2023-05-27 | [radiclock]
next: Atomic Clock
lol so random
As part of my atomic clock project I also produce random numbers (why not). Radioactive decay is a well known method to generate true randomness because no one can predict which or when an atom will decay. This technique was used for years in the famous HotBits project which is sadly shut down as of 2023. I have a radioactive sample of my own, but, there's a ways to go from a Geiger counter to a number. How does this work?
I actually have 2 sensors; one is a classic Geiger–Müller tube, and the other is PIN-diode based. I collect random numbers from each. I didn't know quite what to do with the numbers I collected, so I figured I would publish them live.
The 2 detectors are set up to generate random bits at around the same rate - about 32 bytes every 55 seconds. The full 1024 byte frames shown and linked below will update about once every half hour. Therefore, please do not spam us with requests. Also, be sure to check the ISO 8601 timestamp at the start of each file, and make sure it's somewhat close to the current time. If it isn't, the project is either broken, or you are getting a cached copy (check your browser).
Also, a most important note: the data listed here is published globally, not individually, like HotBits or random.org. In other words, it is not unique to you. I highly recommend you do not use this for security purposes as it it possible another party may have a copy of the data.
From the GM tube (hex format):
2026-08-20T05:36:51.051538+00:00 4509b5f00132e6fe7242a44896ae4747d95ab60da061b468cb9fecf3684dccdf 4fe8f59d4fb88975ef3d4cddd3263d2c4f13fbbf24f66db8653f56f60e1c42f7 1613be85d3f02ed3883209aa4835851a35e78dcb1261fb8dee6c451f601a0938 312e00fe39036e2897cdc82421509617190db4fdde88edb50a518573abe04a09 e1ba11ab41771d4a050375d2b9a2e2865be66a4f73536aa13c33bf9488a71dad 1e36c2ea61de08e62f32d114491be645a9d013b8ae587a33174f93dec3029cdd 1b23496d8552688310ad48d644e6a98c660f6912107d52733f81ccae15d5ca70 f5dda6b1c94c7ca7e00f213a0ed9f75b16b97d5f38bdefb4e74d927ab966aa3f 24be5d540d3363bbb7ea52aaf5034480e3d3123c3f966434e96b8bbaeb0472ad a222f4240b82de9f6eaefd977085b8d17185246fa94d2814f2dab30f32e5e5c5 980dc896e3efd0d8457f21237f0ff4cf6fe235e30a5501d242808eb49356976f 5a897b2c1bf10524df3830b47234046a2b0c93a7d5bb832c2bed725cfc828072 87e70f178ab2083c1357c62f111965c2537648b932f2cbe2257d092c258a34f6 985c1d8b9f99ef460d832aed086f9aff8b052dbdc810a8a6f537be5b112b9981 bbeb174f4dd39802bbf6d4beade7325757a3aa2e6be811a744d79555f4ccdcd3 faf403a866c2d228e76377f097a92ba6e236f5d4b9313ff8bf697afc18cf89f0 b227f1d9a01d4d5538a6bfbab32a2d2fc1c7f8ef1734430c07a290010c2d69b5 79a3ab9e4e2c317692310003c6b7e0dd993499a11727b97c3ae309229e60ed49 694cd47a8178456fd40153bd003a0170ba2eb44d87526cf530330772b7b3e991 76c41c16b58e2495240ab7be839a3a745a8c0adce3acdbddac4cfa30610e6bdd 54139ca39619092a04df26deaf0a46face7b801ce89851bb3f11d9771da6d1f6 3888aedf30330ad0b35c5bb65dd1836a2ccb18b3a90738a7306927860f2d9532 0aa3bb02094b9b0b358c458f46140bf66be7ea12b2d89122a3d16c11d8588fb6 5996dcdd0e1dd728b6bf6a922e463b90cef6b56a3a04fc6c4b41929004ee046c 7dc870328cdb9aac6d5df3b9ccb8644cce72fc990d82d40cb704fec78ba565d4 7cb07b8fc417cfc4f6059b086937085b2bc06e77fa779e3a7e77b25d819497a6 c29c95f6bba7c6a25a2fe6b7cc388d1287b036bae9e5347eda1f08e5b25e9c1f 303617aeb5f26c5715671c651e76ba46cdcdb730e1f37b97930ce568e39faf5a c42155ed956d7a86a3bbbba83a4cf4d1d995a113742406de050a20f0d509e107 feab619ae238c36fe25110b8d62a51887ed9c62dd9aa55a7d107a4042dbf5d54 94711670ca7e4d0e30b4aae9012e6ee26cc9ce42bbd7b615a3fcb2b5ba7bda21 3814a704aac05abfbe7f15ebaaed0ef303bc6697ff1147c156d36f6e0213735c
From the PIN diode (hex format):
2026-08-20T05:37:30.251921+00:00 f9ba197be2047b961365929a301c94038749d1c9aa15935f91b8d8a9f2afd73c 2cd712ffc6ac175f85c41e6b796dffca9f5e993337e550b951dc1bd0d1f13d3e 9588f38c99cab098c3525435092a214a02ba50d696861e11b92264d2e800c305 48d2a337169558f196792cdfda24ee05a3e6ecf101a370419e70c7c64c09da07 e21a3e11a7be9a5a52433b02dee1a7d70565fa4858b41897922e6bab18a20abe 3eaf3f2e8e4fe3846194a367ba7f9fa718ec2a201c1768a2b27eeb34c74f8336 c9a4a62850205c839df9cd3660857ed83bba2f91af2804e734b3d6ab37ddd90c 4a67ed7793554c1d037448c83f3f6afad4319603b77f3bfdbf39440bfc4e5e03 4a85df694afed1e3e653ab86e2695954031188fe1d49995dbda5f1821f7125e8 dbbe6873752ac5d02cce053fa3545ef963d8691f3f2e279e9de34708dcdb1cf6 efe61a2174f58c0ae953b1bf90710d9c25f4891db471603d4af63802d1d27024 b58e33b6701190614d83fbebb4305df25cb98e7ffa2fc0cabf259aed9bc6c3f3 47df4e2338449500128f2a4ace0a9bd197624967e58edec2136828d8d6475fb4 b536ec3897df939dfe6c6212fcddcce6eb8e0e0b310c57a6c1cf43031f28581e d4b7e013692daccacef912057adcd94eb7713ff931a96c739349d1d12c115259 