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

365: Several

October 12, 2026 • 6 mins
Listener David asks us several questions. We have many answers, but too few.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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364: Wood-Fired Food Truck

October 5, 2026 • 2 mins
Listener Gregory makes us wonder if pizza made, not in a truck, but in a separate wood-fired oven trailer, is a food truck… or perhaps something else?

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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363: Cobot Redux

September 29, 2026 • 4 mins
Unlike us, Listener Jerry has spent his entire career on robots. Listener Jerry helps us understand why the term “cobot” exists, and what it really means. Thank you, Listener Jerry.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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362: Robot? Pas robot?

September 21, 2026 • 7 mins
Curiosity, c’est un robot! Robot de cuisine, ce n’est pas un robot! Thanks to Listener Erik and the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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361: Car Wash

August 31, 2026 • 6 mins
Is a car wash a building with machinery in it or a robot? This question allows us to flip the “episodes since ‘Robot or Not’ was about robots” sign back to zero.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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360: Douglas Adams

August 24, 2026 • 4 mins
The Encyclopedia Galactica defines a robot as a mechanical apparatus designed to do the work of a man. The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a robot as “Your Plastic Pal Who’s Fun to Be With.” The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy defines the marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetic Corporation as “a bunch of mindless jerks who’ll be the first against the wall whe...

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359: Overseas

August 17, 2026 • 5 mins
Is a place overseas if you don’t have to go over a sea to get there?

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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358: (Parenthetical) Song Titles

August 10, 2026 • 5 mins
If you can’t hear part of this episode it’s because that part was in parentheses. Thanks to (Listener) Charlie for sending in this question.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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357: More Boats

August 3, 2026 • 3 mins
Listener Joseph is unclear about where rafts fit into the whole boat hierarchy. We also toss some kayaks, canoes, and submarines into the water.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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356: Card Game

July 28, 2026 • 4 mins
Listener Steven makes a lot of assumptions about what games are card games, but we set him straight.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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355: Hikes and Walks

July 13, 2026 • 6 mins
Listener Tim asks us about when a walk becomes a hike. Is it about topology? Degree of difficulty? Those seeking hard and fast rules may be frustrated by the result.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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354: Tennis Robot (Derogatory)

July 7, 2026 • 4 mins
Just in time for Wimbledon, Listener Muhammad provides a “tennis robot” for us to judge. We issue a judgment, but we’re not particularly happy about it.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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353: Stuffing/Dressing

June 29, 2026 • 4 mins
Listener Wes has a Scotland-based observation about whether baked potatoes are stuffed or dressed. Seems straightforward, innit?

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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352: 'Wolf-Inspired' Robot

June 22, 2026 • 3 mins
Listener Santiago wonders if a ‘wolf-inspired’ vehicle from Kawasaki is a robot, a metal horse, or just a vehicle.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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351: Cobot

June 15, 2026 • 3 mins
Listener Paul has heard the term “cobot” to refer to “collaborative robots,” but can a robot that requires a human to function really be a robot?

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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350: Pasta Sauce

June 8, 2026 • 5 mins
Listener Griffin wonders what you could put on pasta that would arguably make it a sauce. John probably considers this sacrilege, but here we are.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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349: Video Game

June 1, 2026 • 5 mins
Listeners Mark and Matt wants to know if everything on a screen is a video game. Jason ponders the idea that a PDF printout of a crossword puzzle could be a video game. John says that he is being silly and he should take these questions more seriously.

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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348: Colloquial Robot

May 25, 2026 • 2 mins
Listener Matt has caught John in a trap, because once on ATP John referred to something as a robot that is not a robot. Does John use his own definitions in real life? Are podcasts real life? What is the meaning of this?!

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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347: Official

May 18, 2026 • 5 mins
Unofficial Fan of “Robot or Not” Alexander wants to know what makes something official. Why are David Smith’s transcripts of The Talk Show “unofficial” if John Gruber links to them?

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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346: Pizza Wheel

May 11, 2026 • 1 min
Listener Ed doesn’t keep his pizza wheel in his knife, but it’s got a blade and cuts things. What makes a knife a knife?

Hosts John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

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