Robot or Not?

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.

5: Emotions 04.06.2015 0:48 ↓

The greatest prog rock album ever made.

4: K-9 02.06.2015 2:12 ↓

John and Jason try to understand robot dogs. Plus, a trip through old “Doctor Who” episodes.

3: Darth Vader 29.05.2015 2:40 ↓

Cyborgs and robots and humans—how do we tell these things apart?

2: Service Kiosks 25.05.2015 4:17 ↓

John’s position on supermarket self-checkout machines, Jason’s need for beer when he visits his in-laws, and whether attaching arms to things makes them robots.

1: Mr. Roboto 22.05.2015 5:11 ↓

We explain why we’re here, and then discuss the protagonist of Styx’s 1983 album “Kilroy Was Here.”

0: Origin 07.04.2015 6:47 ↓

A flashback to past podcasts, as a way of explaining why this podcast exists.