186: Gum
Most people aren’t eating light bulbs.
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
185: Blanket
Listener James sends us a special message from beneath his blanket.
184: Indie Developer
What’s an Indie Developer, and is John one now? What does it mean to be “indie?”
183: Slots and Ports
Is a port a slot? PCMCIA cards have slots, but USB devices have ports. Either way, Jason has to make amends.
182: Working From Home
Whatever this is called, a lot of us are doing it these days.
181: Camera
My other car is also a camera.
180: Tabs
Tabs or spaces? AFTERSHOW: Commas.
179: Grocery Store
But what if they also sell shampoo there?
178: Morning
Morning has broken, like the first… morning?
177: Walking Distance
It’s within walking distance. How far is that?
176: Swipe Right
Where does your finger go when you “swipe right”?
175: Beard
When is it stubble and when is it more?
174: Reading
It’s fundamental, yes. But is it something you can do with your ears?
173: River
When is a body of water a river?
172: Soup, Part II
Is soup a drink? What separates liquids from food?
171: Dish
From dish to plate to bowl.
170: City
Does it all come down to the U.S. Postal Service?
169: Burgers
And do sliders have to slide?
168: Augmented Reality
An Accidental AR podcast.
167: Pet Names
Can we differentiate between how people name pets and how they name children? Listeners Rover and Whiskers, drop us a line.
166: Smart Devices
Where do we draw the line between a regular device and a “smart” device?
165: Leftovers
When does a meal turn into leftovers?
164: 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?
163: Family
What constitutes family? Blood relatives only? Are friends family? Are co-workers family? Can you escape your family?
162: Doors
What about when they’re ajar?
161: Storefronts
Select all the STOREFRONTS to prove that you’re a human.
160: 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.
159: Campus Delivery Robots
Prompted by a note from Listener Zach, we discuss the trend of “autonomous food delivery vehicles” on college campuses.
158: Pants
The entire conversation is pants. (The Brits will get that.)
157: Board Games
How much board is required?