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):
2026-10-15T11:37:24.316473+00:00 5143db954d347801a1b3148dc4a8a93d1697faaea13709003fd025123776a7ac 09648474e073df9548d2d4f80636589e28d62cc4e6d6c6ece4bc6555c81ee606 860198a3642550a6a3cfb637c9fe2bbc55a5765eea53c328db8192f44b2db4e5 16a800fdea88bafcd4d48b1593836129f62efeb24534a65478b8e16929d591a5 657c145c035eebe470067bbcd89622f4cadfda55eb480b7c56967a83bfe8a246 4b5b26fb843eb97cfb3ee443b2834d9532380073e226e12295becd12fd7232fe 6bd0b4637d04e755ea32f811664cb7883d4dff1490a123f3a691a2c60863f663 cf99e662f12de726011ac51f8215cf821766a63ec67948a5ff0e835250175958 bf6338086659ad102d217fd52f254dc4a39b2ddc32545c7993a908f8463bd2f0 f63e21e39669c1d1afa52e96922a25fa208205dde1a4b5240123f088c62aa121 e396b2fdc8419364c88a514900cd4440a3348ca7394afd5368d2eecc729094e3 405167c88dea0182e54f1f8feee1c6fbb5683d5a0e440e328ae9dfee76265a4f ce940d45eddbb9b6fe6fd874e8880fde5af5d5230e0f4620b14a0888b22b3955 4620b6c3b4738a3e17fa349449dc97c4c7d6fb738b37db59461fb6f57a2877ba 2338e355d3a98d0f9abdb5fc82454c03fe724bff40a458237f198f86b9279c96 63d695bc5747a13d81a43fb66b97c212e6f6e9d4ead5bd4710dad8f2f0a4ab71 915d940ae7be1c413d0ee08d7404ec0eea3c69751a75ea6b7b9bec8a816fb031 ef634a6dc4a001aa8ed9605871e2401f2f9f315e0c93d5a161bfed97cf1e5a1e 9154a2be5131f858ff5650f0e75e6db4d68fbd09bcc055595f33dd96856f79fe af40ff519c8ecc82999aace6e345f7ed48da1a0b7b6bc6f49debbac94a358415 b8581cc9762e45ab145d930f75bfc40199353f62412ff371108755ebc2eb7ca6 ae5245dc07bca0b5cc2be270e045c9eb6e2687aed52a38bb64268c59da0e6dc8 80a98453fd2812c6311744ce884c21a0b9c2cc88b440386f5d56b9b2fc198838 52a51041dfda8cb52598c5a59f4b91dc2f0f695630f2863c274d1c02e703e2e0 453cb89e1ccccce2be63790f4d540ae432fab058b74648276de307307c74c57b 310a2d17a5ebba3e674e0ce785fb745e564efc0706d2644c61b948bb9b8274a4 26b245b44d56f5a8fcb428b28b24ce0bf9ac7c422e562102d4b82702a05f5b17 9d25e3f187c8d456a5d3a5bef773a941806993b67058914a7f34d2c63a9e98fa 5283759e87752f497c9af078888b8bb01beb9057f9ed45535e8ac82ccd1266ee 21e744f867283c0ae75bf60847b4c30d09b997d2abea5e691531d5176398253e 4c2dfd2ecd4a05e6bfc1c491f9d33b6088a8d8e2d310afbac56a33fc1437dfee c6876a4cc51947d094b622b1a9a27fe4c937a62eee2c2009ce994508d1bcb5c0
From the PIN diode (hex format):
2026-10-15T11:33:35.515801+00:00 f1716fcf23fa5915d1435b2dd8bc5d49265aa006aee52f95c545fc8a728b6b7b 8cca85f707b8042470e315a221f6441bb985fff7e28dfa3fde02f8575c4e6283 70c8a92ea52692fd14fe5bf949f9c2f9a3dc5abaadc33facc8341564c08044e0 2ee486674cb8242cc0ca7edddfc1f6c3493be844df8e0a1e6a66dcb9bf9d8641 b4962eceeef3b6787d82aaca0abb7570c66698168bb7084cb58d992e144b1c17 9f0a78aee472b9f82cd67b2926704705de9792a5523d86fe18be779386fcb87b 42ffa18e8b9cb3a5ca4d0f7da464b3f823c41d0a7635b45847ce847e5901d504 777b9bdbef8f004a7b93a8e7b52cdcea8d49dd24b5084a6b807b72d811c64d7d fcd651608b633c42fa931f1da8031cb8fe824a7e213d742cc9a920f5ae12459e d04bef774811d123c9b2d2d48f6de850b2d7dffd75b7a5b32104fcb574a1de62 b51f3e635a865bf0f76cbff0f3b4f0a71b0e2c25419ddf302f48ed27ce706cef ad737696a1d3a799b35eec1fbc2b439a92a97122b451470278a445ec5408a068 ec52afdf5774941830ed0df9b9f4732adefc3b2237a2add6df0866f7aaf2d76f ad51883dbb4806e8b062277b6d363180c4d3458994fd2498e8b069e373576f0f 8a1ec94d105fce895404be4214654b0e82e838538b70a748821f1fca73d02ebb 1ca36ffeb6eb03646261976e659b47b781dda4d9f1ffb2f3d390a5050212a9f9 9813c078ea80b02c9acfcc95ab51b86e453762f42acfb829fcfdd0a01af0eb5a 3f28b9571cdc845c1bf0c698d7855a5cfe960e2110440b4903f6245c5af49ff8 2299758ff36eb5489df11fb373cf9782a02a37e579b84839131c3423adaf8ff1 54638a8e70023e8e981ef2c949161e6aaeedfba7fd62ac68df584b2ec119da02 2e36c0ed69e48d0451a9a809be5c72204f2fff50791871eec8e49cfebbbadadf 32e8b9861cb49e3ff42475c8d024a6c62f311eb790e49e53ffb8e2022d55b9a4 e37616d79ffc35968cd3012af76b35ab6235a9d2227a9770f98baff07a220b31 b1e27c211a97ce1763ef8197d7e0bd9da21c3f3a4f1ab01328d676e77e3dd69e 9e06a64b506a7fb31d3be14e89d35e2d34f813a59f9a1a68fb2b2815bcd54e13 0b2a6eb5fab0a169d0e75bf5bf8b7e5f3def84099805aa2f9c8b10474503ca27 16df168683f50e2864bece8822944d240061df03f456d34cc4e70f042ee482f3 3a7b2b846d68b6f50eb239b61b1d4bd62a3b94a54f07bb8fa952a5c321e93ec2 89a8123734c6544d20d7ccd7e276a82d6cda8c6e32ed609147d37359fec89161 07fa6d2d3fde6db19b3d29f589f3218b5ac95058af2af7d993dde204cac09a3f a68ac3cdd493b086a069a85f432faaa7483581859e1e5a311b5b49531bb4206d 37ffe0a3aaf1c5ba0daea59ae8226abeaf478902abc1822c1263dc7735ebde12
