Robot or Not?
Hosted by John Siracusa and Jason Snell
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.
350 Pasta Sauce
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.
Previous Episodes
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June 1, 2026349 Video Game
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.
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May 25, 2026
348 Colloquial Robot
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?!
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May 18, 2026
347 Official
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?
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May 11, 2026
346 Pizza Wheel
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?
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May 4, 2026
345 Wearable Robot
Listener Caleb saw an ergonomics assistance backpack at a trade show, advertised as a robot. Can you wear… a robot?
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April 27, 2026
344 Look-Up
Listener Jason used ChatGPT to find information that answered a colleague’s question. But did he “look it up?”
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April 20, 2026
343 Pizza Robot
Live from Estes Park, Colorado, listener Kyle has eaten at a pizza place where his food was delivered via a robot! But… is it a robot, or not? After a swift verdict, John and Jason then spend far more time digging deep on Antonio’s Pizza and what sort of pizza it provides to the people of Colorado.
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April 13, 2026
342 Superhero Naming Conventions
Listener Joshua is really focused on the grammar of Superhero and Supervillain names. Is Batman a bat? Does Doctor Doom have an advanced degree? Can Rogue keep her name while joining the X-Men? Are there any rules at all?
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April 7, 2026
341 Life on the Moon (and Mars?)
Listener Jack seeks a true definition of what it means when we say “humans will live on the Moon (or Mars).” Does a brief visit count? Do you need to grow your own potatoes?
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March 23, 2026
340 Out of Pocket
Listener Tom really wants us to explain what it means if someone is “out of pocket.” This leads to some existential questions about the pocket and the people who may not be in it.