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):
2026-05-23T01:04:44.702820+00:00 22240a70fc2d31f1842436eca7e629106ee91100810cf7e4ca5a230e1dd3cf0b db90a1eb30a3c9b98b34a57313cef8362ef33c608841813b5cbac0aa8d53b837 6d91a284d81909843d36c11a6b922f7f9cb666dfe908f964e6ab8b560843c237 b9fc9d91198db323aa7c688e6bdf771a695e78a06226636b8965b8ff143b4697 46991517ed22cd3f1e5b85523c2f56d032e0bdf5f25f3246f2682e517e1c941e 876e7ca841b967fe36310ecf1f8527df2a8c4da274a49a5a4f5582a59c38a8ca 12a3b65c5d682592e4c5eb09032c8ec38d849e88c26e72e01d78b1b939e59346 7b49be2d108a962c2d6873c086d9ff3e6bbc3dfa66cfde0b169688ed47e93c8b debadb2aa8fac15e43b8b3e878323322c8d887d2802d71e150e3886d944d5015 d4ebc9b94a20ad1de28b7e51069b62a14cf50efaf9d752047317261a0525e9c8 3acf274e74ce6bbe305d23323c0b0a95acb3f30891e2dcf7e6eeec5d158974cb 000b113f2a1aa15552ba0e628b11c18aca899e1844f0c1d65af30ae2c879600e 8fac5acb602489ae4283e19d3d6e06f9d22d23f714edf5277c20e136a2576788 da53080821276ecb9788b6336264f86a6e4b80b8f36c6cb10107de333b44cdaa e6f103fe8b9064dc31de4cb85820b91a33a6df854b9f3376213ba5ff3fe8a955 96bb1ac7eaa14bcf81e4a999057f20522166755dc813d4c1ce3cafa031a73f8b 298f834673b714b21199de264141c20be5d2b1bc87f8dcb130916bb3ddf59f02 7474ff92d85bf285776aa440852a1b3900cffe1f2d8d957c1372f6c1f4acff7e 14eaf357ed41e736b5d7f1931ebe2fc3945013e7e28597b4afdfea5a21da5d0f 40ebe572139f515ae1ca5cb18c5cf5b57daa8f2d77bd288d479ee3dbb401de5a c5d72bfa039727037c8748f13d03a8d7ab7b1437302d280dcfc114ab46caabb6 7d6674aa4a36a19683f7aaba05ba1fa1224b0beb994b7aa61190591020df0fd0 43d610871583afc6f8c9e09b5bedc895251976e07fd7731bc4cbf219ed9a7c9a 5756f29c08c0d6501ace5ac7421af4779582f4c47f830abda7c6a42cbc8334fd dcb2e85c9314744cbd27a3231a93bb0444d9f1a975130f72f7476f783a14d2e1 23c85705c547a0142bc038770f385b7a5711fabd8162bdfe24fe75b8605e836c 10f69abf9698bed0e2a62144568584b886a781594a887f0a935a9fe8489600a8 fb7d9bb1d7cf84c97c2ac7334fc60638843a31742e4c3551246ffef6cf1e4cd1 eb721039003c62ef3e717c21dcddd3213841c3d27edadd21ccda484042d94d42 3142baac91596acd0d6b2a22412f4e1b54bd44ea5b33e9975bdae1f2c87929cd c8b3d86d6e269acdfdd57cadce4e2d5dd87f208fab1853a47a0e9aab3638a545 e8e46eb02d13b7a40036f4f876b718ca573bdc0a12ddc14b692c50111db2b0ee
From the PIN diode (hex format):
2026-05-23T01:01:21.902151+00:00 2b04a5d358b5296b87b55bcc8997ef4853379c55aa61ecfc0d438319e43c57d5 7c5f3e7d22b246625f0cb0251a35c4837a8d2cefbc1f08f8482460a8dd2a3212 a0ec6f6e7366957330dd2dc184bc3d9b85e1f2a17104d233e1ca3987b2684026 c46c591d83db69e4c620b08f97d2b347552c00db2a5a585580787897cfa2c04e 95120335ffdefefb677b124c4dadfbcd2b64956f4b3336af5cdeb44090ffc570 6702f79737526beea85e79ef1f2442d2ec3537ee87174df31201d5c6485bc4c9 679c36488e071e1755c1d7d3352c2d5065564239e4a3c9d126babac66472574e b540521a391a90ba8e789561231907abf1017088089ba243a78be9f46c3ace59 142f07fd04a4c133048ef82133078c26a955d5e2786a563e92737d95f98b34c5 29a2f1588a17d4888f50a9e7e53e9422c069b5fcade510e2c85e6c742137c995 f998bb3e3da314f148ecb1fd165f2e548c24ab7c007ef46098deb0a6dbc5befe 3324edb734bcc256b7c798f3c8c4a930124d9aa838b1cf74d6a09f2e643825f6 d83e918e17f99c4b437db63e9ef8e68261f0a3737a1a80c8609dfd86ba2e8766 e94e72c6af98db18adfa69fb9ad69d4a569da9d64fe74ead0de07c6bfcedc178 24f21123666d9f9713fcfef90968cdee457aa413cd28fecacfc4d0743d3c5968 3e036dd5ea188155b8dda5599fa80ecb449f947b34e4924e1d03244d690267c8 75963a445095279a1d4dd8f57a91c806d1e923618142049d5978ef475b875742 7b31fb152471a48f80d250481b85fd927a8401d5748d4d49c8eea0f88f483bb2 58367fa56e21070f9c8051439db21444db4663effd5e0048bd4d21da4767983b 570d42b1ae424edb649b3bb0e99d6f62bb399b3d5f7e86b9837a7ebe0323bd94 13d79ee1040ba0e9628098ae4a8d9a7e9abc12e5842925f9c33e6fcf20f3a4b6 eadd1b6efe649099a0de54cb493744ea00cc5603ace0abd3ba2f4e8ff1510d22 05672c839b9eb54c9df7eed2a13961d7b377ce46686bdb4503f683f98bd4d388 b7fb405c130de641e62b9e45ac1b60ff5a93e2015c299b7b3e4c6517b1b8f1d4 123e8cf13676486d4bed57d572bd8d58a10d5c45d82b320b956a610dc3eac78d 083517cfec131b0b9b4c9a83255e9e3deaac41e9107f8aa21d02b326eaa98a77 e541a46c42a90efccfef6c1b33ac846dc221735d47b557d3903bc8ab5b8c0825 3e5ebc461d22aa3c82adf42e37eace35f07b6a6abc7add80078ea8fa6b63c594 3e2ef17548a1fb6de700facfe1a766e2f3857d3fb5a51031fb3b93bbfe7f06b6 b389c38c74e9cdfd0fc09e829d79410aa02e6b4e5e23b3a760ff0e11713e0971 ccf6f4723ebc697aa3a8aa96156a969387e69dc206dbd7d4e5c8f7598a6a2a6b 25c7aa0dbf606ed6503f9d36ddd23aacae1963aa8c29d0a10aa8628e867995a2
