How The Barcode Was Invented

kept by lunacat sep 22

The barcode, conceived in 1948 by Drexel students Woodland and Silver, was standardized as the UPC and first scanned in 1974, revolutionizing product identification and tracking.

Hire Every Engineer Like You'd Hire a VP
The article argues that engineering hiring should mirror executive searches by defining a ranked scope, leveraging targeted network queries, and prioritizing candidate fit over volume‑based funnels.
also on IBM
A 50-year-old computer-assisted proof
The 1976 computer-assisted proof of the four‑color theorem by Appel and Haken, later formalized in Coq, marks the first major theorem proven with computer help.
also on IBM
FUN: First-Class Functions, Currying, and a Surprise
Adding first-class functions to a LET interpreter with call-by-value leads to dynamic scoping, mirroring a historical Lisp bug discovered by Slagle.
also on #history
Your Book Review: The Tale Of Genji - by Scott Alexander
The reviewer contends that The Tale of Genji’s Heian-era court culture, beauty ideals, and gender norms make it opaque to modern readers, insisting that detailed footnotes are necessary for comprehension.
also on #history