Why do barcodes have 666

Joe Woodland invented the bar code -- that collection of lines and numbers used to ring up your groceries every time you visit the supermarket -- and after the longtime IBMer passed away earlier this month at the age of 91, the response from certain parts of the web was all too predictable.

Revelation is the final book of the Bible's New Testament, and among other things, it foretells an apocalypse in which a beast will rise from the earth, rain fire from the heavens, and lay his mark on all of humankind -- a mark used to buy and sell. When the first UPC scanners arrived in the early s, according to various IBMers who worked on the project, there were protests at grocery stores -- even though the codes appeared on Coke cans and jars of applesauce, not right hands and foreheads.

And in the years that followed, an urban legend arose , warning gullible types that the number was hidden in each bar code. George Laurer -- who designed the bar code as we know it today, expanding on Woodland's original idea -- once received a letter via registered mail from someone who claimed to be Satan and asked Laurer how it felt to have carried out his orders.

Laurer -- who has clearly tired of answering questions about the UPC and its supposed connection to the Book of Revelation -- calls all this "ludicrous. Laurer has long told UPC watchers that the three longer "guide bars" in each code -- one at the front, one in the middle, and one at the end -- do not represent 6's, hoping to put that urban legend to rest.

But you can't squash human nature. If someone wants to find proof that the apocalypse is upon us, they will find it. When Joe Woodland dreamed up the bar code in the late s, it looked like a bull's-eye -- a series of concentric circles. Need Help? Just Ask! Call Speak to an ID Expert. Live Chat Now! Sign up for our Exclusive Deals and Newsletter now You'll never miss a deal again. One of the most common questions we receive from new customers is about order fulfillment.

Barcode Myths Debunked Manufacturers and retailers all over the world use barcodes to help them identify their products. Advancements in contactless technology has led businesses to search for the best solution that encou Best Prices in the Industry.

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Here are a couple of images that best illustrate this: This shows us that the guard bars definitely DO NOT represent the number 6. Barcodes vs. ID Dictionary. Do you have questions about ID card issuance? We have answers! UPC guard bars, however, are just reference points that scanners use when decoding a barcode. So now you know. If you still prefer to believe that UPC barcodes contain you can always play it safe by never, ever buying anything with a UPC barcode.

Stay safe out there!