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):
2026-03-30T11:50:38.108052+00:00 d1c9c0cf8f86f8b6fd6b6877484f02a4d5fe46ef9cf2d8bb211cc28003194d16 5f8dd67c1002b5c73f9416d8bd13cb6ec6840d3af050d9e532219f90dba14e7d d5f087fbad31646269340d5a37b8f7b5e133e6df266ca6c71b13ca2c0de61553 81553879b7f8fc6eda805d65c3a50e84c83a6e912b3e017f8ac5d24931b749fd d5f74838262fe53fdd8f87b6f9d774b66ad9684ef6ca054cead7b6865de49299 f1c3bc736c8198982cc6c2b16e814ecfc8e88d4be65543d017ad467717965878 b7777b4bd470a3091196ae0878d8514b1e86824f861fc7f9c7042e42834d1a51 b8ac921582fa0b55be5268ef114727f582ea90f91caec5b4de5460e277047918 efed9f884bd364f363b6723629ed83296ef53d1c97d72749e622402c8ef2fac6 7d4f13853fbdf3c30e2c88dc3294e5746c45167658d9bf162706193ae60590db b141bc268b5fcf2ea89f3ad7e02cf0001f567573b3672b7271742194bf62c850 e6a47dbdb6da2d03e21fa415d683446885e6384140ac1b626a7559dd6d4eac0e 2f2ffd34a0bb7ee569823aa60e9a39be116b127647d67e6cffbc8893ad35e063 592a8e8522d7d03765fe352800c6f0cd1dd3aaa8e6ce6ff0b144d5a3558d9e6a ea0df935e9e067e7802290e0aa6791d76438ebd8cec526dc8966ab261730e055 0d3a76ae748b4fe818845d4222c1559b4c770c46e303ced9e63f66eec2e20d17 879e4d2a3ba7f38c0e35ed0475ce178e4f673468adc5c03ba8b2cbbc1206d3a6 2dcb75ab8d17489e1fba6775acd5c2a63c73434841957f08957ea659777b38c4 018c827b8dbeaabe960523dda788fbcb8d4f9a0a9ead2f8e744cfba5645b1ffa f96152ace0c761fe0ec39266f83a1290bd4408de11b0e2381948071c363b22c4 11c910c108ae9a5c4fce7c6d9e4702897d338b5ef6fd8a7692a343689d7d1b0c 50c643366db5d0a2cc398801d4dc736d39f1958c783ba89f022c2daf182657de 75bf4a3592c1f76ccce2006e641ebbb5db420030eaaf1dca173b3d1b113cfcdc 96ae8d0dd2955543d4e24783b34643ace0438fbc8e5ffb8b755935aed5664233 06553bcc582e76b072a7a1f7fd96ec4bb525cf7d8506d7d36fc27bfe71e43261 1387aeec3440e8b42623f064502e6dfa4e4e44babdb33d4b7512a0104436dad3 2049b01b94df6a9ef41887645e7d8c230ab117a687724648b7205c8340fd6163 4b0e90d177238b6424e2eafe0173b5a2cef8c69125049d649e1c1f6d0c5fbe75 549542185b46741b0682fe020e30196025e2026ebb536ddd48e77ecae1cf2606 efd0d273a61d69c6cd8e88d24f3e52c6e2f2ac65854b8fa6087d000cf7843c76 49d48668e919eaae9f1d2466cfcb0e43de690bc9218347e105a60c7237fffa61 c60698726baf55e2d87dab2bb20a2771d227a158565a9c34e39ba19b6f13911e
From the PIN diode (hex format):
2026-03-30T11:38:57.902958+00:00 2f9837e5ca92f8f7e62801f5858e537169fd4c556d42a7b833e107fc9c856463 4944f2c2c26f5d3eb0e09eb996d7b219c1e559e93145591428c62439f3704745 d3d14b6cd5a77419d95dc9378094f0bcb60d9cd0022466bc45610586f39f6628 d765cebff41650bb106d8e5157c13eddeb82fe689b480553eee8185bd84208a4 69caeddf7d0dc2c8f8b3741f5094adeb55893e569cd151bc86b86827a9607703 54accfee10bbdca3d0b5d277b05f9fd6cf175ffcd0f730e09bf9bb5950247a98 2105d39bba63953e30f9d9a7af1c00679bb69e0c6fdd692105bccae6cf74bc51 936421b921ac5e6ad6aa26313a54a33789a446c2b82417f458bbdaf4b45a8795 7cf0731f81a7a80715265f306f3efdb789ee5366fc5a70909d5bf5620002dedd 1fddcc741b89add9b16db06ba5523b7fcc664a3be713ee5364eac4ac60d9fdba 2489a18eeb69c8ff72bf0b092b21a3666263189cebfcd77de50eae5f4150bc27 56fa49c6a5eb9c263a401b57aab6fc5101a9f89915f192309cf300e03a6c0547 cecfb430171823e8d593e4569f144be3e0d0f7f511bcc6d561f855c5a68c8724 4493389ee0bc3eef1265596359d029a346f8473e1d74b12d8c1de16bdc9eecdb 2bab65d2de3311b69fa75415278d03096cf9eb57b9277c3a6025906a9fb84de9 75ccc6b7d3bbeff3fbbb7d58be5757fb89fea8eee19421d5dbc13fbde3370076 cbd26438ef3eb3960e1e0d923579918ab732437334aa911df05293098d90122a ebcd3fe82eda69f503ae51d3fb95c94fc619f19b5ec17d1027e5c33ea4319b0c 2d9d5ea890a71d92e32fedaba080794ed29b8d45e265365ed73dfc55ba235317 99e50ac07a219d4787f15090fb8449204f78c241c6bdac762493b004683c2821 6b2cdc7f7e41bcb6297112e4dc091fde92b9ff0a6f9dfb8a141683809e37178d 6459a13cf3874b20a31051b0cada7e9a1c4630cb1956c48f3d31927b96defa60 1897565950d366f69c6cfa714dc211f7e0dc41b76963fd4e8024c2dbde909677 072941983c7a1c31dc7bd112ef42ee6c0b8a84a40b55a9dbf2c5fcdd593e7d7f efb7d2adc0ccdfc61af4ae0e7d1a40ae002cd7ae26ae7b2124b93b705161c28a 9b809391aedc99bcd1312fcb86c45d2c85e6b06de97e37ae634fd10b46464eb3 33241b41490c7e9e01156fca65b59d7eb4860d0793c8e338ff177457f9d3a532 06fcedbedb2f9094cced0173c1b03caffcb5c3e6c849c9cc8fa3f03d58885881 58ab796933ed275994a0d47472b13eb5bb48db6388c6f29d0c206fd23137bc3a 73da4ddc0ba48c428fa5d78bf9556a981ed4495f3901ee75a4fd8be3b56c9686 a713858782bc8a564af8e4ba054474f4968c59993fee946a56963e77803d128c d01c2e63740f7ad708b98c9fc135626fbe113f5221945e496560a9eaefad557a
