Robot or Not?

Epizódy

• 
  359: Overseas 17.08.2026 5min

  Is a place overseas if you don’t have to go over a sea to get there?...
• 
  358: (Parenthetical) Song Titles 10.08.2026 5min

  If you can’t hear part of this episode it’s because that part was in parentheses. Thanks to (Listener) Charlie for sending in this question....
• 
  357: More Boats 03.08.2026 3min

  Listener Joseph is unclear about where rafts fit into the whole boat hierarchy. We also toss some kayaks, canoes, and submarines into the water....
• 
  356: Card Game 28.07.2026 4min

  Listener Steven makes a lot of assumptions about what games are card games, but we set him straight....
• 
  355: Hikes and Walks 13.07.2026 6min

  Listener Tim asks us about when a walk becomes a hike. Is it about topology? Degree of difficulty? Those seeking hard and fast rules may be frustrated by the result....
• 
  354: Tennis Robot (Derogatory) 07.07.2026 4min

  Just in time for Wimbledon, Listener Muhammad provides a “tennis robot” for us to judge. We issue a judgment, but we’re not particularly happy about it....
• 
  353: Stuffing/Dressing 29.06.2026 4min

  Listener Wes has a Scotland-based observation about whether baked potatoes are stuffed or dressed. Seems straightforward, innit?...
• 
  352: 'Wolf-Inspired' Robot 22.06.2026 3min

  Listener Santiago wonders if a ‘wolf-inspired’ vehicle from Kawasaki is a robot, a metal horse, or just a vehicle....
• 
  351: Cobot 15.06.2026 3min

  Listener Paul has heard the term “cobot” to refer to “collaborative robots,” but can a robot that requires a human to function really be a robot?...
• 
  350: Pasta Sauce 08.06.2026 5min

  Listener Griffin wonders what you could put on pasta that would arguably make it a sauce. John probably considers this sacrilege, but here we are....
• 
  349: Video Game 01.06.2026 5min

  Listeners Mark and Matt wants to know if everything on a screen is a video game. Jason ponders the idea that a PDF printout of a crossword puzzle could be a video game. John says that he is being silly and he should take these questions more seriously....
• 
  348: Colloquial Robot 25.05.2026 2min

  Listener Matt has caught John in a trap, because once on ATP John referred to something as a robot that is not a robot. Does John use his own definitions in real life? Are podcasts real life? What is the meaning of this?!...
• 
  347: Official 18.05.2026 5min

  Unofficial Fan of “Robot or Not” Alexander wants to know what makes something official. Why are David Smith’s transcripts of The Talk Show “unofficial” if John Gruber links to them?...
• 
  346: Pizza Wheel 11.05.2026 1min

  Listener Ed doesn’t keep his pizza wheel in his knife, but it’s got a blade and cuts things. What makes a knife a knife?...
• 
  345: Wearable Robot 04.05.2026 1min

  Listener Caleb saw an ergonomics assistance backpack at a trade show, advertised as a robot. Can you wear… a robot?...
• 
  344: Look-Up 27.04.2026 3min

  Listener Jason used ChatGPT to find information that answered a colleague’s question. But did he “look it up?”...
• 
  343: Pizza Robot 20.04.2026 7min

  Live from Estes Park, Colorado, listener Kyle has eaten at a pizza place where his food was delivered via a robot! But… is it a robot, or not? After a swift verdict, John and Jason then spend far more time digging deep on Antonio’s Pizza and what sort of pizza it provides to the people of Colorado....
• 
  342: Superhero Naming Conventions 13.04.2026 4min

  Listener Joshua is really focused on the grammar of Superhero and Supervillain names. Is Batman a bat? Does Doctor Doom have an advanced degree? Can Rogue keep her name while joining the X-Men? Are there any rules at all?...
• 
  341: Life on the Moon (and Mars?) 07.04.2026 2min

  Listener Jack seeks a true definition of what it means when we say “humans will live on the Moon (or Mars).” Does a brief visit count? Do you need to grow your own potatoes?...
• 
  340: Out of Pocket 23.03.2026 3min

  Listener Tom really wants us to explain what it means if someone is “out of pocket.” This leads to some existential questions about the pocket and the people who may not be in it....