How Barcodes Changed the Checkout

The dark bars on a package do not contain its price. They encode an identifying number. A scanner reads the pattern, a store computer uses the number to find the item record, and the current price comes from a database. The beep marks a successful match between a physical package and a shared information system. Historical education based on the cited record. Where origin claims are disputed, the episode distinguishes evidence from popular retellings. Sources and further reading: - National Institute of Standards and Technology, Uniform Product Code Development Report: https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/SP/nistspecialpublication870.pdf - Smithsonian National Museum of American History, N. Joseph Woodland Papers: https://sirismm.si.edu/EADpdfs/NMAH.AC.1433.pdf - GS1, Fifty Years of the Barcode: https://www.gs1.org/standards/barcodes/50-years-of-confidence-efficiency-and-power