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):
2026-07-08T08:29:05.588207+00:00 5dd9d140a0bd019cd63df96a5a4070fbc66507b80104cb5b0c2a536c1fab0ba3 f95b1843d2a564465cb82ca5e5f3b2418c969cb4494ecef7ae58452f5675d8f2 82eddba2a717f8ce7fd1a7f77d3ac2a7d58ac3cdea4adf2d6ff01f646eda527f 70b9b99cec688a74bcee70ccc2e5fa27fc5257a43d3525baa0dff893c8e5aeb8 5be0d79e73f388c6a06aae2776bcf0f489f3f06f07a0a33e99ac84296fabd889 c5cb2a78d36abcf6598d660d8586db72cd74297ec866a69b54ee5049cdd8033e 962426a103a615e1f08d8d0d26ba5e3f70c814d53a9c152cae5a7f6995ce62dc f3c5e148b8b99952dcf02ae63daec09258a67eb4e8964762ae10957cb97243f9 272a953266c5521228bf51fb427d01f5a25e1b1b54142896538e568e548aeebd 6b6bc6687bbc0b76b88cc31f1404dd18c2f909e6227b1a70d2bbfdcff9a976c1 4fac97efed6de48254ebeb5ea35b6cfba6e270a402b2205d70dd83b2d4e3f05d 5bc0665d918b81c355ce9934c21d893dace7da5008e1d6c20192a358a1206dbf d63db51c607d8ecdd67cf7f8f2f8a2d335dcd4fed0285b30cd0afb9c0f922906 3467c79993101f9e0b0e2dd069b9a37e4a8740407651881973871af480797f50 5dd9817ea020586c4b47d98f554320d0adae4790dbcf28af2d9d2c367ee9073e a1164abbe947da37a097388f539556e1534380320b1a70f5e92b02bbe4ff3738 1c47e95c09d29c3f7e41ead089f1e2920d391fffbcca95b42409d13f176ce19f 8be9f7a890a9d57147e2ddd841bc876c1c97a0205b8cf1a09b75bbeecad486ee 125267f2cdaf045988ab81792bbceb9e57a10594d7dc849954930a94072197c2 c70bee858a3b75d1278d3510881746e2094c72acba1b48a0124db7c628934645 92f6539f6b873fdcb773a350c543d2e46b59ff6f4ff8bc1d3ebac556a9a0bafa ce8d500089de1f69f9da208754466087037b1da789f8fc603e524b950f2340e8 f9b97d27e491f1d099bc411112334f5332382b547e47a5076356fb135fbf7e57 6b3fde8f6334c2a708d8c975782747bce01d3d6ec7fb903061a5c5a647601472 41fbb34d298924f972e80eb501c0232d492173f52eb1df75931a0386b37e2f82 92b03be880bfc4b98b3a9a6a14a760bc93226688441a1ceacb82aaa813313ba5 8e76e2449c4bb0fc5623ce581d0f66fc3a05881de4c90646f77f660405d6f4b8 95afa51fe6193533a16077ff5e48f1ac4b6bf898a44696ce5ffa13cb73aceb6b e203963bacb8e64ee37bb352f3a6dd06a8c686bf6fa9af05d6659c12c18a781e 630e425f85ce15b48f27d162b385f97bc6ffa6cac877594af0f4a1e8f573ac27 881c0a2f62cb4f2e7bee2a5b4c5a2ea148158b9eeaad16d58e68eab387c25f8c 354b0e10bb8e9570e4618133cfefbbb872edec10035c941b576523466c386dc7
From the PIN diode (hex format):
2026-07-08T08:20:52.586339+00:00 2cb1ba40ffe408c000b778abb8c3fd64c3f245ddbe9abcc8f53430af5803de72 1f4aeb79fe60a2f1e2259bdab36dc5e790c194c3195ae55c44f3f6dc0cdc2400 bfb6de21eca44ee24b2c0484800af52922eb6b9a6d331a20ef0807af232c2482 ff17b0c9bc0e043fd850a988f91935fe650def3273deebb24bc32d342b16badf 37fb444d8aaab780b4f5ba1f730b57425be3cfa5481c9988223bef5f26122b08 57cb75269a5939c88709494eddf200245e1dd79331cd89c5cd078e51d7524a33 cfbf7bbbe9b8fadc40934521eb73cf85b15b32fb4fe6ab6f74bb5272cdf7dba8 899fe9d423e32dddea59ad7ff969718d0078d45c2f59b455206cd317bdbe9865 317966b59b7cfe34e178244a4e7dc74337caeaf8079c0d2c85a8f75d30fc0bb4 bf19265c4856ecda8a712b477ae01fa85759abbc0e9b89f39b1993daa50bee5e 638c6fdb279df9afd0b338efc6964a96b5aff15ad6f4013074cd9eeee01298e4 21bcf2d47a0c7ac8ff09376088a4ea80c419927bb71aea8d833c8a1cde4aecd3 053ddb174d59fa555eda9358f052235ff671e7a6dc0d5dc86ff5b98ade6f803c 125bafc41fde5b867f823cb1ce3aa9dbf9bf2db08b2188a2a71367b5de1d12cd 8a8203b5e3e3d0640220ddb1e025bede4c9aa87e83f290ce9dfd353230638e75 c90ec95e68da28ca5cf5db9c813540fddd4888d912ed912ef1f9736637a1a0c5 02fed63c30e38c4381528b2354630e5a42072628e81b8ac4b20b0bac74e31c92 4b0777a0e04e85dbd2ea9b06dfe3d4726d9eae43c4176f62c3157c3d42bcaaca 58a7130ebd1ac3544f7ab107c5a52b788703627d8c21e1be48d142397c233fe0 42038ea4f1ac133a46d86c96ea1b3a862e27108f435671f98ad71ef458362b14 1fba7a29b0b6205debb2045edb002bbc406334aee31789958def44efd910699d 2327b7ae9081dbac5ecca078770eb322ed9d97bb15b15dc6235212327777e707 00bc68ede675011643f5317a71f52854676d6f38e209d5702cc0354acf0913bf 56c287b92ad2e07e6f3d29208165e4844cf9789eb74f9baa61b138457693fb91 838094edd92721af8925a99d86f16359ed693d75dff445c3abe9c6b1823d0bc5 3a737d3dfc36bbb9d350c67e6ae5ed4217bcddcd8341d92d39a4229745fab023 8a6b2ac2e84c9739dcf3aa71c29bc8aa7de012592e39ce1605244c52d5cd9328 3ffac20225bdb33f22a3af6168a5bd17ea8121c049bde06fdf235c3144020026 0dc82999edad177c81b1a144bce8fe0dea2acac7b971b22916b7a5db6ed38d1a 84edb57f79512f861d20f5808d861e7eb30505378ad865e121395c7f489515f6 d9d78b4ae5fa820edf8b389ac95f093b931f341eee0c73e68b854b2b0a88226e 09a6543df3945cb67d95ce94763d12eab3534e330ada292993d919c95065cda6
