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Robot or Not?

Author: John Siracusa and Jason Snell

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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.
303 Episodes
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301: Fan/Light

301: Fan/Light

2024-11-1802:00

Listener Patrick is concerned about taxonomy, most particularly involving fans that are also lights. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
300: Fast Food

300: Fast Food

2024-11-0411:12

There are so many different ways to define fast food. Is pizza fast food? Also, Jason has a story about the Shake Shake in the Minneapolis airport. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
299: Window

299: Window

2024-10-2103:27

I can see clearly now. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
298: Henchman

298: Henchman

2024-10-0705:55

As so often happens with us, discussions of evil henchman end up becoming discussions of legal employment status. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Live from the Relay Podcastathon, Jason and special guest Casey Liss ask John a bunch of questions from the Robot Or Not question list. Topics include: All-In-One computers, dates, pasta, and antique vs. retro. It’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Please consider donating as a part of our campaign at stjude.org/relay. John Siracusa and Jason Snell with Casey Liss.
296: Catchphrase

296: Catchphrase

2024-09-1602:37

Oh, Listener Sean wants to know about catchphrases! Well, isn’t that special? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
In a rare timely episode, John and Jason discuss a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that Apple is designing a series of robots, including a “robot” that sits on a table and moves its display around, and a “robot” that follows you around your house folding laundry, reminding you of your mortality, and possibly running a viral campaign for Apple TV+ shows. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
294: Double Space

294: Double Space

2024-08-1903:50

Listener Daniel would like John’s blessing for his practice of putting two spaces after every sentence he types. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
293: Severe Weather

293: Severe Weather

2024-08-0502:48

Listener Arne received a severe weather alert for a fire. Fires are very bad, but are they weather? Are some natural disasters weather, and others not? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
292: Tea

292: Tea

2024-07-2204:57

Is “truffle mushroom tea” just a soup? Did a fancy New York restaurant play a trick on Listener David and his wife? And what is tea, really? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
291: Hawaiian Shirts

291: Hawaiian Shirts

2024-07-0805:42

Are Hawaiian shirts just fun to wear, or are they cultural appropriation? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Listener Erik sent us this video of self-navigating wheelchairs in the Miami Airport. Does the Roomba Rule apply? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
289: Vending Machine

289: Vending Machine

2024-06-1003:28

Friend of the show Frank is seeking to delineate when something is a “vending machine” and when it’s just a machine that vends. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
288: El Camino

288: El Camino

2024-05-2704:02

Thanks to Friend of the Show Casey, we’re talking about weird cars and car classes again. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Listener Ivan sent in a link to an autonomous excavator that assembled a six-foot wall out of rocks. Is it the Roomba of construction materials?! John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
A tale of dishwashers and large sinks. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
We follow up on some feedback about our theme songs, and theme songs in general, while taking on whether we use the Skip Intro button when we should be listening to TV theme songs. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
It’s baseball’s Opening Day, so here’s our discussion of automated balls and strikes, also known as “Robot Umps,” how they relate to automated Hawk-Eye tennis calls, and why we won’t ever know how good human umpires could actually be. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
283: (Pizza) Pie

283: (Pizza) Pie

2024-03-1404:56

Fresh out of the oven for Pi Day, here’s a discussion of who exactly thinks pizza is a pie. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
Do you have to leave the airport or get out of the car to claim you’ve been somewhere? (And are you under oath?) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.
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