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):
2025-09-06T17:18:08.799764+00:00 c6e65cccae85b8b694726f010b41f28920f80ab98e1fbefdd9b0983c002e4e6f f15fb7077cbde8d8c3380815894773617bab2dd460c852d19b9a3af1cd75e67e 0726d466ac143bc236e96ab49ce19e69fb552a8ebde67065eec30d3af96c01cc e8bd0b51adef677e9e48a02d5b2e3a15aa326fb27973272c231ecb49e758adcc 721e79fa9e4a91cb4aac831a486dbd00eafaf788f4c993774eb37d0aeba272f6 355dcc5f9eb7c0375babd0cdb7aadbcc44a3e70fe6507df48f1cb4fab4780641 bbcb44ea39a645421bf1df49536560122935a1967a3fc839662b1ef2b1153026 fa1ea5a6ed17384aab0e083a9796d5b65a3ff10986fd559dca9d9c4ecf4e77a9 cf4d0d561de4f75536f60055a0fbb4230c21f86c74ee190d80426860ec167aad 554721068370aa5bce59ba1cff83a1bc7a9a6e9822151b215a75a1f783362cf4 cdf51bc7b5d442f821e5593e7e2abeaeecb40ac1c0e316fe88e8c64339d5f3e0 66ad57d1abca734faa43b02847e7f9163a541175130a3f54625fe37c74f47d44 8fb72fee7e06140ec2cb27c926cefd03acefe195df2bc4421d3cabe0cfda2803 ed5aba9fe140b3ecfd8228331066a5db7605702684a1d03b008f8cc5c6525348 f4873c20d71020a28eb7ddf6222c413c6d45eb7a5bc43e3728d8f7d09ce11ebe 21bac8151b0023e3d6a3a50a9a04e5a463ce331db024636ac404e9646a5703b9 3992039bd0a5d0c0707414e0c719b518ae86490e2d05a69c00e99432b7b196cc 0b0beb4112ca39d237048132cc852208c0c4ef8febf53e67508fb7d4aa2230c8 bb13f24077fa47a98b6726b616d67b0ba4cdc0cdceab8bed5224cf24b3d33110 1e6a60bece6d25f414b35f89976b09c8b656c268fc10a9f56bf383af6b307b97 a668c76b6b6c4bf2ccc59e9bbe35f1bb6bfd50967134abe48d28160409a225f0 fb61d8b16d50a69f83321d78dfb08a824a29b16a92f32f780ee413ec4c836d7e 4101f9d091bd4f6c42195507dcaafff1e4d056aec90bdaf72d881557fbcc2998 6c0fb8d37f21a5ea5fe2f3a677e145fe8a93af368a7bcd21998e561f1ae1b32e 50f32310021d152f0f6316453662f50185d95c4f3f8dd2274e2e084a9cc7bc94 800e0c1de681323d836fd3031b7772541c5fa793666177ba3a6986240c618874 67f2bb9158c8cfa46e5c340ba907ced7fd352e440d6afb24adf1b62bc05ef0fe 2783b51c6ee75a7e98a7efe9373125e07d4d358ed56897a503547e44456426b5 28931598e829cda300e8e79360469b90d4b2afd865fb9f6600c414484266cc38 ca1c98740fb65efeb5f594e4825f09c0375f50a3ce04760f1047809aa6d21097 8d85ec1f691c8248a8fc1d616e8f880d08e72324497b9403f12c8d9626490655 84991ed0ca4e6437d537c30ebd081af5867773524b056e8f6e0f038bb2a29047
From the PIN diode (hex format):
2026-01-16T17:22:37.157127+00:00 2a0e4e297c13c209daa8cec4830b2b1f06e86afcbe4c57885dd48791401ca579 b769f453676c86648cef054c6714d263d8ff01ced9c3a5765907d931609f53db 474f35038967326ee698987e341e0f7cc8191ab0d794bf68d7565df4e733cafb 6853df3cd81e683366fbf8584f130185fe53cafbab30e51b99bb157523e230f1 e644fe9d140861a4cbfe06bbacbb7d5ddedd7beee1c7dfb6b383cc9b59278c5e 344230d9f14c1e4b777b1eb7fc561babdd530c86cebd0fdcd934fb7ca794f966 981f2d29487b046ea4afe73f1a1c3f5ee1b1225cc36f26919f6754277cda3982 c216aac65f1f9e953f18a0199739980a28079b76d53447c591c009cd9be97b2a 8e58d541c494573e5c9f4ff5c368f9fdd51c52e72113fa007b1ec01fc218399e bbb99138f8a540d3991c6c4b7a7153efc88ea103196fde5d7025b8dac97cb24a f669db4ba7ec053727a943beef376b20fa938fa9240f3f60e21d2c70f651f662 da77ff0ae77fe8d06cb315c80b889a390f7209db558a6ec1de82110750f4ccd0 51613638e2cb91a0204be7cb01ae5b15de7835c513419898ef55cf8db2105882 75ab2f03ba8dd00804740d1d10449a7be8ed6ae771628005e838f7d64fc0116e d0645106973629283055647d704ba84e5f580861d1fade94e890b3594cfe68bb 738fd537cb170a225a6a6e3433c376bacdb99834f83fda5f4363573ef52223e6 b10b7725cecbe6abed8554c9ab5905bc9267ae324bc39e7cc8197976bd4c56b9 7e760579b19457d3b21025ef45e17e6af9425bea2fbe559add53963f347760b9 943dbff150d40fb219be34c72bc91655a1afedfa3eb535a3c0bb07fa8a39074b af714b116c7e4085918d2c9841cfa0310fc8824c42bc1c2adf6344de711c9178 c86222b3180d83a3af4a7873839ab87fa365f72588fc54e93d15f29dfd54276b 35acd743e956255ec492a0492d23619100e59dcaa523642c668e861ad1160d4b 6c829925a94cb0be141896a5230336fad9f58c772d52c02937289938e6de3d3e 62d9b60b64abefe5de7447a5ef39aae4d47cb6bad85750b9b822d2177b6c2770 b926fe4e14fcb5264451f76e72ac8e9662508338105805f433ef7588d3dbd9d2 4fa2ab0de75375e724f8feb1bca45e00c2dcd6e81ccbe3f6098a74259f698d89 a1fd21fb64ac2d0471b77cae1ff94475258764d9b51b00e43d25dd38e6c5dadb 336595f28a994d0dbb82bc797b67730368d58cc4c7dc7987bc34dea998ddf69c 2bee5019d1a03b16f827b66496c1ffc056fc218b013cdcbdcac06c320c165005 864c545474d2de764a624e0427c6c6746ad57eaf2e9cf0aa98efc37c71d936e5 bf9282f527597c8911a70dbff268962dc789b87318f894036a3e3a00abed0008 3f7cd81289b4f52712474d06ace3fb598ef3006a7b3c3880c4f4dbab4d7bcfa1
