Robot Or Not?

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?