Barcodes are everywhere. Those little lines and numbers that make up one of the most recognizable barcodes, the UPC, was designed to make going to the grocery a lot less miserable. It ended up becoming the central symbol of the global economy.
# Stuff You Should Know: Barcodes
Josh and Chuck dive deep into the surprisingly fascinating history of barcodes and how they revolutionized grocery shopping and inventory management. From a frustrated grocery store manager in 1940s Philadelphia who inspired the first barcode designs to the iconic first scan of a pack of Juicy Fruit gum in 1974, they explore how this simple system solved major logistical nightmares. Along the way, you'll learn how the modern barcode beats out some genuinely creative competition, what those black and white lines actually mean, and why the price you see on the register isn't actually encoded into the barcode itself.
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