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):
2026-10-15T11:37:24.316473+00:00 81674977522001617920419668696122517461550900633718 55186772090032161549720654885840449698880185300634 01526300378066638255438885651894839540294675458022 68003686392147319741467869526684208405414565012420 92039412062388503485721124865022319162707591383262 85246267783177495056001538344990181450078099250485 50170276833661772044613566456298089999539845380126 97313021302302666298217265143182802389889199560802 89731645332747377796635545508492214769087059623350 05937565465046423732300564813601353698426133507865 47003881730068646352406757748304144448648103410130 79314398810461901468145038183890794813698582111636 15903514157032777408367843578570328295801538622352 48735196991539558970318222401986355685694115548981 30697603147564648835272543348539565099498887716161 29646382075194188971166471134593481090286561144116 04146005172617072355382911764999740996600170429688 13643147594994124761979151309030458462908149888680 94098043890988928589955150331121756481564230535472 69722611230798578674533221848828184669712093471517 91960153536398654713163585942466748269078860814312 69103835744256870038408914092869328340189849236836 76336085943680645611938685782536568265166540813752 97655975454715058648346039772802036960845828909921 15778410507688837072390907482416972349104523658662 03781233169486780706007697857287553016643878698077 86688040783936117224664686330284390260959123573735 86656590156965280547821288457427529858585282311758 35174773245420363939762744876983943844180233680340 60109108718095130985517194052149239952376276454674
From the PIN diode (digits):
2026-10-15T11:33:35.515801+00:00 13113589216791458893733890600674474997693814390723 40330784043612216233682785334163028792789831126946 65384620917394639086739563725221009228684634037684 36449226939573596842103006028591573465805046822025 30701087171298025222398308768141534620752823591020 74148544234138127105514665826134249019473484236661 42395679657715256400793596291018538088713226890104 19235543007423476881444173368108740728231417987725 81963999606647312968032884307426336116446932741869 58751972173578430980781783657933048116619881316299 90349108918067271444376557484772391208731518506167 53799431884367544669133480817102206469840860048275 87164824481385154259345562730802701173813661877206 76983923095449289669374836527605158711153830771695 37840490662001751430568339126772303131154687286311 82030098975110015571832964784465050218695219922028 76445449718184106955984284416026906340858728329227 98523390925014331668117303369290593453174310817257 31791551306042552184725719285235737543849938421202 62425230732230067467987204887546932502465492054104 81696809909214327947802124135687865085342880586336 17366698474930834458838402458585641822595350400142 07537198536934225112397522341149772433265123992951 89576228635879267619401826615858066675800627792959 78379445521965595426044340218878191142108176610591 91392695613209520570475639167169033922223431144000 90363448773600970386769615044630582343320904821478 57822729754259486579078743698265953362943768185552 98847732186845084010509645711589459707094563097755 61413733399080887542470492546366389547763460056895
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.