126: Vacation
If you don’t go anywhere, is it a vacation? What if you go somewhere, but you don’t relax?
Episodes
Robot or Not?
Jason Snell asks John Siracusa to rule on the meaning of various words and concepts. It’s not just about robots anymore.
Have a question for John? Email robot@theincomparable.com.
Episodes
125: 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?
124: 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?
123: Janet from "The Good Place"
Never believe what a robot tells you.
122: Night (bark) Joggers (bark)
A dog interlude.
121: 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!
120: Death
Okay, time to call it. Time of death— wait, wait, everybody hold on. How do we define death?
119: Life
How can we call something alive?
118: 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.
117: Brunch
We discuss the names of meals and when they happen, and make an interesting(?) digression into human sleep cycles.
116: Salad
From leafy greens to sugary Jell-O concoctions, all sorts of things are called salads.
115: 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.
114: 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.
113: Art
I don’t know what it is, but I know it when I see it.
112: Donuts
We don’t know quite what an old-fashioned donut is, but we know what we like… and what we don’t.
111: Artificial Intelligence
What makes machine intelligence “real AI”? And what is the difference between strong and weak AI?
110: Anime and Kaiju
The very definition of video entertainment from Japan.
109: Sport
What makes something a sport, and not an exercise or a game?
108: 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.
107: Science Fiction
What’s science fiction? And more importantly, is Star Wars science fiction, fantasy, or something else?
106: Computer Chips
Is everything a computer chip? Is nothing a computer chip? Jason thinks this is gonna be good. John thinks it’s obvious.
105: 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.
104: Pizza Toppings
What toppings are allowed on pizza? And what about using a knife and fork to eat pizza? There are many rules.
103: Pizza
John weighs in on what makes something a pizza, including the horror of the Turkey Dinner Pizza.
102: Sandwiches
Exploring what makes a sandwich, while also discussing the history of food, sandwiches as satire, and the difference between llamas and camels.
101: Supervillains
John helps Jason figure out the precise moment when a villain becomes a supervillain.
100: 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.)
99: Your Hosts
Are John and Jason robots? All will be revealed!
98: Human Beings
Could it be? Are we all robots?
97: Captchas
What does a robot do when it gets to a web page with a checkbox that says “I’m not a robot”?