Video - From Sand to Supermarket: The Barcode Revolution

Ever scanned a barcode? Of course you have. But did you know it all started with a circle drawn in the sand? In 1948, a college student named Bernard Silver overheard a grocery store manager asking for a way to speed up checkout lines. Inspired, he and his friend Norman Woodland got to work. One day, Norman ran his fingers through the beach and drew a series of lines—thick and thin. That sketch became the first idea for the barcode. They filed a patent, but no one cared. It took over 20 years for someone to believe in their idea. And when they did? Everything changed. Today, barcodes move billions of products around the globe. The lesson? Even the simplest idea—drawn in the sand—can shape the future… if you don’t give up.