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.
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?!
Previous Episodes
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May 18, 2026347 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.
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March 16, 2026
339 Can
Listener Niels follows on from the logical question of if a glass can be made of plastic to ponder what makes a can a can.
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March 9, 2026
338 Facial Hair
Listener Justin tries to get us to stretch the definition of “facial hair” beyond the beard.