropriate analogy for a more enlightened species that understands that the gender binary and gender normative things doesn’t reflect the world as it is. It is a vast simplification that is not useful, and it is harmful to perpetuate that by saying, “This analogy is so useful and so well understood and so obviously true that we were going to apply it to the technology world, therefore reinforcing the idea that this is obvious and true and any deviati
Mon, April 17, 2023
Beach
Where do beaches exist? And what materials do they need to be comprised of? 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.
Mon, April 03, 2023
Island
The difference between islands and continents, and also why Pluto can be a planet if you want to lower your standards. 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.
Mon, March 20, 2023
Stepmom
Sometimes they’re wicked, sometimes not. Can an adult call a parent’s new wife a stepmom? Bonus: Can you be too old to be an orphan? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links John, listener Alesh wants to know, Alesh writes, “A certain person I know refers to her stepmom, someone her father married after she was an adult and living alone. This sounds odd to me. My intuition is that something like 16 is the tipping point. If my parents had divorced and one of them had remarried after that age, that’d just be my dad’s new wife or whatever, even if they had some limited parental type authority over me.” What’s the line for calling somebody a step parent? I think this person is working through some issues in their Robot or Not letter. I’m going to toss in another term on top of it too, which is orphans, right? Because there’s obviously a dividing line there. It involves this concept of sort of like words you use involving parents when you’re a child versus when you’re an adult. There’s that line in, is it “City Slickers” maybe I want to say, where the two old men, their parent dies and they’re like, “We’re orphans now,” because it’s silly. It’s ridiculous, that’s not what an orphan is. It’s a child who’s lost both of its parents. So step parent strikes me as being a little like that, right? If you’re a full-fledged adult and one of your parents gets divorced and marries somebody else, is it a little weird to say, “Oh, that’s my stepmom,” or not? So I’m mostly with you in orphan, except, before I get on to the stepmom thing, except for the case where I think there is a useful and used purpose for the word orphan in it is the single word description of somebody whose parents are not alive, right? And that sometimes it is useful to use that word to describe an adult, because you just need a compact way to say, “This is a person whose parents aren’t alive.” Even then, I think it implies that they died when they were young. We don’t have another word for it, and sometimes you want the single word. If someone said that, you would say definitionally, that’s not wrong. It is just odd. But yes, for the most part, you’re not using that. But stepmother, on the other hand, has no age limits whatsoever. It is simply that the step is in there to explain, “This is not my actual mother. It is somebody that my father married.” And that does not have any time limits. It doesn’t mean you need to call them mom. You don’t need to call them stepmom, but that’s what they are, because they married your father and there is no age limit. It doesn’t mean they have any control over your life. I still call my mother my mother, and she doesn’t even live in the same state, right? She’s not controlling anything. Well, you know. Yeah. The title of father or mother, with or without the step, doesn’t have any
Mon, March 06, 2023
Ice
Listener Chris clues us into an important ice safety campaign . John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links John, listener Christopher would like to know, he sent us a picture of ice, bagged ice from the store, and on it in the corner is a little logo from some ice association that says, “Ice is food!” John, is ice food? Thank you, Chris says, for bringing clarity to the universe. Thank you, listener Christopher. Is ice food? My first point of contention is whether or not this little thing on the package says ice is food. I believe it says ice is foodl. Because there’s no space between the dot and the stem on that exclamation point. Maybe it’s like a bag wrinkled and I can’t see it? Is that what’s going on? No, I think it’s printed badly on thin plastic and so the ink is kind of oozed. Yeah, well, so maybe they’re trying to say ice is foodl. They’re either getting around some sort of FDA thing where they can’t say it’s food. So no, technically it says ice is foodi or foodl. And they can define foodi or foodl or whatever they want, but no, ice is not food. Ice is kind of definitionally not food when you talk about the things you need. You need food and water. Ice is water. It’s just water in a different form. So I think the reason this is trying to say that ice is food on the package is because ice for human consumption has to meet the same requirements as food, meaning it can’t be filled with contaminants. It needs to be safe for you to consume without anything bad happening to you. So in that sense, they’re trying to say, just keep in mind, it’s not just a matter of finding a bunch of water and making it cold. We have to make sure that if you eat this, nothing bad will happen to you. And so we have to make sure there are no germs in it, and there are no little pieces of insects. Or those will probably be fine, but there’s a lot of certain amount of insect pieces. I’ve actually done some research here. It is safeice.org. It is the International Packaged Ice Association. “All ice should be this good.” And their point here is that it is treated like food, as you said, that it’s appropriate for human consumption. Apparently some ice is not done. So like they never touch, no human hands touch the ice at any point. It’s safe to consume. There’s a little sticker so that you don’t have like contaminated ice. They have a picture of one of those hotel ice makers with the metal scoop. And they’re like, “Watch out, that could be unsafe ice.” So this is apparently a whole thing about ice machines and safe ice and all that. It’s at safeice.org. That seems to be what they mean about ice as food, is ice as food and therefore should be treated so that it doesn’t make yo
Mon, February 20, 2023
Shoes
Shoes, socks, sandals, boots. Footwear is complicated. 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.
