Robot or Not?

215: A Criterion of Data 16.08.2021 5:17 ↓

Singular or plural? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

214: Religious or Spiritual 02.08.2021 2:03 ↓

When you see an org chart and money changes hands, your spirituality has become something else. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

213: Daylight Saving Time 19.07.2021 6:24 ↓

Should we really spring forward and fall back? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

212: Dishwasher 05.07.2021 9:40 ↓

When do you run the dishwasher? Do you rinse the dishes first? And wouldn’t it be nice if our dishwashers were robots? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

211: Rules for Watching TV 21.06.2021 8:29 ↓

Do you always start watching at the beginning? And do you have to watch till the end? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

210: Burrito, Part 2 (Qdoba v. Panera) 07.06.2021 4:48 ↓

The strange case of the burrito sandwich. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

209: Dog-Shaped Dogs 24.05.2021 9:13 ↓

What is the shape of a dog? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

208: Self-Driving Cars, Part 2 10.05.2021 7:54 ↓

Tim Cook thinks that self-driving cars are robots. Does John want to revisit his opinion? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

207: Pandemic Changes (or not) 27.04.2021 2:00 ↓

Has the pandemic made John reconsider some of his previous rulings? (One guess.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

206: Relish 05.04.2021 8:01 ↓

Not all pickles are pickles, and not all relish is pickle relish. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

205: Pots and Pans 22.03.2021 4:51 ↓

What divides pots from pans? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

204: Peanut Butter 08.03.2021 8:47 ↓

Chances are pretty good that the peanut butter you eat is terrible. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

203: Bagel Update 22.02.2021 6:24 ↓

A very unfortunate bagel on either side of the Atlantic. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

202: Books 08.02.2021 5:26 ↓

Is a book a bound, printed collection of pages, or is it something more? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

201: Apocalypse 25.01.2021 12:36 ↓

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the robot, happy stuff: When does the apocalypse start, and when do we reach post-apocalyptic times? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

200: Microscopic "Robots" 11.01.2021 6:36 ↓

We celebrate our 200th episode by going back to where it all started—news about whether something is a robot or not. Also, we may have inadvertently started a religion. (Congratulations, Listener Eric!) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

199: Christmas Special 24.12.2020 6:41 ↓

In the spirit of the season, we discuss when a Christmas tree is dead. (Thanks to Listener Darran.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

198: Soda 14.12.2020 3:44 ↓

Fizzy water. Is it soda, or pop, or a soft drink, or something else? (Incomparable members also get a bonus episode about Coca-Cola and cocaine, also released today.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

197: Indoors 30.11.2020 4:11 ↓

When are we indoors and when are we outdoors? And where do tents fit in? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

196: Video 16.11.2020 4:36 ↓

Is a GIF a video? (Incomparable members also get a bonus episode about movie studio logos, released today.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

195: Child 02.11.2020 2:44 ↓

When is a child no longer a child? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

194: Henge 19.10.2020 4:58 ↓

When the definition escapes its antecedent. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

193: Puppet 05.10.2020 3:38 ↓

When is it a puppet, and when is it just someone in a suit? And what does this mean for the future of Gritty? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

192: Backup Brain 21.09.2020 2:46 ↓

If we clone your body and transfer your memories to it, is it you? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

191: Game 07.09.2020 6:36 ↓

The universe is Candy Land. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.