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):
2025-09-06T17:18:08.799764+00:00 98927433848248141101116537321085423190765260004678 11958307248995560821377115972371459682555458172607 38027220599454068056580585424289120195135808018911 81730326587260459146582170501178211539443530738873 14302158744574723126720989003647197879251062145393 95588392559171837068631580254328808020066587685766 69662773830196184153615022635702433077214838306566 23567471140858515082906309348557575678781969771386 29855400856080351233081625132866049622227385713306 31127091898628316188225410523421273390176131544427 99816633896226429074801093922236986757027387711579 70677640712258841717191063849895241625684383472606 20149439380372494396662960714003908659647930405116 02651805123832615900434097988283723560321632624283 34446560096922919662554056309033862127003563651054 04649951297636990696040006870385574603556592121620 99258124743473144505665600485083775011116518575504 29503334089296436203804383703448871964197169390338 82222311649271398236367949163006969009372079953751 07098286940416690731750748235166049907070875975855 90538707805013527141402204096237977709806659315029 20763830744177064647201419763109266501458979086625 85077086741145362187415208158427336595661969384775 54382333534286312679468035160229214715992269549801 33927963413978460874569988482814122929506131110327 19148428956747029719865805343612973616038745886410 92521169075346681306367382439294393181281090265267 55493725775342045165038426686900388140472152416300 47967055447875015902009620726602562852161582948148 30950992559580630418151671285466165141333105283072
From the PIN diode (digits):
2026-01-16T17:22:37.157127+00:00 42147841241994096896311143310606907687369335456428 65218305830308340040057603209901956518890749965983 71795303370350105252265230152425267648910486935104 83603004510288791901338371482753872117354868572008 97640687728725932399827931558939409452664876307519 23308386277183123489155224674802523145417223041064 75632628639477349295113845590384392457309422709895 31584963246025515752104007551852719745920955234242 88659648876292597995042882331900233092319424575887 85455665645328087522138342610325119312378424787405 75670555396967905507324743693615639629441281981910 27087921113654571514098538109330170780819754564560 32750174912120539719655252854178168830177147038641 08041613291668542306139828055679921710008106515441 40488500251275687895880897484479897604871543552310 34900610525195188685525263956799876234357711193771 33847189058846037450759558242521188976868526180521 77488778163769260666914790855483506352199685486191 80157825905299432285617562815363928707385707757513 75170826643345414452656049153076668828429968132845 20983479241331637574201531548427630137368461215784 39075372678637949646607345359745005765350044024234 26221375083053376976769020245065350354401945829241 55405356616298821100711671655770248286878085843423 23083912853878208138688110147242509880315616880551 17367962711383173677886494009428093816375905413761 33007245041383247431681737350081270061375697510149 38537713873088212303150304409699213588526952564380 25605922398200509392863339016089920850122280053476 84841618749878043998981606267546567052952413549146
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.