Mon, February 06, 2023
University
What makes a university? Is it the buildings, or the people, or the big hole you throw money into? 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.
Mon, January 23, 2023
Friend of the Show
Listener Rob and Listener Reiner, who are not Director Rob Reiner, want to know if they are Friends of the Show. 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.
Mon, January 09, 2023
Happy New Year
Are we too late to say it? 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.
Mon, December 26, 2022
Roomba Update
Some deeper questions about whether certain Roomba behavior makes it more or less of a robot. 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.
Mon, December 12, 2022
Blaine the Mono
Blaine is a pain, and that is the truth. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Referenced Works The Dark Tower (series) [ Amazon ] [ Apple ] Show Notes & Links Blaine the Mono (Dark Tower wiki) Nozz-A-La 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.
Mon, November 28, 2022
The Follow-Up Episode
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 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.
Mon, November 14, 2022
Garlic
Is garlic a vegetable, an herb, a spice, or what? 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.
Mon, October 31, 2022
Undead Zombie Spider Robots
Spooky! John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Death Metal theme by Antony Johnston. Scientists Turned Dead Spiders Into Undead Zombie Robots 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.
Mon, October 17, 2022
Werewolves
If you’re a werewolf, are you a werewolf all the time? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Cal Dress Your Pet Contest 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.
Mon, October 03, 2022
House or Boat?
It’s a house, but it floats. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links 'Our house is really a boat' 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.
Mon, September 19, 2022
Wheels and Doors
Sometimes, everyone on the Internet wants John’s opinion. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Doors vs Wheels debate 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.
Mon, September 05, 2022
A Group of Robots
When robots flock together naturally, will humans give them a name? Or will we be too busy dying? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links 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.
Mon, August 22, 2022
Voltron
Many robots, one robot, or no robots? 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.
Mon, August 08, 2022
Holes in a Straw
Topology can be tricky. 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.
Mon, July 25, 2022
Monolith
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 Show Notes & Links Mysterious monoliths 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.
Mon, July 11, 2022
Electronic vs. Electric
When is something electronic, and when is it electric? 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.
Mon, June 27, 2022
Cameos
Is that just a really short acting part, or is it only a cameo? 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.
Mon, June 13, 2022
Stay-at-Home Moms
We salute all Moms, no matter their classification. 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.
Mon, May 30, 2022
Robot Loathing
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 Show Notes & Links Russian Robot Deactivated 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.
Mon, May 16, 2022
Pasta Draft
A bunch of baseball writers drafted pastas . John has thoughts. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Sponsors Incomparable Memberships! : Sign up, support our show, and get access to exclusive podcasts! Show Notes & Links The baseball writer pasta draft 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.
Mon, May 02, 2022
Magnetic Slime
Does texture matter when it comes to robots? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Sponsors Incomparable Memberships! : Sign up, support our show, and get access to exclusive podcasts! Show Notes & Links Robot made of magnetic slime could grab objects inside your body 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.
Mon, April 18, 2022
Stillsuits
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 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.
Mon, April 04, 2022
CAPTCHAs of South African "robots"
Select all ROBOT RELATED PODCASTS. If there are none, click Stop. 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.
Mon, March 21, 2022
Accents
John has one, but also doesn’t have one. Mary married some merry carrots. 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.
Mon, March 07, 2022
Friendship
Listener Ashley wants to know about the true meaning of friendship. 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.
Mon, February 21, 2022
America
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 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.
Mon, February 07, 2022
Semi-Homemade Cooking with John Siracusa
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 Show Notes & Links Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee 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.
Mon, January 24, 2022
Email, and Preparing the Way (for Roombas)
Jason starts to ask John a question, but everything gets derailed. 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.
Mon, January 10, 2022
Car
What makes a car a car, and not a truck, or an SUV, or a crossover? 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.
Mon, December 27, 2021
Next Wednesday
When is Next Wednesday? Is it Wednesday? Or the Wednesday after that? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Seinfeld: "The Alternate Side" 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.
Mon, December 13, 2021
Money
What makes something money? Is gold money? Is Bitcoin? 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.
Mon, November 29, 2021
Sundays
Do Sundays start the week, or end it? When does the week end, and is that the weekend? 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.
Mon, November 15, 2021
Cooking
What’s cooking? Is making tea cooking? John’s answers may surprise you. They certainly surprised Jason. 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.
