Robot or Not?

Living rail cars in Sodor.

The bots from “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”

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.

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

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

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.

This one seems to have gotten in by mistake.

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?

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

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

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..?

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.

A Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of his own!

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

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.

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

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!

We take you back to the days of “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” to debate the show’s two artificial sidekicks.

That little guy from “Short Circuit.”

The blue box from “Doctor Who” might be sentient, might be alive, but is it a robot?

V’ger and the Ilia probe, both from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”. Also, John complains about fake skin on androids.

The metal robots (and their fleshy successors) from the old and new “Battlestar Galactica.”

What would a toaster have to do in order to be a robot? This episode introduces Siracusa’s Law, which somehow involves kitchen countertops.

The bigfoot/sasquatch from “The Six Million Dollar Man.”

From golf carts on Mars to New Horizons flying past Pluto, these are impressive machines, but are they robots?

He tried to hitch his way across the country, but was dismembered in Philadelphia. Image by archier on Flickr.

Are droids robots? Do they have rights? Is the Empire based on a robo-slave economy?

Are we seriously talking about magic here?

Your plastic pal who’s fun to be with!

Is an android a robot?

I know now why you humans cry.

So-called intelligent agents.

From “Ghost in the Shell,” a human brain in a mechanical body. And what about uploaded brains and bodies?

Big robots with people inside, as seen in “Shogun Warriors” and “Pacific Rim.”

Like the song says.

The main computer of the USS Enterprise.

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.”

Honda’s ASIMO, Sony’s AIBO, and other cute things that can do The Robot dance. Also, our Radio Shack memories.

Look for the union label.

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?

They’re funny, but are they robots?

Pondering sentient Google cars, Johnny Cab, and autopilots.

The greatest prog rock album ever made.

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

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

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.

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

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