Robot or Not?

265: Frown 24.07.2023 4:07 ↓

☹️ John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

264: Cookie Dough 07.07.2023 10:03 ↓

If it’s never meant to make a cookie, is it still cookie dough? (Also: Peanut Butter Spread, Cheese Food, and other food labeling we have known.) John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

263: Shade 26.06.2023 2:47 ↓

This time we’re throwing shade. But do sunglasses? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

262: Keys 12.06.2023 3:48 ↓

If any device can open a door, is every device a key? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

261: Buildings 29.05.2023 5:28 ↓

A chair is not a house and house is not a home, but is a house a building? And what about gazebos? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

260: Dish v. Plate (revisited) 15.05.2023 9:54 ↓

Jason’s trip to his mother’s house makes him rethink his definition of what a dish is. Also, he gets some upsetting news about the long-term relationship between the fork and the spoon. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

259: Ports 01.05.2023 8:26 ↓

Don’t anthromorphize ports. They hate that. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

258: Beach 17.04.2023 3:31 ↓

Where do beaches exist? And what materials do they need to be comprised of? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

257: Island 03.04.2023 6:50 ↓

The difference between islands and continents, and also why Pluto can be a planet if you want to lower your standards. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

256: Stepmom 20.03.2023 6:14 ↓

Sometimes they’re wicked, sometimes not. Can an adult call a parent’s new wife a stepmom? Bonus: Can you be too old to be an orphan? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

255: Ice 06.03.2023 3:44 ↓

Listener Chris clues us into an important ice safety campaign. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

254: Shoes 20.02.2023 6:18 ↓

Shoes, socks, sandals, boots. Footwear is complicated. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

253: University 06.02.2023 3:10 ↓

What makes a university? Is it the buildings, or the people, or the big hole you throw money into? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

252: Friend of the Show 23.01.2023 6:52 ↓

Listener Rob and Listener Reiner, who are not Director Rob Reiner, want to know if they are Friends of the Show. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

251: Happy New Year 09.01.2023 4:05 ↓

Are we too late to say it? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

250: Roomba Update 26.12.2022 5:28 ↓

Some deeper questions about whether certain Roomba behavior makes it more or less of a robot. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

249: Blaine the Mono 12.12.2022 4:18 ↓

Blaine is a pain, and that is the truth. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

248: The Follow-Up Episode 28.11.2022 14:27 ↓

For the very first time, we do some housekeeping about holes, Russian robots, salad, genocide, Voltron, and available sales leads. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

247: Garlic 14.11.2022 6:06 ↓

Is garlic a vegetable, an herb, a spice, or what? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

246: Undead Zombie Spider Robots 31.10.2022 5:40 ↓

Spooky! John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

245: Werewolves 17.10.2022 4:10 ↓

If you’re a werewolf, are you a werewolf all the time? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

244: House or Boat? 03.10.2022 6:32 ↓

It’s a house, but it floats. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

243: Wheels and Doors 19.09.2022 4:54 ↓

Sometimes, everyone on the Internet wants John’s opinion. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

242: A Group of Robots 05.09.2022 2:46 ↓

When robots flock together naturally, will humans give them a name? Or will we be too busy dying? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

241: Voltron 22.08.2022 1:39 ↓

Many robots, one robot, or no robots? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.