Mon, November 01, 2021
Popcorn
The proper way to eat popcorn. 🿠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.
Mon, October 18, 2021
Camping
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 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.
Mon, October 04, 2021
Photo
Listener Beth seeks enlightenment about what makes something a photo. 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.
Mon, September 20, 2021
Floating Bridge
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 Show Notes & Links Bridge or Ferry? 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.
Tue, September 07, 2021
Grocery Robot Swarm
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 Show Notes & Links Tom Scott: How Many Robots Does It Take to Run a Grocery Store? 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.
Mon, August 16, 2021
A Criterion of Data
Singular or plural? 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.
Mon, August 02, 2021
Religious or Spiritual
When you see an org chart and money changes hands, your spirituality has become something else. 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.
Mon, July 19, 2021
Daylight Saving Time
Should we really spring forward and fall back? 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.
Mon, July 05, 2021
Dishwasher
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 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.
Mon, June 21, 2021
Rules for Watching TV
Do you always start watching at the beginning? And do you have to watch till the end? 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.
Mon, June 07, 2021
Burrito, Part 2 (Qdoba v. Panera)
The strange case of the burrito sandwich. 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.
Mon, May 24, 2021
Dog-Shaped Dogs
What is the shape of a dog? 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.
Mon, May 10, 2021
Self-Driving Cars, Part 2
Tim Cook thinks that self-driving cars are robots. Does John want to revisit his opinion? 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.
Tue, April 27, 2021
Pandemic Changes (or not)
Has the pandemic made John reconsider some of his previous rulings? (One guess.) 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.
Mon, April 05, 2021
Relish
Not all pickles are pickles, and not all relish is pickle relish. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Branston Pickle 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.
Mon, March 22, 2021
Pots and Pans
What divides pots from pans? 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.
Mon, March 08, 2021
Peanut Butter
Chances are pretty good that the peanut butter you eat is terrible. 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.
Mon, February 22, 2021
Bagel Update
A very unfortunate bagel on either side of the Atlantic. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Paul Hollywood, what have you done? Washington Post: The Most Controversial Bagel in Brooklyn 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.
Mon, February 08, 2021
Books
Is a book a bound, printed collection of pages, or is it something more? 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.
Mon, January 25, 2021
Apocalypse
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 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.
Mon, January 11, 2021
Microscopic "Robots"
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!) John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links 'Making robots microscopic' 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.
Thu, December 24, 2020
Christmas Special
In the spirit of the season, we discuss when a Christmas tree is dead. (Thanks to Listener Darran.) Christmas tree death 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.
Mon, December 14, 2020
Soda
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.) 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.
Mon, November 30, 2020
Indoors
When are we indoors and when are we outdoors? And where do tents fit in? 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.
Mon, November 16, 2020
Video
Is a GIF a video? (Incomparable members also get a bonus episode about movie studio logos, released today.) 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.
Mon, November 02, 2020
Child
When is a child no longer a child? 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.
Mon, October 19, 2020
Henge
When the definition escapes its antecedent. 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.
Mon, October 05, 2020
Puppet
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 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.
Mon, September 21, 2020
Backup Brain
If we clone your body and transfer your memories to it, is it you? 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.
Mon, September 07, 2020
Game
The universe is Candy Land. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Sponsors Incomparable Memberships! : Sign up, support this show, and get some fun extra stuff. 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.
Mon, August 24, 2020
Pillow
You can use this podcast as a pillow, if you like, but it’s still not a pillow. 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.
Tue, August 11, 2020
What We're Owed
When a book series hasn’t completed, what does the author owe 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, bonus episodes, and more.
Mon, July 27, 2020
Reboot
Beginning in this episode, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto will be portraying John and Jason. Or not. 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.
Mon, July 13, 2020
The Cloud
Is The Cloud just Other People’s Computers? Watch out for Cloud Men! John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links "James and the Giant Peach" 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.
Mon, June 29, 2020
Gum
Most people aren’t eating light bulbs. 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.
Mon, June 15, 2020
Blanket
Listener James sends us a special message from beneath his blanket. 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.
Mon, June 01, 2020
Indie Developer
What’s an Indie Developer, and is John one now? What does it mean to be “indie?” John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Theme by Listener Andrew. 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.
Mon, May 18, 2020
Slots and Ports
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 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.
Mon, May 04, 2020
Working From Home
Whatever this is called, a lot of us are doing it these days. 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.
Mon, April 20, 2020
Camera
My other car is also a camera. 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.
Mon, April 06, 2020
Tabs
Tabs or spaces? AFTERSHOW: Commas. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Theme song: Host Jason. 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.
