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):
2026-05-22T15:49:11.779449+00:00 08af41acacda9e45cd0666ed57a2af5b35dcdb75c11796a46c0160b93ca736d6 9fce8e2b091fcfe3687c877dce5731d550b6244d096a90832d4d39d25332263a 0c90d1b8549bf8877eea8ccad2e9f77a79b197f6d38b03f698a66ea5e320c1ef dd602881e43348a9164741a7f3784fa686ea834ead70d1dcd7cca6704cd124bb fcd965c44c34d93ad797ee5a9a0bff5a16316f5f46db4eb732db24cd1b17e0eb 93d25610e644b6efad81d7e69793eb77072edaab0c6e03836df420486b73414e a80c3097e36c65720ef7397d60b5d5bf5eeb00aa10c2ceee444d9f3a31d624dd 3f4dfe1cfe41ef4517bd4b0cb82b956b4ea9111d15724e467268caed8aebefed bafbc5e8308ca6529763cd5b5e8782c72ea33bc64d817b94391480930ec9e9f9 a8e74ffcf8dc81f6b2349fdee94d245e02aa9887b78dcc32f2d68a0939a8573e fbd64e3c9a0f05884bda501c47bb6d0f7c131936175c580f6ee27cc9cd107bfa 5563d41f7a5ac0cba56efe009358bd36c2293f852ddf05f86a676449a1669aa7 ab84ab192c97b0e44a125526f2c5692cac5b9ea7816af8e2cf8039ce2c1ada11 0c9c7a6d63d3573a2055141652c7bc2a28671109708165b1332a92ca823e5cb6 8472b16a8c61d0119e7499032f9e1ce1bdfe058730c66dcf1d59bc92cee7e4ed ee9ffa2f241a88a5794c1167e05b7152925e8e8ae248f2b1d67570fde7eee19d 21fb009e9d5f1576f0f4afb5a4dba43e125c860e71795afa9fedd17c32b1b71d 96d44b6b7557dfc33e0def94398591ccda58013987ac533d6a59d2b5df72e685 8e73429616b08ce33c0007942309a0880d1a082e6b5d5103280ca41eb5f9692e 0c63f4cdd966149a1fe09637b85a9b1babff71375d52aef66bb5eedd93a937c3 d534365774e044c7023ab7579a15fba35b4be88f57ba46ff517f7edaf01dc368 b2489f8213e2b41f63c13fc13f8c5978132a7a6c7b3298d29d7711b59e00025a c7d0c82d2d4ebc2c83d4c333685f21eccbfe3faeacc1597f8727892a14c5b7a0 d85982db54000cc44d4b0d32478ee5191d98cc3bc2f50ca9310111553c8d4815 6d45ac573ecfba2b3accabf66a76f35246d18a964ee353dd941f218d519909df 125b7f72a0779c0001f3ad0813af74379aae4158695a0cb60c2c3c073ceec6c9 a4835401f9390cd39c478a29cfa9e4c0486c72118f45ce05e9e5e2cca6fa91fe 30edc7b51188bc228c9fabc73cc9bb6e411e943456adea3d2e1c2eb0d860adae 5bbd5166298204a34737a53329d89a5e9132906a7760c6049fa55904731bfce4 ef2b734d50bb5820e9bcecc13c704bb8650018c2171cae00774676ddf5dbd75e 4564c45a66fad638bfbfe697b81277ef8852b76291fcdc7163e8a71cd294b686 ca48a3fc0ff7a5628f29fab164302a47bc27ff8a8ee7b64303a155634e8ee9cf
From the PIN diode (hex format):
2026-05-22T15:37:01.176368+00:00 9cd317a23590adb9cc8672e6e8f5c9fe90e4b2377e600d81c4f3439e23a68c0e 26437376e3dcf2c0eab7bd825b70bb29be0c0b72d82145dbfeafd934e5536681 4d029626a3cb1e8bd0db503b8962bf245c3dc51f3519ad18d6d567276affa54b 12853630cae9ae70c8cc4dae3b138cbb17dee40681d1bec08d1a8ac41529de31 572690dc0d75a2f09968022366ef5c8bcbc0113a978f1da16b0bfc6001b2ac7e fc4080bf6db6a120cb9a8e09eb1d0df3a9c4a3f2c8f2dbe377b32c7f24bc217a 3dfc4923394a84f908bbf8c3249763728ba0c8dcbcaa9751e64fe64a7ade3d1d e6f0609858eb7c15c9df957f9a0734a8dc5ded4cf7b453b1850c8b2ad48e23cb 8d5cb7e5149c03dd65c608ba4a740daa76df1b24efc08ef0d24d5a1556000b99 666802bb260d072eb9c55c847569f94ea4fb364efc5edc26fdcfc81f9df1c883 32526817026a106cc81adb38ef2db0649c0beede73c111c77459d15e34c4bc43 0c2a124112e31428a68222b5a78ee0bed1312fb805cd2a5738db01f679f80006 10579e4467eed076c7a9225467f90b9aff3454e1d5d592fa11d6cf20ca53ba3f f2ed92bc145293abc0bbb367d735d272036b24594d7817f42986e6d3ede55bfa 4df0c5bd2eb794537fe6b63b61276620af20362da73d70478a5f8b4229c5b2a2 8277743f015092f3e1177e55009e287abb412fd109ecd93268df9123e3a7589b 47e759ef137fec9879a21bb6c347a84c0178b6d4df825349040333c6b774162c 25269d2b5d64f4731850d8f8f17d99a3246768a929fbfbb1f80da4b2ce307adc cebbef5e5577cf072e4dbc54a0cbc40e6b8dc967ae0ad6d51eeb1ba9027e6f77 b6243e090f34406c5b76ef2c68c456f29b0469fa5aea44f4aa98c3891fff1a80 52beb9ef77a364c6334ac291444fa931baee09870320375b4878af328843e955 b8e785389af6fb0451e58b6a49c087c2776b10bafae1ba45af444411674f6652 c5e5d3fd379f84d4298f53eff2c7239877a7de1401a6f491422ba6d0f7817bc0 bda5e70d97bb9912b86b90fef69c47d1ede3704cd956993befe36c9c7fee77eb 0c8d167c99b30e1f94d0cf98f6017c1b9238541856b87df2de7ce7aaf623a8e7 cf6fa144fe40a20f337292cbda0b96a1a30be51c276926dba9081076a079d417 1ec597290288b1aad409971e87bdad676c8cd9911aa71756ef5dd619b59f6af8 4954e3de17d1db9c6294e7ad206e2ecdfa0e20564691f5df65e4a248428cc56e 6aa146362548b266713d6b51a1b3adef67fcd0a3e42ddf1a6f0c9e1a6a83037e f4eebb75962a1fa22b64a83306a0c53ffa90003e21cdcf5ba4fc46503f9fcff7 4fc153b75c67ee1a39d9c7b6a2038103751cc2452be47762f2fca5582e1c6599 df8e63299a1eb7f0904a7f4bed57d7fcf835ac477c653d1dcb60447a6f746024
