How do QR codes work? The checkerboard patterns taking over the world, demystified. Go to https://Saily.com/veritasium and use the code ‘veritasium’ to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. Special thanks to Mashiro Hara and Yuki Watanabe. 00:00 I was wrong 00:49 How Morse Code revolutionized communication 03:57 How barcodes work 10:34 How QR codes store information 18:16 Why damaged QR codes still work 29:54 Why are QR codes so common? 31:21 How safe are QR codes? 32:25 The future of QR codes If you’re looking for a molecular modeling kit, try Snatoms, a kit I invented where the atoms snap together magnetically. https://snatoms.com/ ▀▀▀ References: https://ve42.co/QRCodeRefs Images & Video: 1940’s grocery store - H.I.C - https://ve42.co/1940sShop Why Americans Are Obsessed With Peanut Butter via Youtube - https://ve42.co/PeanutButter1 Jif Peanut Butter 90s Commercial (1998) via Youtube - https://ve42.co/PeanutButter2 Vericode Symbol via Youtube - https://ve42.co/VericodeSymbol Oreo introduces Sour Patch Kids cookies via YouTube - https://ve42.co/OreaSour BSE - Changes in Behaviour via YouTube - https://ve42.co/BSE QR Code with Drones | Firefly Drone Show via YouTube - https://ve42.co/DroneQRCode Damaged barcode 1 by christiaangpr via Reddit - https://ve42.co/DamagedBarcode1 Damaged barcode 2, Midcom service group https://ve42.co/DamagedBarcode2 Oskana, G and Petkova, A. (2020 July 1). Testing a nano-barcodes marking technology for identification and protection of the mechanical products, Fig. 1 - https://ve42.co/MatrixCodes NASA Celebrates 40 Years of the Voyager Mission via Nasa.gov - https://ve42.co/Voyager40Yr Apollo footage via Nasa.gov - https://ve42.co/ApolloFootage Snake in a QR code by MattKC via mattkc.com - https://ve42.co/SnakeQR Scratched CD by Ice3yes via Reddit - https://ve42.co/ScratchedCD Alfred Vail Portrait via si.edu - https://ve42.co/AlfredVail Bernard Silver Portrait vai invent.org - https://ve42.co/BernardSilver Norman Joseph Woodland Portrait via usatoday.com https://ve42.co/NormanWoodland Masahiro Hara portrait via denso.com https://ve42.co/MasahiroPhoto Cooke and Wheatstone telegraph patents via Wikipedia: https://ve42.co/TelegraphPatent1 https://ve42.co/TelegraphPatent2 https://ve42.co/TelegraphPatent3 https://ve42.co/TelegraphPatent4 https://ve42.co/TelegraphPatent5 https://ve42.co/TelegraphPatent6 5 needle telegraph via cachesleuth.com- https://ve42.co/NeedleTelegraph ▀▀▀ Special thanks to our Patreon supporters: Adam Foreman, Albert Wenger, Anton Ragin, Balkrishna Heroor, Bertrand Serlet, Bill Linder, Blake Byers, Bruce, Dave Kircher, David Johnston, Evgeny Skvortsov, Garrett Mueller, Gnare, I. H., Jack Cuprill, John H. Austin, Jr., Juan Benet, KeyWestr, Kirill Shore, Kyi, Lee Redden, Marinus Kuivenhoven, Matthias Wrobel, Meekay, Michael Krugman, Orlando Bassotto, Paul Peijzel, Reed Spilmann, Richard Sundvall, Sam Lutfi, TTST, Tj Steyn, Ubiquity Ventures, gpoly, john kiehl, meg noah, wolfee ▀▀▀ Directed by Sumeet Kulkarni Written by Sumeet Kulkarni and Derek Muller Edited by Peter Nelson and Luke Molloy Animated by David Szakaly, Fabio Albertelli, James Finnemore, Ivy Tello Illustrations by Jakub Misiek, Emma Wright Filmed by Derek Muller and Raquel Nuno Additional Research by Gabriel Strong Produced by Sumeet Kulkarni, Derek Muller, Rob Beasley Spence, Emily Lazard, Tori Brittain, Emily Zhang Thumbnail contributions by Peter Sheppard, Ren Hurley, David Szakaly, Gregor Čavlović, Raquel Nuno Additional video/photos supplied by Getty Images and Story Blocks Music from Epidemic Sound