Mon, March 23, 2020
Grocery Store
But what if they also sell shampoo there? 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.
Mon, March 09, 2020
Morning
Morning has broken, like the first… morning? 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.
Mon, February 24, 2020
Walking Distance
It’s within walking distance. How far is that? 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.
Mon, February 10, 2020
Swipe Right
Where does your finger go when you “swipe right”? 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.
Mon, January 27, 2020
Beard
When is it stubble and when is it more? 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.
Mon, January 13, 2020
Reading
It’s fundamental, yes. But is it something you can do with your ears? 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.
Mon, December 30, 2019
River
When is a body of water a river? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Does this count as the world's shortest river? 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.
Mon, December 16, 2019
Soup, Part II
Is soup a drink? What separates liquids from food? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Our first episode about soup 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.
Mon, December 02, 2019
Dish
From dish to plate to bowl. 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.
Mon, November 18, 2019
City
Does it all come down to the U.S. Postal Service? 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.
Mon, November 04, 2019
Burgers
And do sliders have to slide? 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.
Mon, October 21, 2019
Augmented Reality
An Accidental AR podcast. 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.
Mon, October 07, 2019
Pet Names
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 Snell Show Notes & Links 2019 Name of the Year Bracket (Deadspin) 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.
Mon, September 23, 2019
Smart Devices
Where do we draw the line between a regular device and a “smart” device? 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.
Mon, September 09, 2019
Leftovers
When does a meal turn into leftovers? 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.
Mon, August 26, 2019
Cover Version
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 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.
Wed, August 14, 2019
Family
What constitutes family? Blood relatives only? Are friends family? Are co-workers family? Can you escape your family? 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.
Mon, July 29, 2019
Doors
What about when they’re ajar? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Reference acknowledged. 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.
Mon, July 15, 2019
Storefronts
Select all the STOREFRONTS to prove that you’re a human. 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.
Mon, July 01, 2019
Bacon
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 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.
Tue, June 11, 2019
Campus Delivery Robots
Prompted by a note from Listener Zach, we discuss the trend of “autonomous food delivery vehicles” on college campuses. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Opening Theme by Listener Craig. Nothing's gonna stop them now 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.
Mon, June 03, 2019
Pants
The entire conversation is pants. (The Brits will get that.) 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.
Mon, May 20, 2019
Board Games
How much board is required? 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.
Mon, May 06, 2019
Combination Restaurants
We’ll see you at the Carl’s Jr./Green Burrito/KFC/Taco Bell. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Theme song by Listener Luke . (Is it a cover or not?) 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.
Mon, April 15, 2019
TV and Movies
When is it a TV show and when is it a movie? It’s confusing. 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.
Mon, April 01, 2019
American Food
It all goes back to Mesopotamia. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Thanks to Listener Beth for the question and Listener Chris for the theme song. 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.
Mon, March 18, 2019
Live Action
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”? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Sponsors Incomparable Memberships! : Sign up, help support this show, and get some fun bonus material. Show Notes & Links Thanks to Listener Perry for the theme song and Listener Joe Steel for the question. 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.
Mon, March 04, 2019
Milk
Legal news: Is Almond Milk milk? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links 'Almonds Don't Lactate' 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.
Mon, February 18, 2019
"Chick Flick"
What is a “Chick Flick”? Let’s start off by taking apart the term itself. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Theme by Listener Stuart! Hello Internet: 11 Pipers Piping 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.
Mon, February 04, 2019
Marty the Supermarket Robot
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? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Marty the Robot enters supermarkets Happy Fun Ball 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.
Mon, January 21, 2019
Simulated Universe
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 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.
Mon, January 07, 2019
Hacker
Do hackers do good, or bad, or both? 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.
Mon, December 24, 2018
Cult
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.” Merry Christmas, everybody! 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.
Mon, December 10, 2018
GIF
Choosy mothers pronounce it differently. 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.
Mon, November 26, 2018
Database
Where spreadsheets and databases collide. 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.
Mon, November 12, 2018
Soup
“You haven’t done soup yet, have you?” 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.
Mon, October 29, 2018
Phones
Smartphones, dumb phones, feature phones, and computers in your pocket. 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.
Mon, October 15, 2018
Toasters
Slot toasters, toaster ovens, and the definitions thereof. 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.
Mon, October 01, 2018
Podcasting
What makes something a podcast? OMG, are we one?! 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.
Mon, September 17, 2018
Bread
Bread is bread, but what about hot dog buns, bagels, tortillas, and pitas? 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.
Mon, September 03, 2018
Planets, and also Pluto
John is given the opportunity to endorse or reject the rulings of the International Astronomical Union. 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.
Mon, August 20, 2018
Job Security
John’s worked (and left) a lot of jobs. What’s his personal philosophy about job security versus going it alone as an independent? 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.
Mon, August 06, 2018
Nerds and Geeks
The subtle and vexing difference between a nerd and a geek. 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.
Mon, July 23, 2018
Programming
What is computer programming? And what doesn’t qualify? 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.
Mon, July 09, 2018
Reality TV
When is a game show a game show, and when is it reality television? Also, we reveal our favorite reality TV show. 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.
Mon, June 25, 2018
Personal Computers
Is a Mac a PC? Is an iPad a computer? Does John favor a broad definition or a narrow one? 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.
Mon, June 11, 2018
Gnocchi
What makes pasta pasta? Pasta existentialism 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.
Mon, May 28, 2018
Seasons
The conundrum of seasons versus eternally pleasant weather. Endless mildness? 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.
Mon, May 14, 2018
Savory Donuts
Bagels are not donuts, people. What about a bacon donut? 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.
Mon, April 30, 2018
Sweaters
Listener Ed, we’ve got bad news. It's all unraveling 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.
Mon, April 16, 2018
Pets
What makes an animal a pet? Do chickens count? 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.
Mon, April 02, 2018
The Midwest
Did both of Jason’s parents both come from the Midwest, or only one? What are the true boundaries of America’s heartland? What are the boundaries? 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.
Mon, March 19, 2018
Potato Chips
From Sour Cream & Onion to BBQ, what are the “real” potato chip flavors? Canonical flavors John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links The alchemy of novelty potato chip flavors 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.
Mon, March 05, 2018
Vacation
If you don’t go anywhere, is it a vacation? What if you go somewhere, but you don’t relax? And what about Staycations? 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.
Mon, February 19, 2018
Cheesecake
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? Not a pie John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Top Four 35: Pies 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.
Wed, February 07, 2018
The Trolley Problem
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? Ethical problems John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Trolley Problem (wikipedia) 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.
Mon, January 22, 2018
Janet from "The Good Place"
Never believe what a robot tells you. Not a woman. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Referenced Works The Good Place Show Notes & Links This episode’s theme courtesy of Andrew Brehaut. 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.
Mon, January 08, 2018
Night (bark) Joggers (bark)
A dog interlude. Woof! 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.
Mon, December 25, 2017
Holidays and Holiday Movies
What makes a movie a holiday movie? How do they celebrate winter holidays in warm climates? Merry Christmas to all, especially in Australia! Ho, ho, ho 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.
Mon, December 11, 2017
Death
Okay, time to call it. Time of death— wait, wait, everybody hold on. How do we define death? This is the big one 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.
Mon, November 27, 2017
Life
How can we call something alive? It's made of Life Stuff 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.
Mon, November 13, 2017
Ice Cream
It would seem like ice cream versus frozen yogurt would be the main debate. But the pronunciation of a third competitor completely derails us. There's only one R in Sherbet 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.
Tue, October 31, 2017
Brunch
We discuss the names of meals and when they happen, and make an interesting(?) digression into human sleep cycles. Meal times and sleep times 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.
Mon, October 16, 2017
Salad
From leafy greens to sugary Jell-O concoctions, all sorts of things are called salads. Fruit Salad? Yummy yummy. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Fruit Salad (Yummy Yummy) - The Wiggles 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.
Mon, October 02, 2017
Barbecue
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. BBQ 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.
Mon, September 18, 2017
Smoothie
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. Will it blend? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Reconcilable Differences #60: Anything Can Be a Smoothie 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.
Mon, September 04, 2017
Art
I don’t know what it is, but I know it when I see it. But is it art? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Oath of the Horatii Roger Ebert: Video games can never be art Roger Ebert: Okay, kids, play on my lawn 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.
Mon, August 21, 2017
Donuts
We don’t know quite what an old-fashioned donut is, but we know what we like… and what we don’t. Two blind men describe an elephant. 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.
Mon, August 07, 2017
Artificial Intelligence
What makes machine intelligence “real AI”? And what is the difference between strong and weak AI? When is a machine truly intelligent? 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.
Mon, July 24, 2017
Anime and Kaiju
The very definition of video entertainment from Japan. What defines Anime? 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.
Mon, July 10, 2017
Sport
What makes something a sport, and not an exercise or a game? Baseball? Is not sport, is game. 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.
Mon, June 26, 2017
Condiments and Favorite Foods
Exploring Jason’s favorite food, what a “favorite food” even is, and the hazy dividing line between condiments and other edibles. Ketchup or Peanut Butter? 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.
Mon, June 12, 2017
Science Fiction
What’s science fiction? And more importantly, is Star Wars science fiction, fantasy, or something else? Sci-Fi or Fantasy? 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.
