Robot or Not?

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

318: Charger

July 7, 2025 • 2 mins

Listener Eric really needs his kids to differentiate between charger blocks and charging cables.

John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

Mark as Played

317: AI Hype

June 23, 2025 • 4 mins

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.

Mark as Played

316: Spacesuits

June 9, 2025 • 4 mins

Listener Lorne asks what makes a spacesuit a spacesuit, and it gets complicated in a hurry.

John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

Mark as Played

315: 10th Anniversary Episode

May 22, 2025 • 6 mins

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.

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314: Bay Leaf

May 20, 2025 • 4 mins

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.

Mark as Played

313: Tech

May 5, 2025 • 3 mins

Listener Jason (not host Jason) wants to know if “non-tech items” are really tech items.

John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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312: Unanchored Buoys

April 22, 2025 • 3 mins

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.

Mark as Played

311: Mushroombot

April 7, 2025 • 3 mins

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.

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310: Arc

March 22, 2025 • 5 mins

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.

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309: Flying

March 10, 2025 • 4 mins

Listeners Joshua and Matthias want to know about flying in (or on) an airplane.

John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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308: Gibson Robot Guitar

February 24, 2025 • 1 min

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.

Mark as Played

307: Sandwich Legal Update II

February 10, 2025 • 6 mins

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.

Mark as Played

306: Roomba-like Items

January 27, 2025 • 4 mins

In the end, the Grain Weevils and robot lawn mowers come for us all.

John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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305: Console

January 13, 2025 • 3 mins

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.

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304: Calendar Year

December 30, 2024 • 2 mins

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.

Mark as Played

303: Tipping

December 16, 2024 • 11 mins

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.

Mark as Played

302: Sandwich Legal Update

December 2, 2024 • 6 mins

Many listeners are concerned about recent legal rulings that suggest tacos and burritos are sandwiches. But we all know who the real voice of authority is.

John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

Mark as Played

301: Fan/Light

November 18, 2024 • 2 mins

Listener Patrick is concerned about taxonomy, most particularly involving fans that are also lights.

John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

Mark as Played

300: Fast Food

November 4, 2024 • 11 mins

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.

Mark as Played

299: Window

October 21, 2024 • 3 mins

I can see clearly now.

John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

Mark as Played

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