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):
2026-05-23T01:04:44.702820+00:00 34361012454932365467411610170029129035142911446148 63853952651519544660963665295992869270418384550945 62322509326154932607464727568202080071398608679455 85574525417935702404420719260594206098389907370184 20597051705321233463309133826047865089955070044681 26284830351024686585035449143133394240776216645490 79853065565668186382929304374697090344429541325836 94101429207785574770237390451638504445041592346207 88610211225036716039864268939467847920505134352845 13803609487780218574327329392681065598617614820415 23382605375839781607904893355060111049727908459321 37160011176342266185828614983917933837582468939010 21961443729096363774663157611006453520392432546287 03368308083339105136825198000610752884080877010751 59687003394400497684883285265166337559511833596563 69855087269961752969530527328233021793199360756049 67633941433170158320781753386565941177883577484507 79590216164691331906646433422757003145414924191493 72262087655481473090479548801933518075903393156414 19598190927740928125704345198940417158800190974303 51390324357261036871232055484540139320717071822502 16707454615031708605863161347511537522661744891632 15671635213175985591493725182715279625542454878656 08928026909966261949309627311089679864448831527892 47201676893963352647870468691719151471112058203587 05977160204392561915569122871789299889361784969431 08165491505290663368863332843467298974362710479059 72500068255577322442995179980656325849164676538136 11307614165700609862132433335665952633726466776649 66867245890613074234654778278489689151519121417909
From the PIN diode (digits):
2026-05-23T01:01:21.902151+00:00 43046588814107358191375172835556857097136731256087 24956225347870989512763726539631224144883108723696 68425018601110150249154845933288615533611304515735 78046438960889293105983276435179718544004290888528 20205162927849180353032318767773430049117551547592 80644497120302515582076894213136665355352377180198 72919603565472420730238593534445800186665763388686 98001487788164822657264486422049973525077101123608 55626767390858892047070464935104423351074038698520 06866246152549395297416288382336438069624834920581 73169408163355495287626163207277229546844036712400 26965276669790513683528894868399529669481877546856 77166059460056376245422356756725826258309763152226 28965734864635027814987552247305545774865769797873 13240793203617350209595119090469226419409616616089 04620309242985846589596814685948235246782903367705 02031750586880493954297722450635972966045789207191 35876623492136136443288072273346223201164177736043 72597888542765103307155628816757782068709994007289 77337103525987136677746678005559765711988757556195 26348531222690033589481958041160982852747441542654 88183241379562113264822710004453608473556800860372 71864778438113340503443155588176576157977919700407 69033139368364921913654358697227969047019241552362 76012377841862405418720975871489418861139269435011 49069713959941085323192711557654313794586172651627 38622902793869381965640866691408275172320994331593 71818744597191400837629488702934706030734655532306 06882228074268079997486246177261090067023325638165 16495947872706827937954016159258305721651060460778
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.