Mon, May 29, 2017
Computer Chips
Is everything a computer chip? Is nothing a computer chip? Jason thinks this is gonna be good. John thinks it’s obvious. Microchips. Not potato chips. 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.
Mon, May 15, 2017
Canonical Bagel Flavors
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. Bialys! John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Canonical Bagel Flavors (Hypercritical) 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.
Tue, May 02, 2017
Pizza Toppings
What toppings are allowed on pizza? And what about using a knife and fork to eat pizza? There are many rules. Canonical pizza toppings 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.
Mon, April 17, 2017
Pizza
John weighs in on what makes something a pizza, including the horror of the Turkey Dinner Pizza. You have left Pizza Country. 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.
Mon, April 03, 2017
Sandwiches
Exploring what makes a sandwich, while also discussing the history of food, sandwiches as satire, and the difference between llamas and camels. What is a sandwich? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Sponsors Incomparable memberships : Sign up and get bonus goodies! 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.
Mon, March 20, 2017
Supervillains
John helps Jason figure out the precise moment when a villain becomes a supervillain. How super is my villain? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Inspired by episode 325 of The Incomparable, the Supervillain/Monster draft 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.
Mon, March 06, 2017
The Robot
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.) At long last... the end? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Robot or Not 0: Where It All Began The Incomparable Robot Draft 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.
Mon, February 27, 2017
Your Hosts
Are John and Jason robots? All will be revealed! John Siracusa and Jason Snell themselves. 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.
Mon, February 20, 2017
Human Beings
Could it be? Are we all robots? 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, bonus episodes, and more.
Mon, February 13, 2017
Captchas
What does a robot do when it gets to a web page with a checkbox that says “I’m not a robot”? Fill in the blank. 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.
Mon, February 06, 2017
The Gate at Jabba's Palace
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? Gatekeeper droid or door? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Gatekeeper Droid 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.
Mon, January 30, 2017
Autonomous Sailboats
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? Roomba of the Sea? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links No Sailors Needed: Saildrones 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.
Mon, January 23, 2017
Shardik
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. A monster from the Dark Tower John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Shardik 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.
Mon, January 16, 2017
Nintendo R.O.B.
Game controller, robot, or total embarrassment? Nintendo's Robotic Operating Buddy John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links R.O.B. 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.
Mon, January 09, 2017
Pronunciation
ˈrÅËŒbät or rÅbÉ™t? Robutt or not? 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.
Mon, January 02, 2017
Naked Robotic Core
An unadorned iPhone can be a Naked Robotic Core, but is it a robot? iPhone, Unadorned 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.
Mon, December 26, 2016
Mechagodzilla
Look who was under the tree! It’s a giant mechanical monster! John loves him. 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.
Mon, December 19, 2016
Battlebots
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? They fight! 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.
Mon, December 12, 2016
School Babies and CPR Dummies
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? Educational toys or robots? 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.
Mon, December 05, 2016
K5 Mall Robot
It patrols the mall. Sometimes it knocks over small children. Does it follow Asimov's laws? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Mall security bot knocks down toddler, breaks Asimov's first law of robotics Knightscope K5 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.
Mon, November 28, 2016
The Hosts of "Westworld"
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.) It's in the brain! 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.
Mon, November 21, 2016
The Bicentennial Man
A robot slowly turns himself human. When does he stop being a robot? Robin Williams, Isaac Asimov, and Grobycs! John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links "The Bicentennial Man" "Bicentennial Man" (film) 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.
Mon, November 14, 2016
Metal Mario
Sometimes Mario is metallic. Does that make him a robot? Do metal men dream of robot sheep? 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.
Mon, November 07, 2016
Kayaks
They are boats with paddles. What else are they? They have paddles. 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.
Mon, October 31, 2016
The Borg
Straight out of “Star Trek” come these technological villains. Also, we discuss larger issues including AIs and hive minds. You will be assimilated. 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.
Mon, October 24, 2016
The Energizer Bunny
It just keeps going, and going, and going…. Nothing outlasts the Energizer John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Energizer Bunny (Wikipedia) 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.
Mon, October 17, 2016
Tachikoma and Fuchikoma
Little cute robots from “Ghost in the Shell.” They're adorable... John Siracusa and Jason Snell Referenced Works Ghost in the Shell [ Amazon ] Show Notes & Links Tachikoma Fuchikoma 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.
Mon, October 10, 2016
SpaceX
Self-guided rockets and drone barges. Robots (or not) in space! 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.
Mon, October 03, 2016
Hot Dogs
They’re sure tasty, and it’s meat between bread, but are hot dogs sandwiches? Sandwich or Not, part 2 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.
