Robot or Not?
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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.
Episodis Recents
353 episodis
351: Cobot
Listener Paul has heard the term “cobot” to refer to “collaborative robots,” but can a robot that requires a human to function really be a robot?
350: Pasta Sauce
Listener Griffin wonders what you could put on pasta that would arguably make it a sauce. John probably considers this sacrilege, but here we are.
349: Video Game
Listeners Mark and Matt wants to know if everything on a screen is a video game. Jason ponders the idea that a PDF printout of a crossword puzzle coul...
348: Colloquial Robot
Listener Matt has caught John in a trap, because once on ATP John referred to something as a robot that is not a robot. Does John use his own definiti...
347: Official
Unofficial Fan of “Robot or Not” Alexander wants to know what makes something official. Why are David Smith’s transcripts of The Talk Show “unofficial...
346: Pizza Wheel
Listener Ed doesn’t keep his pizza wheel in his knife, but it’s got a blade and cuts things. What makes a knife a knife?
John Siracusa and Jaso...
345: Wearable Robot
Listener Caleb saw an ergonomics assistance backpack at a trade show, advertised as a robot. Can you wear… a robot?
John Siracusa and Jason Sne...
344: Look-Up
Listener Jason used ChatGPT to find information that answered a colleague’s question. But did he “look it up?”
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
343: Pizza Robot
Live from Estes Park, Colorado, listener Kyle has eaten at a pizza place where his food was delivered via a robot! But… is it a robot, or not? After a...
342: Superhero Naming Conventions
Listener Joshua is really focused on the grammar of Superhero and Supervillain names. Is Batman a bat? Does Doctor Doom have an advanced degree? Can R...
341: Life on the Moon (and Mars?)
Listener Jack seeks a true definition of what it means when we say “humans will live on the Moon (or Mars).” Does a brief visit count? Do you need to...
340: Out of Pocket
Listener Tom really wants us to explain what it means if someone is “out of pocket.” This leads to some existential questions about the pocket and the...
339: Can
Listener Niels follows on from the logical question of if a glass can be made of plastic to ponder what makes a can a can.
John Siracusa and Ja...
338: Facial Hair
Listener Justin tries to get us to stretch the definition of “facial hair” beyond the beard.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
337: Shirt
Listener Roy brings us into his debate with his teenage son about what makes a shirt a shirt.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
336: Building
Listener Jack wants to know if a few famous gates and statues are also buildings.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
335: Pop-Tart Pie
Listener Gregory thinks Pop-Tarts are pies. We have ratio questions. Also: We remember so many burned palates caused by calzones and McDonald’s fruit...
334: Open-Faced Sandwiches and French Bread Pizzas
Listener Gregory tries to confuse us with a question about open-faced sandwiches and pizza. We largely ignore him and talk about different ways to eat...
333: Scrolling
Listener Scott’s wife sure has a strange definition of which way is up.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
332: Basement
Listener Joel has discovered some Canadians referring to the first floor of a two-story house as a “basement.” Does this defy all reason? How low must...
331: Supercars and Hypercars
Host John Siracusa asks himself to discuss the difference between Supercars and Hypercars, while Jason looks on.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
329: Charger follow-up
Listener William challenges our ruling about chargers and we get deep into the weeds of car charging.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
328: Hoodie
Stephen Hackett has called us out and requests John’s ruling.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
327: Blogs
What’s a blog, and what’s a news outlet? Are Jason and John bloggers?
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
326: Spiders and Other Bugs
Listener Kev needs us to unpack John’s comment about “spiders and other bugs.” Does that mean spiders are bugs? And what are the other bugs? Spooky! <...
325: Wire
Listener Matt can’t stand it when someone calls a USB cable a wire. But what does John think?
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
324: Landscaper
Who scapes the lands? Who gardens the gardens? Who mows and who blows? Not us!
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
323: Pasta Roundup
John fields some important questions about pasta from listeners Connor, Joshua, and Lee, including the definition of Al Dente and noodles versus pasta...
322: Vehicle
Listener Eric asks if vehicles are only motorized, and we ponder how small a thing can be before it’s not a vehicle anymore.
John Siracusa and...
321: Glass
Can a drinking glass be made out of plastic? Or is it just a cup?
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
320: Parasol
Summer is in full swing, so Listener Ken has asked us to differentiate between umbrellas and parasols.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
319: Market
Listener Marc ponders the “VR headset market” and wants to know what makes a market a market.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
318: Charger
Listener Eric really needs his kids to differentiate between charger blocks and charging cables.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
317: AI Hype
Listener Christian, your time has come. Is an AI Lock the same as a Smart Lock? Or a Fuzzy Logic Lock? When bicycle gear shifters are called “AI”, how...
316: Spacesuits
Listener Lorne asks what makes a spacesuit a spacesuit, and it gets complicated in a hurry.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
315: 10th Anniversary Episode
Let’s get back to basics. We celebrate our improbable 10th anniversary with a letter from Listener Scott, who has a lot of questions about his son’s b...
314: Bay Leaf
Listener Paul doubts the efficacy of the Bay Leaf. Host John ponders the longevity of Spices. Host Jason admits to keeping spices 15 years past their...
313: Tech
Listener Jason (not host Jason) wants to know if “non-tech items” are really tech items.
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
312: Unanchored Buoys
Listener Ben asks: If a Buoy is unanchored and works hard to stay where it is, is it the Roomba of the seas?
John Siracusa and Jason Snell.