If everything can be a smoothie, then nothing is. So we try to define what makes a smoothie and acts as a bulwark against the milkshake.
September 18, 2017 • 6 minutes • Will it blend? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
113
Art
I don’t know what it is, but I know it when I see it.
September 4, 2017 • 16 minutes • But is it art? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
112
Donuts
We don’t know quite what an old-fashioned donut is, but we know what we like… and what we don’t.
August 21, 2017 • 10 minutes • Two blind men describe an elephant. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
111
Artificial Intelligence
What makes machine intelligence “real AI”? And what is the difference between strong and weak AI?
August 7, 2017 • 11 minutes • When is a machine truly intelligent? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
110
Anime and Kaiju
The very definition of video entertainment from Japan.
July 24, 2017 • 8 minutes • What defines Anime? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
109
Sport
What makes something a sport, and not an exercise or a game?
July 10, 2017 • 14 minutes • Baseball? Is not sport, is game. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
108
Condiments and Favorite Foods
Exploring Jason’s favorite food, what a “favorite food” even is, and the hazy dividing line between condiments and other edibles.
June 26, 2017 • 9 minutes • Ketchup or Peanut Butter? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
107
Science Fiction
What’s science fiction? And more importantly, is Star Wars science fiction, fantasy, or something else?
June 12, 2017 • 10 minutes • Sci-Fi or Fantasy? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
106
Computer Chips
Is everything a computer chip? Is nothing a computer chip? Jason thinks this is gonna be good. John thinks it’s obvious.
May 29, 2017 • 11 minutes • Microchips. Not potato chips. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
105
Canonical Bagel Flavors
What is the canon of bagels? Why are some ingredients allowed in an Everything Bagel but not any other bagel style? What makes raisins an acceptable ingredient, yet bars blueberries? Mr. Siracusa, native of the great state of New York, educates Mr. Snell, one of those California hippie types, about what a real bagel is.
May 15, 2017 • 18 minutes • Bialys! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
104
Pizza Toppings
What toppings are allowed on pizza? And what about using a knife and fork to eat pizza? There are many rules.
May 2, 2017 • 9 minutes • Canonical pizza toppings • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
103
Pizza
John weighs in on what makes something a pizza, including the horror of the Turkey Dinner Pizza.
April 17, 2017 • 11 minutes • You have left Pizza Country. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
102
Sandwiches
Exploring what makes a sandwich, while also discussing the history of food, sandwiches as satire, and the difference between llamas and camels.
April 3, 2017 • 8 minutes • What is a sandwich? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
101
Supervillains
John helps Jason figure out the precise moment when a villain becomes a supervillain.
March 20, 2017 • 10 minutes • How super is my villain? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
100
The Robot
Your hosts return to where it all began and then prepare to set out for new horizons.
(Robot or Not will return in two weeks with a new series of episodes.)
March 6, 2017 • 2 minutes • At long last... the end? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
99
Your Hosts
Are John and Jason robots? All will be revealed!
February 27, 2017 • 2 minutes • John Siracusa and Jason Snell themselves. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
98
Human Beings
Could it be? Are we all robots?
February 20, 2017 • 2 minutes • Us • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
97
Captchas
What does a robot do when it gets to a web page with a checkbox that says “I’m not a robot”?
February 13, 2017 • 51 seconds • Fill in the blank. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
96
The Gate at Jabba’s Palace
The gate at Jabba’s palace in “Return of the Jedi” talks to droids, or has something inside it that talks to droids. So is it a robot?
February 6, 2017 • 2 minutes • Gatekeeper droid or door? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
95
Autonomous Sailboats
They roam the ocean, scanning for important data and relaying their information home. There are no humans on board. Are these lonely sea voyagers robots?
January 30, 2017 • 5 minutes • Roomba of the Sea? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
94
Shardik
The robotic guardian of the Beams. He looks like a bear but has a satellite dish on his head. He’s a thousand years old.
January 23, 2017 • 4 minutes • A monster from the Dark Tower • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
93
Nintendo R.O.B.
Game controller, robot, or total embarrassment?
