Robot or Not?

115: Barbecue 02.10.2017 9:43 ↓

Continuing our confused series of episodes about food-related topics, it’s time for John and Jason to talk about Jason’s favorite food style and what happens when you put food on a grill. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

114: Smoothie 18.09.2017 6:43 ↓

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. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

113: Art 04.09.2017 16:54 ↓

I don’t know what it is, but I know it when I see it. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

112: Donuts 21.08.2017 10:26 ↓

We don’t know quite what an old-fashioned donut is, but we know what we like… and what we don’t. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

111: Artificial Intelligence 07.08.2017 11:23 ↓

What makes machine intelligence “real AI”? And what is the difference between strong and weak AI? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

110: Anime and Kaiju 24.07.2017 8:32 ↓

The very definition of video entertainment from Japan. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

109: Sport 10.07.2017 14:39 ↓

What makes something a sport, and not an exercise or a game? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

108: Condiments and Favorite Foods 26.06.2017 9:51 ↓

Exploring Jason’s favorite food, what a “favorite food” even is, and the hazy dividing line between condiments and other edibles. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

107: Science Fiction 12.06.2017 10:03 ↓

What’s science fiction? And more importantly, is Star Wars science fiction, fantasy, or something else? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

106: Computer Chips 29.05.2017 11:44 ↓

Is everything a computer chip? Is nothing a computer chip? Jason thinks this is gonna be good. John thinks it’s obvious. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

105: Canonical Bagel Flavors 15.05.2017 18:28 ↓

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. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

104: Pizza Toppings 02.05.2017 9:39 ↓

What toppings are allowed on pizza? And what about using a knife and fork to eat pizza? There are many rules.

103: Pizza 17.04.2017 11:38 ↓

John weighs in on what makes something a pizza, including the horror of the Turkey Dinner Pizza.

102: Sandwiches 03.04.2017 8:35 ↓

Exploring what makes a sandwich, while also discussing the history of food, sandwiches as satire, and the difference between llamas and camels.

101: Supervillains 20.03.2017 10:18 ↓

John helps Jason figure out the precise moment when a villain becomes a supervillain.

100: The Robot 06.03.2017 2:19 ↓

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.)

99: Your Hosts 27.02.2017 2:54 ↓

Are John and Jason robots? All will be revealed!

98: Human Beings 20.02.2017 2:04 ↓

Could it be? Are we all robots?

97: Captchas 13.02.2017 0:51 ↓

What does a robot do when it gets to a web page with a checkbox that says “I’m not a robot”?

96: The Gate at Jabba's Palace 06.02.2017 2:55 ↓

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?

95: Autonomous Sailboats 30.01.2017 5:49 ↓

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?

94: Shardik 23.01.2017 4:13 ↓

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.

93: Nintendo R.O.B. 16.01.2017 2:49 ↓

Game controller, robot, or total embarrassment?

92: Pronunciation 09.01.2017 3:02 ↓

ˈrōˌbät or ˈrōbət?

91: Naked Robotic Core 02.01.2017 5:27 ↓

An unadorned iPhone can be a Naked Robotic Core, but is it a robot?