Mon, September 26, 2016
Daft Punk
They sure look like robots. But who’s under the masks? DJs or not? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Referenced Works Tron: Legacy [ Amazon ] Show Notes & Links Daft Punk 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.
Mon, September 19, 2016
Animals in "Blade Runner"
The owl and the snake from “Blade Runner” raise some interesting questions. How do you like our owl? 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.
Mon, September 12, 2016
Bubo
A little metal owl from “Clash of the Titans.” Crafted by the gods, can he possibly be a robot? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Bubo 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.
Mon, September 05, 2016
Gort
The robot from “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, plus a long digression into Star Trek androids. She's a real woman, Jim. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links "Requiem for Methuselah" episode of "Random Trek" 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.
Mon, August 29, 2016
Cartoons
Is all animation “cartoons”? Synonym or not? 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.
Mon, August 22, 2016
Robots from "Castle in the Sky" and "The Iron Giant"
Two beloved metal creatures from animation. Two animation robots. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Referenced Works The Iron Giant [ Amazon ] Show Notes & Links Robot (Castle in the Sky) 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.
Mon, August 15, 2016
RoboCop
That “Robo” prefix is sure interesting, and he’s probably a cop, but… RoboCop John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links RoboCop 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.
Mon, August 08, 2016
The Robots of "Futurama"
Bender, Calculon, and Hedonismbot. So many robots. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Futurama 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.
Mon, August 01, 2016
Tron
He fights for the users inside a computer. Can software people be robots? Lightcycles are cool. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Tron (film) 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.
Mon, July 25, 2016
Canadarm
A fancy “robot arm” from Canada. But when is a robot arm just an arm, and when is it a robot? Oh, Canada! John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Canadarm 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.
Mon, July 18, 2016
Silicone Stingray
Part animal, part machine. But is it a robot? Timely episode! John Siracusa and Jason Snell Sponsors Zombies, Run! Virtual Race : Make running fun by outrunning zombies in a 5K or 10K. Get $5 off with offer code ROBOTORNOT . Show Notes & Links The Guardian: Meet the Robo-Ray 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.
Mon, July 11, 2016
Traffic lights in South Africa
Please obey robot. Listener David, thanks John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Listener David's tweet 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.
Mon, July 04, 2016
Serena Williams
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. Tennis or not? 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.
Mon, June 27, 2016
Rossum's Universal Robots
Karel Capek’s play that made this podcast possible. R.U.R. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links R.U.R. 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.
Mon, June 20, 2016
Animatronic Creatures
The Country Bears, Chuck E. Cheese, and the things from Five Nights at Freddy’s. Charles E. Cheese Esquire 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.
Sat, June 18, 2016
Filesystems and Flowerpot Robots
Live from RelayCon WWDC 2016, it’s a special live edition of Robot or Not.
Mon, June 13, 2016
General Grievous
He’s a droid with a cough. So what’s the deal?
Mon, June 06, 2016
Elevators
They go up, they go down. They might even go sideways from time to time. And they can be smart. But are they robots?
Mon, May 30, 2016
Inspector Gadget
Go go Gadget! Also we get off on a tangent about Penny, inspired by The Flop House.
Mon, May 23, 2016
The Doctor from "Star Trek: Voyager"
Please state the nature of the medical emergency. Can a hologram be a robot?
Mon, May 16, 2016
Synths
From the AMC TV series “Humans,” the lifelike Synths look like humans but don’t act like it. And they bleed a funny color.
Mon, May 09, 2016
Baymax
He’s an inflatable, medical robot from “Big Hero 6”—but can you back up your personality and still be a robot?
Mon, May 02, 2016
The Incomparable's Logo
Our own robot (or not) is in the spotlight at last.
Mon, April 25, 2016
The Tin Woodman
If he only had a heart.
Mon, April 18, 2016
T-1000
It’s made of liquid metal.
Mon, April 11, 2016
Tamagotchi
Is it even a game? What if you had a video game that featured a robot?
Mon, April 04, 2016
The Robots of "Destiny"
From Bungie’s bestselling video game, Ghosts, Exos, Rasputin, and other things that might be robots.
Mon, March 28, 2016
Lego Simulated Worm Toy
A software model of a flatworm, piloting a Lego Mindstorms toy.
Mon, March 21, 2016
The Matrix
Agents and Oracles and Architects from the “Matrix” trilogy.
Mon, March 14, 2016
Chatbots
They listen to us and talk back. But is that enough?
Mon, March 07, 2016
Replicants
Roy Batty, Pris, and all the rest. They’ve seen the Tannhauser Gate, but are they robots?
Mon, February 29, 2016
Thomas and Friends
Living rail cars in Sodor.
Mon, February 22, 2016
Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo
The bots from “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”
Mon, February 15, 2016
Nanobots
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.
