John Siracusa and Jason Snell
Robot or Not?
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
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jul 7, 2026
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Episodes
30: Twiki and Dr. Theopolis 02.11.2015 6:11
We take you back to the days of “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” to debate the show’s two artificial sidekicks.
29: Johnny 5 26.10.2015 1:47
That little guy from “Short Circuit.”
28: The TARDIS 19.10.2015 4:43
The blue box from “Doctor Who” might be sentient, might be alive, but is it a robot?
27: V'ger 12.10.2015 9:34
V’ger and the Ilia probe, both from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”. Also, John complains about fake skin on androids.
26: Cylons 05.10.2015 9:59
The metal robots (and their fleshy successors) from the old and new “Battlestar Galactica.”
25: Home Appliances 28.09.2015 3:58
What would a toaster have to do in order to be a robot? This episode introduces Siracusa’s Law, which somehow involves kitchen countertops.
24: Sasquatch 21.09.2015 6:25
The bigfoot/sasquatch from “The Six Million Dollar Man.”
23: Space Probes 14.09.2015 3:13
From golf carts on Mars to New Horizons flying past Pluto, these are impressive machines, but are they robots?
22: Hitchbot 07.09.2015 1:54
He tried to hitch his way across the country, but was dismembered in Philadelphia. Image by archier on Flickr.
21: Droids 31.08.2015 6:15
Are droids robots? Do they have rights? Is the Empire based on a robo-slave economy?
20: Pinocchio 24.08.2015 4:51
Are we seriously talking about magic here?
19: Marvin the Paranoid Android 17.08.2015 2:24
Your plastic pal who’s fun to be with!
18: Commander Data 11.08.2015 6:00
Is an android a robot?
17: The Terminator 03.08.2015 3:18
I know now why you humans cry.
16: Siri 27.07.2015 0:57
So-called intelligent agents.
15: The Major 20.07.2015 2:24
From “Ghost in the Shell,” a human brain in a mechanical body. And what about uploaded brains and bodies?
14: Jaegers 13.07.2015 4:14
Big robots with people inside, as seen in “Shogun Warriors” and “Pacific Rim.”
13: Transformers 07.07.2015 3:45
Like the song says.
12: USS Enterprise 02.07.2015 3:26
The main computer of the USS Enterprise.
11: KITT 29.06.2015 6:26
The “Knight Rider” car is cool, but is it a robot? What about KITT’s evil twin, KARR? Also, the dark pre-history of Pixar’s “Cars.”
10: ASIMO 25.06.2015 2:56
Honda’s ASIMO, Sony’s AIBO, and other cute things that can do The Robot dance. Also, our Radio Shack memories.
9: Assembly-Line Robots 22.06.2015 3:50
Look for the union label.
8: Roomba 19.06.2015 3:53
Does a self-guided vacuum cleaner cross John’s minimum bar for a robot? And what does that have to do with ants and dogs?
7: Telepresence Robots 15.06.2015 0:53
They’re funny, but are they robots?
6: Self-Driving Cars 10.06.2015 5:26
Pondering sentient Google cars, Johnny Cab, and autopilots.
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