Barcodes

Episode notes

Alex Schmidt is joined by comedy writers/podcasters Robert Brockway and Seanbaby (1-900-HOT-DOG) for a look at why barcodes are secretly incredibly fascinating.

Visit http://sifpod.fun/ for research sources, handy links, and this week’s bonus episode.

LINKS FOR THE GUESTS:

• 1900HOTDOG
• ‘The Dogg Zzone’ podcast
• Carrier Wave by Robert Brockway
• Billy Karate by Robert Brockway (1900HOTDOG)
• “Sissyneck” is a wonderful columnist for 1900HOTDOG.
• Alex Schmidt’s page at 1900HOTDOG — Alex writes monthly columns there for your enjoyment!

RESOURCES USED TO INFORM THE EPISODE’S LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

• native-land.ca
• U.S. Department Of Arts And Culture
• The True Native New Yorkers Can Never Truly Reclaim Their Homeland (Smithsonian)
• Mapping Manahatta: 10 Lenape sites in New York City (6sqft)

RESEARCH SOURCES:

• Eureka: How Invention Happens by Gavin Weightman, excerpted by Smithsonian Magazine
• George Laurer, co-inventor of the barcode, dies at 94 (BBC News)
• The QR Code Was Left for Dead. Then the Pandemic Saved It (Popular Mechanics)
• What Do the Numbers on Barcodes Mean? (Mental Floss)
• GS1 US press release: “A New Dimension in Barcodes: Get Ready for Sunrise 2027”
• Trade Toolkit: Technology that enables trade. (Lapham’s Quarterly)
• Why the Bar Code Will Always Be the Mark of the Beast (WIRED)
• Edwards AFB Satellite Calibration Targets (Atlas Obscura)
• ‘1 Way To Make An Emoji’ podcast / bisonemojipodcast.com — this is Alex’s very personal miniseries about making the bison emoji. Episode #2 contains his interview with Greg Welch of Unicode.

Image of Woodland and Silver’s patent diagrams:

Images of 1974 Troy, Ohio code and scanner: