The Nostalgic Nerds Podcast

Renee Murphy, Marc Massar

5.0 (4)
Technology

A podcast exploring the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now.

1d ago

S3E07 - Price Check

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 Renee and Marc as they discuss the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
1d ago · Bonus

S3E07 Bonus - When the Light Hits Me

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 tell you all I know Every mile and every hand Everywhere I've had to go When the light hits me [Verse 2] I rode a truck from Tennessee I waited weeks in Aisle Three I've seen the loading dock at dawn I know the hands that passed me on [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 tell you all I know Every mile and every hand Everywhere I've had to go When the light hits me [Bridge] Here it comes I see it red Everything I never said Closer now It's findin' me Oh, this is it Now you'll see [Final Chorus] When the light hits me (when the light) Gonna tell you all I know Every mile and every hand Everywhere I've had to go When the light hits me When the light hits me [outro] Oh (oh) Seven, two, four (seven, two, four) One, oh, six (one, oh, six) Eight, three, nine (eight, three, nine) One... five [Outro - spoken] Huh. ...I thought there'd be more. 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 teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Sep 24

S3E06 - Out of Space

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, to papyrus, to parchment, to sticks, and beyond into the modern era. Grab a frosty beverage and relax as we briefly tour the history of storing information. And losing some of it too. 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 teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Sep 23 · Bonus

S3E06 Bonus - Taped Over

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 sight Never saw your writin' there [Pre-Chorus] Pushed it in Pressed record Walked away Never thought no more [Chorus] Taped over (taped over) Lord, I taped over Every word we said that day Every promise gone away Taped over (taped over) And I can't get it back [Verse 2] Came our wedding day again Poured us both a glass of wine Put it on at half past ten Lady screamin', "That one's mine!" [Pre-Chorus] Bells all ring Wheel goes round Crowd goes wild Come on, come on down [Chorus] Taped over (taped over) Lord, I taped over Every word we said that day Every promise gone away Taped over (taped over) And I can't get it back [Bridge] Your daddy's toast Your sister's song The first slow dance We got all wrong Your grandma's tears The second row Now nothin' left To ever show [Final Chorus] Taped over (taped over) Lord, I taped over Every word we said that day Every promise gone away Taped over (taped over) And there ain't no gettin' it back 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 teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Sep 17

S3E05 - A (sort of) Clip Show

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 teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Sep 16 · Bonus

S3E05 Bonus - It Got Worse

Every once in a while, Renee and Marc go back and talk about things from previous episodes that have changed over the last year or so. In this episode, they decided to share that conversation with everyone else. Mostly because things that they predicted in previous episodes came true. What prognostications did they make? Tune in to hear all about it. But, as usual, they pulled together a song that represented the episode. And it seems that everything they talked about this week just..got...worse. So, come have a listen. Lyrics below: [Verse 1] Hey, I got to tell you Went away a little while Comin' on home, feet back on the ground Hopin' to see how the world went round But every time I'm lookin' It's the same all the time [Chorus] It got worse (worse) Oh, it got worse (worse) Why, oh why are they tellin' me it's all fine When all I see It got worse [Verse 2] Went out to the river Where it used to run so high Fella says it's for everyone's sake Says the more they take the more we make And the whole town is grinnin' So I just nod and smile [Chorus] It got worse (worse) Oh, it got worse (worse) Why, oh why are they tellin' me it's all fine When all I see It got worse [Verse 3] Went and looked at the sky Like I done here all my life They sent the balloons up twice a day Nobody's sendin' 'em up today So I ask what happens now And nobody replies [Chorus] It got worse (worse) Oh, it got worse (worse) Why, oh why are they tellin' me it's all fine When all I see It got worse [Verse 4] Went to buy me a ride Like I done a thousand times Thing already knows me and it shows Still it makes me tell it what it knows Give a piece of my brain Just to prove I'm alive [Chorus] It got worse (worse) Oh, it got worse (worse) Why, oh why are they tellin' me it's all fine When all I see It got worse 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 teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Sep 9

S3E04 - The Meter in the Basement

The Gas Meter. Wait, what? We're doing an episode about gas meters? That's pretty nerdy even for Renee and Marc isn't it? Yes. It ticks all the Nostalgic Nerds Podcast check-boxes. It's invisible infrastructureIt's got a neat historyCool, science-y stuffReplacing with new "smart" techWhat do you know about the gas meter in your basement, or on a wall on the side of your house? Come have a listen and learn a bit about this invisible piece of tech that did its job for 180 years before anyone thought to replace it. 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 teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.
Sep 8 · Bonus

S3E04 Bonus - Never Broken

Tune in Thursday for this week's episode all about Gas Meters. You know we love invisible infrastructure and the gas meter is one of those things that worked for 180 years with very little change...and now natural gas is fading out very slowly in residential use and the meter infrastructure is changing too. Ok, maybe gas meters don't sound fun...but Renee and Marc always bring the laughs and this week is no different. Lots of great knowledge this week. So, this week's bonus song, "Never Broken," is all about the meter that did its job, but now the job isn't there anymore. It's being replaced with infrastructure that is part of the connected world. Lyrics down below: [Verse 1] Started countin’ back in fifty-two Bolted to the wall No one ever came to look Nobody at all [Verse 2] No wire. No battery All I got is that gas line Seventy years of countin' I got it right every time [Chorus] I did my job (did my job) I did it right. I never lied. Never broke. Not a single night But that job's moved on Breathin' and countin' Just ain't good enough no more [Bridge] There's a new job now Peak load Count down Software Real time Smart grid Rate plan Watchin' all the time [Verse 3] Van come Tuesday mornin' Two men and a key Read my dials one last time Then that was it for me [Bridge 2] Time of use Load profile Intervals Remote read Disconnect Override Now they got a word for me Legacy End of life Scrap value Nobody's comin' back for me [Final Chorus] I did my job (did my job) I did it right. I never lied. Never broke. Not a single night But that job's moved on They don't need me now I was never broken [Outro] I did my job I did my job Never broken 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 teaches us about now. email us at nostalgicnerdspodcast@gmail.com Come visit us at https://www.nostalgicnerdspodcast.com/episodes or wherever you get your podcasts. Merch is available on the site too. It helps cover the cost of the podcast.

5

out of 5

4 Ratings

A podcast exploring the history of technology, and what it teaches us about now.

Creator

Renee Murphy, Marc Massar
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

85
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2026 The Nostalgic Nerds Podcast
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