Robot or Not? - podcast cover

Robot or Not?

John Siracusa and Jason Snellwww.theincomparable.com
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.
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Episodes

332: Basement

Listener Joel has discovered some Canadians referring to the first floor of a two-story house as a “basement.” Does this defy all reason? How low must you go to be a basement? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Jan 26, 20266 minEp. 332

331: Supercars and Hypercars

Host John Siracusa asks himself to discuss the difference between Supercars and Hypercars, while Jason looks on. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Jan 12, 202611 minEp. 331

330: Sleigh

The difference between a slegh and a sled. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Sleigh v. Sled, what's the difference? Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more....

Dec 29, 20254 minEp. 330

329: Charger follow-up

Listener William challenges our ruling about chargers and we get deep into the weeds of car charging. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Dec 15, 20257 minEp. 329

328: Hoodie

Stephen Hackett has called us out and requests John’s ruling. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Connected 538: A Future That Is Now Stuck in the Past Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more....

Dec 01, 20258 minEp. 328

327: Blogs

What’s a blog, and what’s a news outlet? Are Jason and John bloggers? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Nov 10, 20256 minEp. 327

326: Spiders and Other Bugs

Listener Kev needs us to unpack John’s comment about “spiders and other bugs.” Does that mean spiders are bugs? And what are the other bugs? Spooky! John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Oct 27, 20253 minEp. 326

325: Wire

Listener Matt can’t stand it when someone calls a USB cable a wire. But what does John think? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Oct 13, 20251 minEp. 325

324: Landscaper

Who scapes the lands? Who gardens the gardens? Who mows and who blows? Not us! John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Sep 29, 20252 minEp. 324

323: Pasta Roundup

John fields some important questions about pasta from listeners Connor, Joshua, and Lee, including the definition of Al Dente and noodles versus pasta. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Sep 15, 20257 minEp. 323

322: Vehicle

Listener Eric asks if vehicles are only motorized, and we ponder how small a thing can be before it’s not a vehicle anymore. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Sep 01, 20253 minEp. 322

321: Glass

Can a drinking glass be made out of plastic? Or is it just a cup? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Aug 18, 20253 minEp. 321

320: Parasol

Summer is in full swing, so Listener Ken has asked us to differentiate between umbrellas and parasols. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Aug 04, 20251 minEp. 320

319: Market

Listener Marc ponders the “VR headset market” and wants to know what makes a market a market. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Jul 21, 20252 minEp. 319

318: Charger

Listener Eric really needs his kids to differentiate between charger blocks and charging cables. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Jul 07, 20252 minEp. 318

317: AI Hype

Listener Christian, your time has come. Is an AI Lock the same as a Smart Lock? Or a Fuzzy Logic Lock? When bicycle gear shifters are called “AI”, how do we define what any of this means? I know—let’s ask John. John Siracusa and Jason Snell 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.

Jun 23, 20254 minEp. 317

316: Spacesuits

Listener Lorne asks what makes a spacesuit a spacesuit, and it gets complicated in a hurry. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Jun 09, 20255 minEp. 316

315: 10th Anniversary Episode

Let’s get back to basics. We celebrate our improbable 10th anniversary with a letter from Listener Scott, who has a lot of questions about his son’s book “Science Comics: Robots and Drones.” John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Science Comics: Robots and Drones: Past, Present and Future 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....

May 22, 20256 minEp. 315

314: Bay Leaf

Listener Paul doubts the efficacy of the Bay Leaf. Host John ponders the longevity of Spices. Host Jason admits to keeping spices 15 years past their expiration dates. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

May 20, 20255 minEp. 314

313: Tech

Listener Jason (not host Jason) wants to know if “non-tech items” are really tech items. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links WVFRM: Our favorite ordinary objects! Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more....

May 05, 20253 minEp. 313

312: Unanchored Buoys

Listener Ben asks: If a Buoy is unanchored and works hard to stay where it is, is it the Roomba of the seas? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Robotic Buoys Make their Mark at 2024 Olympics Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more....

Apr 22, 20254 minEp. 312

311: Mushroombot

Listener Jim wants John to weigh in on the story of the mushroom that was given a robot body , and while that does sound fascinating, the answer seems to be right there in the description. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links 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....

Apr 07, 20254 minEp. 311

310: Arc

Listener Victor brings us a question from another “or Not?” podcast about how many points are required to make something a story, episode, or character arc. John Siracusa and Jason Snell 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 becom...

Mar 22, 20256 minEp. 310

309: 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....

Mar 10, 20255 minEp. 309

308: Gibson Robot Guitar

Listener Jason (not that one) wants to know if the Gibson Robot Guitar is just trying to jump on the robot bandwagon as a form of fancy marketing. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show Notes & Links Gibson Robot Guitar Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more....

Feb 24, 20252 minEp. 308

307: Sandwich Legal Update II

Two listeners have requested that we revisit recent court and podcast rulings regarding the definition of a sandwich. Also, Jason details his meager high-school lunch. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Feb 10, 20257 minEp. 307

306: Roomba-like Items

In the end, the Grain Weevils and robot lawn mowers come for us all. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Jan 27, 20254 minEp. 306

305: Console

Is a Game Boy a game console? What about a Switch? Can a handheld gaming device also be a console? What makes something a console? John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Jan 13, 20253 minEp. 305

304: Calendar Year

Listener Alexander has seen through the calendar’s deceptions and wants to know why any old day couldn’t be the start of a new year. When does the year begin in our hearts? (Happy New Year, everyone!) John Siracusa and Jason Snell Show 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 ...

Dec 30, 20242 minEp. 304

303: Tipping

Listener Ben and his sister-in-law have come up with a sophisticated system of rules for when and when not to leave a gratuity. But someone else may have his own rules. John Siracusa and Jason Snell Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member . Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.

Dec 16, 202411 minEp. 303
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