The Nostalgic Nerds Podcast

The first thing ever scanned at a supermarket checkout was a 67-cent pack of Juicy Fruit, in Troy, Ohio, in 1974. Now barcodes get scanned ten billion times a day, the price sticker is long gone, and the price on the shelf may soon depend on who's buying. Renee and Marc cover freight-car grime, grease pencils, the mark of the beast, and the smart cart that still wants you to hold everything up to the light. We'd love to hear from you. Click here to give us ideas on new episodes. Join Re...

What would the barcode say to you if it could talk? Would it wax poetic on its journey through the consumer landscape? Would it tell you all about the hands it passed through? No. It wouldn't. It's a barcode. Lyrics below. [Verse 1] I'm on the milk and the morning bread I'm on the pills beside your bed You carry me through every door You never looked at me before [Pre-Chorus] There's so much in me Waitin' to come free Just shine on me [Chorus] When the light hits me (when the light) Gonna t...

For centuries, even millennia, the price of storing important information has gone down as technology advances make each generation obsolete. That was mostly true until the last couple of years. Storage prices have increased drastically and it's the first time this has happened in the mechanical storage era. This generation of storage is more expensive today than it was last year. Renee and Marc, always students of history, decided to take a look into the history of storage. From clay, ...

This week's episode is all about storage. And one of the things Renee and Marc cover is reuse. Have you ever taped over a sentimental moment? Ever lost a wedding video by recording The Price is Right over the top? That's what this week's song is all about. Tune in tomorrow for our chat on storage, but enjoy that awkward moment when you realise you lost a precious memory forever. Lyrics below. [Verse 1] Had to find a tape tonight Didn't have a second spare Grabbed the one that caught my ...

Prophecy is a poor trade. The pay is parlous and nobody thanks you. A year on we went back to three predictions: precipitation, power, and proving you're a person. We prognosticated, we were patronised, and then we were proved right, which is more than we expected. Join us for prophecies, politely revisited, and a parlous state of affairs. We'd love to hear from you. Click here to give us ideas on new episodes. Join Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it tea...