January 16, 2017 • 2 minutes • Nintendo's Robotic Operating Buddy • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
92
Pronunciation
ˈrōˌbät or rōbət?
January 9, 2017 • 3 minutes • Robutt or not? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
91
Naked Robotic Core
An unadorned iPhone can be a Naked Robotic Core, but is it a robot?
January 2, 2017 • 5 minutes • iPhone, Unadorned • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
90
Mechagodzilla
Look who was under the tree! It’s a giant mechanical monster!
December 26, 2016 • 1 minute • John loves him. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
89
Battlebots
Among the fiercest creatures in the machine kingdom are the Battlebots. They’re designed for fighting! But are they really robots, or is that just a clever marketing name?
December 19, 2016 • 1 minute • They fight! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
88
School Babies and CPR Dummies
High school students carry them around and learn what it’s like to be a parent. Or you learn how to revive them by pressing their chest and breathing into their mouths. But are these learning tools also educational robots?
December 12, 2016 • 1 minute • Educational toys or robots? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
87
K5 Mall Robot
It patrols the mall. Sometimes it knocks over small children.
December 5, 2016 • 3 minutes • Does it follow Asimov's laws? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
86
The Hosts of “Westworld”
The HBO series “Westworld” makes us contemplate whether its central characters, the Hosts, are robots or not. (We recorded this episode after the first seven episodes of season one had aired; forgive us if it was revealed later that “To Serve Man” was actually a cookbook.)
November 28, 2016 • 6 minutes • It's in the brain! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
85
The Bicentennial Man
A robot slowly turns himself human. When does he stop being a robot?
November 21, 2016 • 4 minutes • Robin Williams, Isaac Asimov, and Grobycs! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
84
Metal Mario
Sometimes Mario is metallic. Does that make him a robot?
November 14, 2016 • 1 minute • Do metal men dream of robot sheep? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
83
Kayaks
They are boats with paddles. What else are they?
November 7, 2016 • 1 minute • They have paddles. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
82
The Borg
Straight out of “Star Trek” come these technological villains. Also, we discuss larger issues including AIs and hive minds.
October 31, 2016 • 6 minutes • You will be assimilated. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
81
The Energizer Bunny
It just keeps going, and going, and going….
October 24, 2016 • 1 minute • Nothing outlasts the Energizer • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
80
Tachikoma and Fuchikoma
Little cute robots from “Ghost in the Shell.”
October 17, 2016 • 2 minutes • They're adorable... • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
79
SpaceX
Self-guided rockets and drone barges.
October 10, 2016 • 6 minutes • Robots (or not) in space! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
78
Hot Dogs
They’re sure tasty, and it’s meat between bread, but are hot dogs sandwiches?
October 3, 2016 • 1 minute • Sandwich or Not, part 2 • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
77
Daft Punk
They sure look like robots. But who’s under the masks?
September 26, 2016 • 1 minute • DJs or not? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
76
Animals in “Blade Runner”
The owl and the snake from “Blade Runner” raise some interesting questions.
September 19, 2016 • 2 minutes • How do you like our owl? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
75
Bubo
A little metal owl from “Clash of the Titans.” Crafted by the gods, can he possibly be a robot?
September 12, 2016 • 3 minutes • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
74
Gort
The robot from “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, plus a long digression into Star Trek androids.
September 5, 2016 • 5 minutes • She's a real woman, Jim. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
73
Cartoons
Is all animation “cartoons”?
August 29, 2016 • 2 minutes • Synonym or not? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
72
Robots from “Castle in the Sky” and “The Iron Giant”
Two beloved metal creatures from animation.
August 22, 2016 • 2 minutes • Two animation robots. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
71
RoboCop
That “Robo” prefix is sure interesting, and he’s probably a cop, but…
August 15, 2016 • 2 minutes • RoboCop • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
70
The Robots of “Futurama”
Bender, Calculon, and Hedonismbot.
August 8, 2016 • 5 minutes • So many robots. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
69
Tron
He fights for the users inside a computer. Can software people be robots?
August 1, 2016 • 1 minute • Lightcycles are cool. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
68
Canadarm
A fancy “robot arm” from Canada. But when is a robot arm just an arm, and when is it a robot?
July 25, 2016 • 1 minute • Oh, Canada! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
67
Silicone Stingray
Part animal, part machine. But is it a robot?
July 18, 2016 • 3 minutes • Timely episode! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
66
Traffic lights in South Africa
Please obey robot.
July 11, 2016 • 1 minute • Listener David, thanks • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
65
Serena Williams
It’s Wimbledon time, and so our discussion turns to tennis, and Serena Williams—who is not a robot, despite her perhaps wishing she was.
July 4, 2016 • 8 minutes • Tennis or not? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
64
Rossum’s Universal Robots
Karel Capek’s play that made this podcast possible.
June 27, 2016 • 2 minutes • R.U.R. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
63
Animatronic Creatures
The Country Bears, Chuck E. Cheese, and the things from Five Nights at Freddy’s.
June 20, 2016 • 1 minute • Charles E. Cheese Esquire • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
62b
Filesystems and Flowerpot Robots
Live from RelayCon WWDC 2016, it’s a special live edition of Robot or Not.
June 18, 2016 • 3 minutes • Our first live episode • John Siracusa and Jason Snell with Myke Hurley
62
General Grievous
He’s a droid with a cough. So what’s the deal?
June 13, 2016 • 2 minutes • Cough, cough • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
61
Elevators
They go up, they go down. They might even go sideways from time to time. And they can be smart. But are they robots?
June 6, 2016 • 3 minutes • Yes, we said elevators • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
60
Inspector Gadget
Go go Gadget! Also we get off on a tangent about Penny, inspired by The Flop House.
May 30, 2016 • 2 minutes • What if penny met a dinosaur? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
59
The Doctor from “Star Trek: Voyager”
Please state the nature of the medical emergency. Can a hologram be a robot?
May 23, 2016 • 2 minutes • Hologram or not • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
58
Synths
From the AMC TV series “Humans,” the lifelike Synths look like humans but don’t act like it. And they bleed a funny color.
May 16, 2016 • 3 minutes • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
57
Baymax
He’s an inflatable, medical robot from “Big Hero 6”—but can you back up your personality and still be a robot?
May 9, 2016 • 6 minutes • "Big Hero 6" • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
56
The Incomparable’s Logo
Our own robot (or not) is in the spotlight at last.
May 2, 2016 • 1 minute • You know, that robot • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
55
The Tin Woodman
If he only had a heart.
April 25, 2016 • 3 minutes • You know, from "The Wizard of Oz" • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
54
T-1000
It’s made of liquid metal.
April 18, 2016 • 4 minutes • "Terminator 2" • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
53
Tamagotchi
Is it even a game? What if you had a video game that featured a robot?
April 11, 2016 • 1 minute • Feed me, or I die! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
52
The Robots of “Destiny”
From Bungie’s bestselling video game, Ghosts, Exos, Rasputin, and other things that might be robots.
April 4, 2016 • 6 minutes • "Destiny" • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
51
Lego Simulated Worm Toy
A software model of a flatworm, piloting a Lego Mindstorms toy.
March 28, 2016 • 5 minutes • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
50
The Matrix
Agents and Oracles and Architects from the “Matrix” trilogy.
March 21, 2016 • 3 minutes • Hello, Mr. Anderson. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
49
Chatbots
They listen to us and talk back. But is that enough?
March 14, 2016 • 3 minutes • In IRC, on AOL, and elsewhere • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
48
Replicants
Roy Batty, Pris, and all the rest. They’ve seen the Tannhauser Gate, but are they robots?
March 7, 2016 • 7 minutes • "Blade Runner" • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
47
Thomas and Friends
Living rail cars in Sodor.
February 29, 2016 • 3 minutes • Confusion and delay in Sodor • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
46
Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo
The bots from “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”
February 22, 2016 • 2 minutes • MST3K bots • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
45
Nanobots
Enter the realm of the very, very tiny as John and Jason ponder if size matters when it comes to whether something is a robot or not.
