John Siracusa

Siracusa Says

A fun collection of things John Siracusa has said on podcasts

People Are Not Thumb Drives

You can't transfer your memories to a baby, and even if you could, the baby would not be you.

Podcast: Robot or Not?
Episode: 192: Backup Brain
Time Location: 00:02:25

John: Trying to transfer your memories to a baby, that doesn’t make any sense, and it doesn’t change the baby into you, even if you could do it.

Jason: So premise rejected.

John: Mmm-hmmm.

Jason: Sorry, Vitor, I tried.

John: People are not thumb drives.

These Birds Are Out Of Control

Birds poop on John and steal sandwiches out of his hand while he's eating them.

Podcast: Accidental Tech Podcast
Episode: 495: Five Points For Smell
Time Location: 01:16:07

While this is happening, I’m eating my sandwich. We make our own little sandwiches and bring them to the beach. I’m eating my sandwich, and a bird comes from behind me, in the air, and takes a bite of my sandwich that is in my hand, that I am in the process of eating. He didn’t get the sandwich because I grabbed it as they went away, but he took a bite out of it. And of course now I have to throw out that whole sandwich because it’s got bird bite on it, alright? I don’t want the bird slobber. It’s in my hand, right?

That happened to I think one other person so the new move was while we’re eating lunch, hold your food close to your chest and be aware that the nearest bird may be behind you. We’re watching in front of us, we’re watching all these birds, watching them or whatever, I thought I was covered.

And there was an umbrella too, the thing flew like under the umbrella, over my shoulder, over the back of the seat, and you know, while still flying went aah-chomp! and tried to grab the sandwich out of my hand.

These birds are out of control. I don’t know what has gotten into them. They’re not afraid anymore, and they’re poopin’ on us, and they’re stealing our food out of our hands while we eat it.

Micro-level

Nothing in John's house is level.

Podcast: Accidental Tech Podcast
Episode: 494: Ultra-Wideband Park Bench
Time Location: 01:25:02

I do like this stand, it’s served me well. It’s got glass shelves, holds everything up pretty well. I did micro-level it because of course nothing in my house is level.

It’s mostly level. If you put a level on it and look at the little bubble, it’s between the two lines. But is it in the middle between the two lines? Almost!

The Hole

A hole is not a tube.

Podcast: Robot or Not?
Episode: 240: Holes in a Straw
Time Location: 00:01:30

The hole is the top surface, the hole is not the interior, right?

Like if you’re inside a cave, right, the cave is the inside part, but you could go through a hole to get into the cave.

No Blooming

John buys a new TV and his family is not impressed.

Podcast: Accidental Tech Podcast
Episode: 494: Ultra-Wideband Park Bench
Time Location: 1:22:10

So anyway, I give the whole experience a big thumbs up. I am much more excited and impressed by this television than anyone else in my family, I can tell you that. They don’t care.

I showed them the footage of the honey dripping onto the thing on a black background… how are you not impressed by that? There’s no blooming, it’s HDR, every pixel is individually lit up!

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