Robot or Not?
Hosted by John Siracusa and Jason Snell
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.
310 Arc
Listener Victor brings us a question from another “or Not?” podcast about how many points are required to make something a story, episode, or character arc.
Previous Episodes
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March 10, 2025
309 Flying
Listeners Joshua and Matthias want to know about flying in (or on) an airplane.
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February 24, 2025
308 Gibson Robot Guitar
Listener Jason (not that one) wants to know if the Gibson Robot Guitar is just trying to jump on the robot bandwagon as a form of fancy marketing.
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February 10, 2025
307 Sandwich Legal Update II
Two listeners have requested that we revisit recent court and podcast rulings regarding the definition of a sandwich. Also, Jason details his meager high-school lunch.
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January 27, 2025
306 Roomba-like Items
In the end, the Grain Weevils and robot lawn mowers come for us all.
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January 13, 2025
305 Console
Is a Game Boy a game console? What about a Switch? Can a handheld gaming device also be a console? What makes something a console?
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December 30, 2024
304 Calendar Year
Listener Alexander has seen through the calendar’s deceptions and wants to know why any old day couldn’t be the start of a new year. When does the year begin in our hearts?
(Happy New Year, everyone!)
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December 16, 2024
303 Tipping
Listener Ben and his sister-in-law have come up with a sophisticated system of rules for when and when not to leave a gratuity. But someone else may have his own rules.
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December 2, 2024
302 Sandwich Legal Update
Many listeners are concerned about recent legal rulings that suggest tacos and burritos are sandwiches. But we all know who the real voice of authority is.
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November 18, 2024
301 Fan/Light
Listener Patrick is concerned about taxonomy, most particularly involving fans that are also lights.
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November 4, 2024
300 Fast Food
There are so many different ways to define fast food. Is pizza fast food? Also, Jason has a story about the Shake Shake in the Minneapolis airport.