February 15, 2016 • 6 minutes • Very tiny machines • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
44
The Internet of Things
Security expert Bruce Schneier said the Internet of Things was a robot, but what does John think?
You can probably guess.
February 8, 2016 • 2 minutes • Bruce Schneier's metaphor • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
43
Daleks and Cybermen
Two enemies wrapped in metal shells from “Doctor Who” face their ultimate foe—the judgment of John Siracusa.
February 1, 2016 • 5 minutes • Doctor Who monsters • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
42
Prince Robot IV
It’s right there in the name of this character from the acclaimed comic book “Saga,” but as we’ve learned, names can be misleading.
January 25, 2016 • 2 minutes • "Saga" • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
41
Burritos
This one seems to have gotten in by mistake.
January 18, 2016 • 1 minute • Sandwich or Not? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
40
Swimming Pool Cleaners
Things that clean your swimming pool: are they Roombas or just dumb hoses? Also, if a toaster can’t be a robot, can a robot be a toaster?
January 11, 2016 • 3 minutes • C-3PO's toaster oven • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
39
Cars (from “Cars”)
If the cars in Pixar’s “Cars” movies aren’t cars, what are they, and where did they come from?
January 4, 2016 • 1 minute • So who made the cars? And where are they? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
38
Podcasts
Just in time for the holidays, some existential questions. Also, could a robot be on a podcast?
December 28, 2015 • 53 seconds • Are you listening to a robot? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
37
Clockwork Droids
Doctor Who’s clockwork repair droids (from the episodes “Girl in the Fireplace” and “Deep Breath”) come under scrutiny. Sure, they start out as robots, but do they become something else..?
December 21, 2015 • 3 minutes • The Reverse Cybog Posit • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
36
Iron Man, Ultron, and Vision
From the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and specifically “Iron Man 3” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” deep robot-or-not questions about Iron Man’s suits, Ultron, and the Vision.
December 14, 2015 • 4 minutes • Marvel movie robots or not • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
35
Herbie The Love Bug
A Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of his own!
December 7, 2015 • 2 minutes • Herbie is full of love • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
34
Aperture Science
GlaDOS, Wheatley, turrets, cubes, spheres and more.
November 30, 2015 • 4 minutes • Portal and Portal 2 • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
33
Vicki from “Small Wonder”
She’s a small wonder, pretty and bright with soft curls.
She’s a small wonder, a girl unlike other girls.
She’s a miracle, and I grant you
She’ll enchant you at her sight.
She’s a small wonder, and she’ll make your heart take flight.
She’s fantastic, made of plastic.
Microchips here and there.
She’s a small wonder, brings love and laughter everywhere.
November 23, 2015 • 2 minutes • "Small Wonder" • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
32
Lobot
Cloud City’s majordomo from “The Empire Strikes Back” is in the spotlight.
November 16, 2015 • 1 minute • ...or not • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
31
robots.txt
It’s right there in the name, but what about the things that connect to it? And what about when Merlin talks about putting things “in the robot”? We need answers, John!
November 9, 2015 • 1 minute • What's in that Skype window? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
30
Twiki and Dr. Theopolis
We take you back to the days of “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” to debate the show’s two artificial sidekicks.
November 2, 2015 • 6 minutes • Buck Rogers in the 25th Century • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
29
Johnny 5
That little guy from “Short Circuit.”
October 26, 2015 • 1 minute • He's alive! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
28
The TARDIS
The blue box from “Doctor Who” might be sentient, might be alive, but is it a robot?
October 19, 2015 • 4 minutes • They're not built, they're grown • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
27
V’ger
V’ger and the Ilia probe, both from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”. Also, John complains about fake skin on androids.
October 12, 2015 • 9 minutes • Star Trek: The Motion Picture • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
26
Cylons
The metal robots (and their fleshy successors) from the old and new “Battlestar Galactica.”
October 5, 2015 • 9 minutes • Battlestar Galactica • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
25
Home Appliances
What would a toaster have to do in order to be a robot? This episode introduces Siracusa’s Law, which somehow involves kitchen countertops.