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):
2026-07-08T08:29:05.588207+00:00 93646089015661069064129801078401049112428308317111 63912467650070928444657865405056807378748869478617 30626723276725589467389574451131001082271285855604 38168812943982876461533786604774849158153698600674 39188837110760636253723241117137974220068889410213 33341416412602665584807303625036386103662141411338 86946312205856214474902705499897728485538242617492 46886626805071987416492485146739424950029782184091 81662501629427278420405083428642843889070798042388 11188440953120042494093423261287691893797251093084 94639108661264027832931231789391920293453929958553 52942937617280089401466388613209916181289625422462 53409148105615464106520399534716315811144505856326 74356464188136251535262821278093292660328808757143 85673273747144407545574454260762612274877155605156 43834986836728501126124302875556287192095663266537 46135731884980360963230859396844691371658835082851 60329140605517873418820375048936712921438858876105 48325384471048073351949911333859173941531636237009 76147286277260187783984047706946835907356383156380 97670789117988296286978669608641800037310532358470 96350323296737966282754915356485253945538865171851 79835056438426716507998619959126870763439952946708 17203971882961109944489765976671962014657977413736 14148101923545733315467717472603347926473046765928 91968539585406206796884734023668262830706819495965 42186856757686358829150258053629067027020405844975 65312553516196199472727507526470509519157207035059 72847823798266066898349111697505015618933820309914 66953321804339987933239866198974611572393628104798
From the PIN diode (digits):
2026-07-08T08:20:52.586339+00:00 44778664089200832071849500956990548852487588031431 74219662375579099744934895259092681236009182336478 75440432281041340754095126320807753544363023768814 04638069362553011350157875954552432286556877387083 28808631151187669165722853363459953818430887173854 89573509737800369429474937970742818274519123878464 47693315337791507971111687821468375935458973270513 41002092478980853208238990520149210281552452203674 78259967550756134433689348118091253892728638134371 22316887897188145537552547651194994011395775795698 50745081759001481658185233882212220955963664289625 46238326413160382874056123778985944788823595136613 93118538112860189175963191342730607758699145763933 36626719038129183830038100023277379076546826314457 53504899421714940440925629536472361845461502556160 97026048406729823935849914906607384027389678111172 16284675071960783355061409587467962311989521246166 88708867191489269584792277079765432035039825403390 72665724356366034264721958700850275834463916436786 13383088544320318622417682329378049400438864995274 23374941681605573539837444297294602019147934575187 21779398358218501919070088041701226749221340840309 11560912449253740919918694358542261161413229013276 20588379557097775669184745312848393375373769573499 89056117699571987730611197581525615487858098260666 23883165455764345169763538074294765157701394557025 18894657220536768247406394023789796334637597046589 23293392738911359249680200381341537323242977616888 13429985137841228365104126328127218147342932284134 30267905055538013357922772492139743014395654950959
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.