Robot or Not?

154: American Food 01.04.2019 6:01 ↓

It all goes back to Mesopotamia. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

153: Live Action 18.03.2019 8:20 ↓

If the new “Lion King” film features CGI animals talking with other CGI animals, is it a “live-action” movie or just a different kind of animation? What about a movie like “Avengers: Infinity War”? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

152: Milk 04.03.2019 5:16 ↓

Legal news: Is Almond Milk milk? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

151: "Chick Flick" 18.02.2019 9:31 ↓

What is a “Chick Flick”? Let’s start off by taking apart the term itself. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

150: Marty the Supermarket Robot 04.02.2019 6:35 ↓

In a rare topical episode, John and Jason discuss Marty, the tall, googly-eyed robot that may soon be roaming the aisles of a supermarket near you. Does Marty meet the Roomba test? Are the googly eyes fooling anyone? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

149: Simulated Universe 21.01.2019 9:01 ↓

Is this real or are we in a video game? How can we tell the true nature of the universe? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

148: Hacker 07.01.2019 2:16 ↓

Do hackers do good, or bad, or both? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

147: Cult 24.12.2018 8:16 ↓

“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.” Merry Christmas, everybody! John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

146: GIF 10.12.2018 5:20 ↓

Choosy mothers pronounce it differently. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

145: Database 26.11.2018 3:49 ↓

Where spreadsheets and databases collide. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

144: Soup 12.11.2018 6:15 ↓

“You haven’t done soup yet, have you?” John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

143: Phones 29.10.2018 6:55 ↓

Smartphones, dumb phones, feature phones, and computers in your pocket. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

142: Toasters 15.10.2018 9:20 ↓

Slot toasters, toaster ovens, and the definitions thereof. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

141: Podcasting 01.10.2018 2:50 ↓

What makes something a podcast? OMG, are we one?! John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

140: Bread 17.09.2018 3:14 ↓

Bread is bread, but what about hot dog buns, bagels, tortillas, and pitas? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

139: Planets, and also Pluto 03.09.2018 5:34 ↓

John is given the opportunity to endorse or reject the rulings of the International Astronomical Union. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

138: Job Security 20.08.2018 8:28 ↓

John’s worked (and left) a lot of jobs. What’s his personal philosophy about job security versus going it alone as an independent? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

137: Nerds and Geeks 06.08.2018 6:16 ↓

The subtle and vexing difference between a nerd and a geek. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

136: Programming 23.07.2018 8:56 ↓

What is computer programming? And what doesn’t qualify? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

135: Reality TV 09.07.2018 8:29 ↓

When is a game show a game show, and when is it reality television? Also, we reveal our favorite reality TV show. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

134: Personal Computers 25.06.2018 9:12 ↓

Is a Mac a PC? Is an iPad a computer? Does John favor a broad definition or a narrow one? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

133: Gnocchi 11.06.2018 5:04 ↓

What makes pasta pasta? John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

132: Seasons 28.05.2018 6:21 ↓

The conundrum of seasons versus eternally pleasant weather. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

131: Savory Donuts 14.05.2018 2:06 ↓

Bagels are not donuts, people. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.

130: Sweaters 30.04.2018 2:23 ↓

Listener Ed, we’ve got bad news. John Siracusa and Jason Snell.