c50d0a8be665d3c707c990a42d302d0e57ef3bc1f16af63ac2d05b0c89660b07 f5e396dc5a6fe9494ed61dd5c738eec5655ef24477d3e318816b0d1b5565f8a7 367b0e686f134cc53f3ccad196f0632077d04638380056be81030c365872eea2 1fde27f2b5fca74ddb285459583c37eb4b708f7f8379d1e245748fc5ebf6a3ac 01cc571fe3b14d9fae9e7a6bd6f449b4924a4fb7b9f2145abed744eaf183f304 85d49d39666b8c8e47e5e53461d82a5bda1ccf113eaf9a6710936c6b0b9899c5 348cc0298995855682467f97936904efb3b83a4c0c2d3c81bdd110c480a58d30 ccf1d2da3dec0789040c80dfd9cb927249bfbb083f8d509843a5630b0845d4ef 5756d2ab96dbd9146b770c7e319ec89458fa49c4128f32616391c4ed00f21847 8857eb42fab96bb63488fbf144694da731767bcdfa9c306fae98c1445393961a a93e42fea7549d32e5a812da97b62098ef37261ad97a835932f32af5937cb054 abd176d95d4f02d7e481997c436a4694f99e6fa2d82d6c31f80df0c203a5fbc4 517b990ff78fd61f7623270d225cb397c68cdef646ee4570afc016d2cd0e2ad1 e8c41503c9c142a023e795baf72214155bcb87b382fa57bdad13f1dcae19ec1d 4adb1cf811436746002e1b8c2e341e6673bc8202efa8e1cd4e456536d1c518af 698e5e0377ade7dfe1a0ad54388923719c04c70bf9a1d37cf7751b6ef9cd4e9a fcfa502d1b15612989c892b4125f7b47cfbadddca9638db62b5bab071fe72098
Ok, so you want decimal digits instead? I've come up with this technique:
To determine where to make the cut, look up the binomial distribution probability. It's already built into spreadsheets as BINOM.DIST, which is what I used.
From the GM tube (digits):
2026-08-20T05:36:51.051538+00:00 69098101501466647250747171908213609780045904777957 79843717617638614479199136098401638614286622199033 46365009707253332653411897410869319626095649460057 03104051363380502325138036811081331571740986177165 19297405031785623491067915830661605191483667297330 54949708475020732769691984748822512379479502562735 73093382043116737268694002150518162582156329742112 66777624671533581491228525955689807746228502706336 90938413519987838270036828186063500052073986041473 62343611305910745112338413333611697740207915509752 13506927333527151153108501662842804786511190372344 27053656488014520406431247678731444314923028143515 23387808601987984717250194831872855037250944373852 52922939595370133142081154390545891668665590911743 53298723797752028790735087876370460717676849850368 02944099195169436654854963910522243778396029778556 66918679424547939923526712076244011245058121637158 78444918464900039883535253612339852458093458967305 76222920691101838900580112864680773582084851071483 79451896282281423649361083903154581690401072727648 97140784195663502509420438751070232828528187631719 29665636744851107992918293310644247969075667480539 34154549501063870209755511534069437020110718784534 63081788438289501429408291064646705944810658040875 65464404040825125040547209938584007614531330128304 99396501247623439623960555080555089143921019195858 26197893294851669456498767986290478356411835765486 52263108789456314854237481088721032801301886708348 23514712045975909633854909223463878768587649611916 36060510320907719754569511811684428136269845708567
From the PIN diode (digits):
2026-08-20T05:37:30.251921+00:00 86252304235019014654482848033573702147954584697560 44189872239533963007210959945351558085812761624936 40537652958284530942337402868050343017853400009505 72635522498850214436056301631265581299987609072662 17679054908267590267050172888024514646077124621090 62756346427932974863038627596724423228230462782652 99793154646640803292315754963326598647457540045279 71551274031947857629031672636306495003832759915768 11789403743305748371340589840317362973539389653031 13379004151742974405636384949905316346395857710828 26331640108377914413135637372980139661745602123681 42518212174497773180489392854227479291375455989571 78355668490018434274105551987303429419044071958081 54565147570898184214114912876693670331408830831905 45721805227883136349690815477344178289971310390199 07446445484514875993065894911237021107509011737829 99569701946819242907132785016754231404111976976360 50993219705656008690290312548814623139816777408489 88605575124327312169164397637201873177775974582207 73804674798385209090683104335757020740427152974291 28176275540316470807115253975240924137493386307027 51470504798458761245602989169628654148610737041228 46147391870863418052676599110869878671502007191226 49584888739618435097994596002471368766850782523668 05776749182356481174529368834750266962666784575068 18518232525538262231895042472476847118937902295324 67067048581162450849139403659681235315433118353913 34927951984070691275922214429621039366603549863420 21913579308789731974252974281767037000462740465230 02158830026878690154972475054294031973607384563735
Or, perhaps you want just the raw bytes themselves. Just make sure to trim away the first 33 bytes which are the timestamp header:
Here is the python program I use to generate the reports above.