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):
2026-03-30T11:50:38.108052+00:00 92433482070419727902647056873328942803257722954124 16028199634822891910983213588050335944617825357349 00980552139055848151380866992719441321832985562183 10289301956514325810454362012738977349837372563847 63433582168206047805768234934653958815082952524498 94771029784175856723737019235088208319237512630917 50740820817530343079343199990446663177268184724621 30118590820417713930442874978084961904212459367500 99821454413141106128513973346444429825791933638995 14443650481608692218889122390625580544776588383995 46685958440031861715790343141316334891988064258982 45033164213168043356656472279806178909787214474752 60872605305866145457901707181871260888364773539989 42423334550153400098297068117768638541580613530328 34447003450056973837027138234885135818741639792432 93663493855576191270036302941323355877425967401453 04172342790352047397925968788818066645177141237258 31860317729466601567726549270849266689192356960140 30234190709050053567364179541058734742167665009131 97827299971495460258184489680817765625720728545934 96171693087454927924095871023725513994381846636704 57252712809867540981625736011509574940205968590244 45752438871791745346930800100030878166004875292359 61271760507441134985677131797067726743884295391789 53740266510685598846187614676150758137253306119423 13509719357452648038350080460978786886897961751718 60166854327376274806582435009425403510772366351470 72833292316497997514441935390036011581629845370457 00582831091295901784496624917016270630021448259637 02108783097226380615662905984236796282987201337543
From the PIN diode (digits):
2026-03-30T11:38:57.902958+00:00 47525546400133428313057685096667845107563300997368 94941193627658855078259389496989204098365712716975 08671625935528488882135602360288699705345902400191 22808716094281879362300455720583249166086405251394 79163180487385376286568188348404396996190384721687 63811976955923954855878980362252330555869949624867 75280003558258121105330588168881470033853372940670 38495884635537647094843623888780903549241531296768 07213895481162833783029012445791980002311627377377 09760765825927027459198300967296863637614205149111 09433363029899245625147495658088398673986556385864 27877082810169532146485600580805718048232435478659 20751788989785976640353668475658886218018999894163 70716229167745402907584371015117825967842139410309 08878539245896374406598477179883878725889087873768 48339363895500180056627950143013465321453883506715 52704529824709414418426346050374814979982555949325 16399562644955124557946844672946477160282178554169 01549461858635832353109222335771358044327332792094 65988972183647760404604033074427266588824113180931 46851011573820223128585523410089616035753263168176 26542870482586964361494623509624518689800256081377 94176583059978283694445019074165526022284923186608 11383264118569978962252783739298267414252664740044 74387423333685591281979438552847457453884947349693 44337609265574997911707078795136276573122658012111 01815726803413074756231687655006904744480115937660 75819573436361883688298871210551398948601614776281 87729936985712321149558858157711644066436539850652 30739557011764398108503467193335308838867486056816
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.