Mon, February 08, 2016
The Internet of Things
Security expert Bruce Schneier said the Internet of Things was a robot, but what does John think? You can probably guess.
Mon, February 01, 2016
Daleks and Cybermen
Two enemies wrapped in metal shells from “Doctor Who” face their ultimate foe—the judgment of John Siracusa.
Mon, January 25, 2016
Prince Robot IV
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.
Mon, January 18, 2016
Burritos
This one seems to have gotten in by mistake.
Mon, January 11, 2016
Swimming Pool Cleaners
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?
Mon, January 04, 2016
Cars (from "Cars")
If the cars in Pixar’s “Cars” movies aren’t cars, what are they, and where did they come from?
Mon, December 28, 2015
Podcasts
Just in time for the holidays, some existential questions. Also, could a robot be on a podcast?
Mon, December 21, 2015
Clockwork Droids
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..?
Mon, December 14, 2015
Iron Man, Ultron, and Vision
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.
Mon, December 07, 2015
Herbie The Love Bug
A Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of his own!
Mon, November 30, 2015
Aperture Science
GlaDOS, Wheatley, turrets, cubes, spheres and more.
Mon, November 23, 2015
Vicki from "Small Wonder"
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.
Mon, November 16, 2015
Lobot
Cloud City’s majordomo from “The Empire Strikes Back” is in the spotlight.
Mon, November 09, 2015
robots.txt
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!
Mon, November 02, 2015
Twiki and Dr. Theopolis
We take you back to the days of “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” to debate the show’s two artificial sidekicks.
Mon, October 26, 2015
Johnny 5
That little guy from “Short Circuit.”
Mon, October 19, 2015
The TARDIS
The blue box from “Doctor Who” might be sentient, might be alive, but is it a robot?
Mon, October 12, 2015
V'ger
V’ger and the Ilia probe, both from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”. Also, John complains about fake skin on androids.
Mon, October 05, 2015
Cylons
The metal robots (and their fleshy successors) from the old and new “Battlestar Galactica.”
Mon, September 28, 2015
Home Appliances
What would a toaster have to do in order to be a robot? This episode introduces Siracusa’s Law, which somehow involves kitchen countertops.
Mon, September 21, 2015
Sasquatch
The bigfoot/sasquatch from “The Six Million Dollar Man.”
Mon, September 14, 2015
Space Probes
From golf carts on Mars to New Horizons flying past Pluto, these are impressive machines, but are they robots?
Mon, September 07, 2015
Hitchbot
He tried to hitch his way across the country, but was dismembered in Philadelphia. Image by archier on Flickr.
Mon, August 31, 2015
Droids
Are droids robots? Do they have rights? Is the Empire based on a robo-slave economy?
Mon, August 24, 2015
Pinocchio
Are we seriously talking about magic here?
Mon, August 17, 2015
Marvin the Paranoid Android
Your plastic pal who’s fun to be with!
Tue, August 11, 2015
Commander Data
Is an android a robot?
Mon, August 03, 2015
The Terminator
I know now why you humans cry.
Mon, July 27, 2015
Siri
So-called intelligent agents.
Mon, July 20, 2015
The Major
From “Ghost in the Shell,” a human brain in a mechanical body. And what about uploaded brains and bodies?
Mon, July 13, 2015
Jaegers
Big robots with people inside, as seen in “Shogun Warriors” and “Pacific Rim.”
Tue, July 07, 2015
Transformers
Like the song says.
Thu, July 02, 2015
USS Enterprise
The main computer of the USS Enterprise.
Mon, June 29, 2015
KITT
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.”
Thu, June 25, 2015
ASIMO
Honda’s ASIMO, Sony’s AIBO, and other cute things that can do The Robot dance. Also, our Radio Shack memories.
Mon, June 22, 2015
Assembly-Line Robots
Look for the union label.
Fri, June 19, 2015
Roomba
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?
Mon, June 15, 2015
Telepresence Robots
They’re funny, but are they robots?
Wed, June 10, 2015
Self-Driving Cars
Pondering sentient Google cars, Johnny Cab, and autopilots.
Thu, June 04, 2015
Emotions
The greatest prog rock album ever made.
Tue, June 02, 2015
K-9
John and Jason try to understand robot dogs. Plus, a trip through old “Doctor Who” episodes.
Fri, May 29, 2015
Darth Vader
Cyborgs and robots and humans—how do we tell these things apart?
Mon, May 25, 2015
Service Kiosks
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.
Fri, May 22, 2015
Mr. Roboto
We explain why we’re here, and then discuss the protagonist of Styx’s 1983 album “Kilroy Was Here.”
Tue, April 07, 2015
Origin
A flashback to past podcasts, as a way of explaining why this podcast exists.
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