Several
6 min
Listener David asks us several questions. We have many answers, but too few. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
About the show
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.
Newest episodes
Wood-Fired Food Truck
2 min
Listener Gregory makes us wonder if pizza made, not in a truck, but in a separate wood-fired oven trailer, is a food truck… or perhaps something else? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Cobot Redux
4 min
Unlike us, Listener Jerry has spent his entire career on robots. Listener Jerry helps us understand why the term “cobot” exists, and what it really means. Thank you, Listener Jerry. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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All episodes
The newest 50 of 367 episodes
Several
6 min
Listener David asks us several questions. We have many answers, but too few. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Wood-Fired Food Truck
2 min
Listener Gregory makes us wonder if pizza made, not in a truck, but in a separate wood-fired oven trailer, is a food truck… or perhaps something else? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Cobot Redux
4 min
Unlike us, Listener Jerry has spent his entire career on robots. Listener Jerry helps us understand why the term “cobot” exists, and what it really means. Thank you, Listener Jerry. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Robot? Pas robot?
7 min
Curiosity, c’est un robot! Robot de cuisine, ce n’est pas un robot! Thanks to Listener Erik and the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Car Wash
6 min
Is a car wash a building with machinery in it or a robot? This question allows us to flip the “episodes since ‘Robot or Not’ was about robots” sign back to zero. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Douglas Adams
4 min
The Encyclopedia Galactica defines a robot as a mechanical apparatus designed to do the work of a man. The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a robot as “Your Plastic Pal Who’s Fun to Be With.” The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy defines the marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetic Corporation as “a bunch of mindless jerks who’ll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes.” Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Overseas
5 min
Is a place overseas if you don’t have to go over a sea to get there? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
(Parenthetical) Song Titles
5 min
If you can’t hear part of this episode it’s because that part was in parentheses. Thanks to (Listener) Charlie for sending in this question. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
More Boats
3 min
Listener Joseph is unclear about where rafts fit into the whole boat hierarchy. We also toss some kayaks, canoes, and submarines into the water. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Card Game
4 min
Listener Steven makes a lot of assumptions about what games are card games, but we set him straight. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Hikes and Walks
6 min
Listener Tim asks us about when a walk becomes a hike. Is it about topology? Degree of difficulty? Those seeking hard and fast rules may be frustrated by the result. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Tennis Robot (Derogatory)
4 min
Just in time for Wimbledon, Listener Muhammad provides a “tennis robot” for us to judge. We issue a judgment, but we’re not particularly happy about it. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Stuffing/Dressing
4 min
Listener Wes has a Scotland-based observation about whether baked potatoes are stuffed or dressed. Seems straightforward, innit? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
'Wolf-Inspired' Robot
3 min
Listener Santiago wonders if a ‘wolf-inspired’ vehicle from Kawasaki is a robot, a metal horse, or just a vehicle. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Cobot
3 min
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? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Pasta Sauce
5 min
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. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Video Game
5 min
Listeners Mark and Matt wants to know if everything on a screen is a video game. Jason ponders the idea that a PDF printout of a crossword puzzle could be a video game. John says that he is being silly and he should take these questions more seriously. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Colloquial Robot
2 min
Listener Matt has caught John in a trap, because once on ATP John referred to something as a robot that is not a robot. Does John use his own definitions in real life? Are podcasts real life? What is the meaning of this?! Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Official
5 min
Unofficial Fan of “Robot or Not” Alexander wants to know what makes something official. Why are David Smith’s transcripts of The Talk Show “unofficial” if John Gruber links to them? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Pizza Wheel
1 min
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? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Wearable Robot
1 min
Listener Caleb saw an ergonomics assistance backpack at a trade show, advertised as a robot. Can you wear… a robot? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Look-Up
3 min
Listener Jason used ChatGPT to find information that answered a colleague’s question. But did he “look it up?” Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Pizza Robot
7 min
Live from Estes Park, Colorado, listener Kyle has eaten at a pizza place where his food was delivered via a robot! But… is it a robot, or not? After a swift verdict, John and Jason then spend far more time digging deep on Antonio’s Pizza and what sort of pizza it provides to the people of Colorado. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Superhero Naming Conventions
4 min
Listener Joshua is really focused on the grammar of Superhero and Supervillain names. Is Batman a bat? Does Doctor Doom have an advanced degree? Can Rogue keep her name while joining the X-Men? Are there any rules at all? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Life on the Moon (and Mars?)
2 min
Listener Jack seeks a true definition of what it means when we say “humans will live on the Moon (or Mars).” Does a brief visit count? Do you need to grow your own potatoes? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Out of Pocket
3 min
Listener Tom really wants us to explain what it means if someone is “out of pocket.” This leads to some existential questions about the pocket and the people who may not be in it. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Can
4 min
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. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Facial Hair
1 min
Listener Justin tries to get us to stretch the definition of “facial hair” beyond the beard. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Shirt
2 min
Listener Roy brings us into his debate with his teenage son about what makes a shirt a shirt. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Building
2 min
Listener Jack wants to know if a few famous gates and statues are also buildings. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Pop-Tart Pie
4 min
Listener Gregory thinks Pop-Tarts are pies. We have ratio questions. Also: We remember so many burned palates caused by calzones and McDonald’s fruit pies. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Open-Faced Sandwiches and French Bread Pizzas
6 min
Listener Gregory tries to confuse us with a question about open-faced sandwiches and pizza. We largely ignore him and talk about different ways to eat things that are like pizza, but aren’t quite pizza. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Scrolling
3 min
Listener Scott’s wife sure has a strange definition of which way is up. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Basement
6 min
Listener Joel has discovered some Canadians referring to the first floor of a two-story house as a “basement.” Does this defy all reason? How low must you go to be a basement? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Supercars and Hypercars
11 min
Host John Siracusa asks himself to discuss the difference between Supercars and Hypercars, while Jason looks on. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Charger follow-up
6 min
Listener William challenges our ruling about chargers and we get deep into the weeds of car charging. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Hoodie
7 min
Stephen Hackett has called us out and requests John’s ruling. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Blogs
5 min
What’s a blog, and what’s a news outlet? Are Jason and John bloggers? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Spiders and Other Bugs
2 min
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! Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Wire
1 min
Listener Matt can’t stand it when someone calls a USB cable a wire. But what does John think? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Landscaper
2 min
Who scapes the lands? Who gardens the gardens? Who mows and who blows? Not us! Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Pasta Roundup
6 min
John fields some important questions about pasta from listeners Connor, Joshua, and Lee, including the definition of Al Dente and noodles versus pasta. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Vehicle
2 min
Listener Eric asks if vehicles are only motorized, and we ponder how small a thing can be before it’s not a vehicle anymore. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Glass
3 min
Can a drinking glass be made out of plastic? Or is it just a cup? Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Parasol
1 min
Summer is in full swing, so Listener Ken has asked us to differentiate between umbrellas and parasols. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Market
2 min
Listener Marc ponders the “VR headset market” and wants to know what makes a market a market. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Charger
2 min
Listener Eric really needs his kids to differentiate between charger blocks and charging cables. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
AI Hype
4 min
Listener Christian, your time has come. Is an AI Lock the same as a Smart Lock? Or a Fuzzy Logic Lock? When bicycle gear shifters are called “AI”, how do we define what any of this means? I know—let’s ask John. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Spacesuits
4 min
Listener Lorne asks what makes a spacesuit a spacesuit, and it gets complicated in a hurry. Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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