John Siracusa and Jason Snell

Robot or Not?

Society EN ↓ 356 episodes

Jason Snell asks John Siracusa to rule on the meaning of various words and concepts. It’s not just about robots anymore. Have a question for John? Email robot@theincomparable.com.

Author

John Siracusa and Jason Snell

Category

Society

Podcast website

www.theincomparable.com

Latest episode

Jul 7, 2026

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Episodes

55: The Tin Woodman 25.04.2016

If he only had a heart.

54: T-1000 18.04.2016

It’s made of liquid metal.

53: Tamagotchi 11.04.2016

Is it even a game? What if you had a video game that featured a robot?

52: The Robots of "Destiny" 04.04.2016

From Bungie’s bestselling video game, Ghosts, Exos, Rasputin, and other things that might be robots.

51: Lego Simulated Worm Toy 28.03.2016

A software model of a flatworm, piloting a Lego Mindstorms toy.

50: The Matrix 21.03.2016

Agents and Oracles and Architects from the “Matrix” trilogy.

49: Chatbots 14.03.2016

They listen to us and talk back. But is that enough?

48: Replicants 07.03.2016

Roy Batty, Pris, and all the rest. They’ve seen the Tannhauser Gate, but are they robots?

47: Thomas and Friends 29.02.2016

Living rail cars in Sodor.

46: Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo 22.02.2016

The bots from “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”

45: Nanobots 15.02.2016

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.

44: The Internet of Things 08.02.2016

Security expert Bruce Schneier said the Internet of Things was a robot, but what does John think? You can probably guess.

43: Daleks and Cybermen 01.02.2016

Two enemies wrapped in metal shells from “Doctor Who” face their ultimate foe—the judgment of John Siracusa.

42: Prince Robot IV 25.01.2016

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.

41: Burritos 18.01.2016

This one seems to have gotten in by mistake.

40: Swimming Pool Cleaners 11.01.2016

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?

39: Cars (from "Cars") 04.01.2016

If the cars in Pixar’s “Cars” movies aren’t cars, what are they, and where did they come from?

38: Podcasts 28.12.2015

Just in time for the holidays, some existential questions. Also, could a robot be on a podcast?

37: Clockwork Droids 21.12.2015

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..?

36: Iron Man, Ultron, and Vision 14.12.2015

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.

35: Herbie The Love Bug 07.12.2015

A Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of his own!

34: Aperture Science 30.11.2015

GlaDOS, Wheatley, turrets, cubes, spheres and more.

33: Vicki from "Small Wonder" 23.11.2015

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.

32: Lobot 16.11.2015

Cloud City’s majordomo from “The Empire Strikes Back” is in the spotlight.

31: robots.txt 09.11.2015

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!

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