September 28, 2015 • 3 minutes • Conceptual toaster questions • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
24
Sasquatch
The bigfoot/sasquatch from “The Six Million Dollar Man.”
September 21, 2015 • 6 minutes • The Six Million Dollar Man • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
23
Space Probes
From golf carts on Mars to New Horizons flying past Pluto, these are impressive machines, but are they robots?
September 14, 2015 • 3 minutes • Doubles! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
22
Hitchbot
He tried to hitch his way across the country, but was dismembered in Philadelphia.
Image by archier on Flickr.
September 7, 2015 • 1 minute • Dressed up like a ghost • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
21
Droids
Are droids robots? Do they have rights? Is the Empire based on a robo-slave economy?
August 31, 2015 • 6 minutes • The ethics of Star Wars sentience • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
20
Pinocchio
Are we seriously talking about magic here?
August 24, 2015 • 4 minutes • Robots versus magic • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
19
Marvin the Paranoid Android
Your plastic pal who’s fun to be with!
August 17, 2015 • 2 minutes • Life... don't talk to me about life • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
18
Commander Data
Is an android a robot?
August 10, 2015 • 6 minutes • Androids and Robots • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
17
The Terminator
I know now why you humans cry.
August 3, 2015 • 3 minutes • I'll be back • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
16
Siri
So-called intelligent agents.
July 27, 2015 • 57 seconds • What about Jason's iPhone? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
15
The Major
From “Ghost in the Shell,” a human brain in a mechanical body. And what about uploaded brains and bodies?
July 20, 2015 • 2 minutes • Human brains, mechanical bodies • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
14
Jaegers
Big robots with people inside, as seen in “Shogun Warriors” and “Pacific Rim.”
July 13, 2015 • 4 minutes • Big robots with little people inside • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
13
Transformers
Like the song says.
July 7, 2015 • 3 minutes • Robots in disguise? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
12
USS Enterprise
The main computer of the USS Enterprise.
July 2, 2015 • 3 minutes • Hello, Computer! • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
11
KITT
The “Knight Rider” car is cool, but is it a robot? What about KITT’s evil twin, KARR? Also, the dark pre-history of Pixar’s “Cars.”
June 29, 2015 • 6 minutes • Knight Rider • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
10
ASIMO
Honda’s ASIMO, Sony’s AIBO, and other cute things that can do The Robot dance. Also, our Radio Shack memories.
June 25, 2015 • 2 minutes • Toy robots • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
9
Assembly-Line Robots
Look for the union label.
June 22, 2015 • 3 minutes • Titans of industry • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
8
Roomba
Does a self-guided vacuum cleaner cross John’s minimum bar for a robot? And what does that have to do with ants and dogs?
June 19, 2015 • 3 minutes • The lowest possible form of robot? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
7
Telepresence Robots
They’re funny, but are they robots?
June 15, 2015 • 53 seconds • Skype isn't a robot • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
6
Self-Driving Cars
Pondering sentient Google cars, Johnny Cab, and autopilots.
June 10, 2015 • 5 minutes • Are they robots or marketing? • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
5
Emotions
The greatest prog rock album ever made.
June 4, 2015 • 48 seconds • Love and other robots • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
4
K-9
John and Jason try to understand robot dogs. Plus, a trip through old “Doctor Who” episodes.
June 2, 2015 • 2 minutes • Tin dogs • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
3
Darth Vader
Cyborgs and robots and humans—how do we tell these things apart?
May 29, 2015 • 2 minutes • Cyborgs and Sith Lords • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
2
Service Kiosks
John’s position on supermarket self-checkout machines, Jason’s need for beer when he visits his in-laws, and whether attaching arms to things makes them robots.
May 25, 2015 • 4 minutes • Supermarket self check-out and ATMs • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
1
Mr. Roboto
We explain why we’re here, and then discuss the protagonist of Styx’s 1983 album “Kilroy Was Here.”
May 22, 2015 • 5 minutes • Domo Arigato • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
0
Origin
A flashback to past podcasts, as a way of explaining why this podcast exists.
April 7, 2015 • 6 minutes • How it all started. • John Siracusa and Jason Snell