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):
2026-05-22T15:49:11.779449+00:00 08756572725869060287627591531793235064080196856067 54594243093104243525874980823677090644314577578350 38581244848455352640222177513903526610653293964029 51726922716567207966343178731266127636870196765258 51905411902249119570788350362723478616688273295147 19074671121003310932720715657868124851080114145725 96819194007016946877595849366377286569238975128443 49077869172921147870140438869748406682519991943530 99466359987729234857202847146879297852597736940270 52358341503809576887627860541505367580287187091524 19255423928815102416238599312290926510004788895494 41633345050603007361025467713271254451767418853897 05447291586729062857442617125622099987583285202282 99884240031709122901775142463062928232147706409717 58165303475828890535489809298988465947362636652176 17039113824694423872771712573300585795211875816464 62189234141321905924507783295075071787956213485733 45880157357283610689811433421566502276406000074835 09603613260846079381034012643081054612990220543150 55849055277113559382740781476955955254871668990258 83875421639175438786708127262995047872593019803199 93639363408920194222082350525719178158000290994545 78884431955104953363747293892735393742209783608930 84001296777513507142252952599412694901178560417221 09697287628643587106188270385078834831334181530918 91271460195600017308197516555474658805901282124460 07609864318401571256713841699272081417436905664548 99811736883440597199608710653048528673614628467696 73749189810241300463715565514154944550440619969804 59658904152743157780878832889360127584010024942328
From the PIN diode (digits):
2026-05-22T15:37:01.176368+00:00 56236253447385341444785526961329966758356640143867 15189283893091128741901211143369755283022977025038 63303980593798913692619731532573240339066575183354 48741277745919408723062990924126389621414987384413 17625304023502923992175851432961071196017872266428 91098261325442092913699663197944273688332261733557 74320887953651991439608870518179742261299652882421 49275407526893768083773312394242354192832056030198 08867416137018273692427790218600115302040287381307 46859792321705786454789438315731508204230206160826 56457600561115931799168994529688671242186518204066 30348167429049478405428756012100061687586803189969 34840311545284461732838663468820824771928779035314 03073689772023413491779789468348832782599739023275 32544567611271389539664197786230191663018046232685 00584022876547095004453567885571891927522162278295 71687601208230837304035198831622443738574393001524 80255363360304694177136478482287948519074677888460 96140741037410302769022611198236620915526408911844 04968655040590687052953731262882908519630098517494 45687969498609350332559172207550366785843356540481 39067392359419071686866975686817037902829755593241 43839935521967200166456643662923928965135187531884 07445671127686535908562719124122245379143148520124 27465684248684252470356811616864621551144611506163 11283905386908161860212330975141023677700951303589 73030840452667238693258159067384235698487332104614 32867045016272664097100661705437727802136107816179 73036345261112582606310326871750423162430068510660 97634400623391647080635979938383920326579982620329
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.