Random.org: Difference between revisions

Random.org
	Random.org as of October, 2009
Type of site	Web service
Available in	English
Owner	Mads Haahr
Created by	Mads Haahr
URL	Random.org
Registration	optional

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Revision as of 03:00, 13 June 2012

Random.org is a website that produces "true" random numbers based on atmospheric noise.^[2] In addition to generating random numbers, it has free tools to do things such as flip coins, shuffle cards, and roll dice. It also offers paid services to generate sequences of random numbers and act as a third-party arbiter for raffles, sweepstakes, and promotions.

The website was created in 1997 by Mads Haahr,^[3] ^[4] a doctor and computer science professor at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Random numbers are generated based on atmospheric noise captured by several radios tuned between stations.^[5]^[6]

Bits

A bit is a number that can equal 0 or 1. There are several Random.org radio listening stations that generate 3,000 bits per second from the atmospheric noise picked up^[7]. The generators produce a continual string of bits. An example of a string of bits is: 11111111111111... Whenever a random result is requested, the bits are used to generate the result. The simplest instance of a random result on the site is the coin toss. The coin toss requires just one bit at a time. If the bit is 0, the coin would be reverse (tails) and if the bit is 1, the coin would be obverse (heads).

Quota

To make sure nobody places unfair demands on the system, a limit to the number of bits supplied to a particular user is enforced. Every 24 hours, up to 200,000 bits are added to each IP Address' quota. Once the quota has reached 1,000,000 bits, no more will be added. One can buy different amounts of quota top-offs in order to raise their quota, in which case the 1,000,000-bit limit is no longer enforced. The priced range from between $1 and $5 per million bits.^[8]

References

^ "Random.org Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
^ O'Connell, Pamela LiCalzi (2004-04-08). "Lottery Numbers and Books With a Voice". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-23. Other sites also offer true random numbers, said Mads Haahr, lecturer in computer science at Trinity College, Dublin ^{[dead link]}
^ McNichol, Tom (2003-08-11). "Totally Random". Conde Nast Publications. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-10-23. Mads Haahr, a lecturer in computer science at Trinity College in Dublin, designed the system
^ Klarreich, Erica (2004-12-04). "Take a chance: scientists put randomness to work". Science News. Archived from the original on 2009-10-23. Haahr's Web site (http://www.random.org/) can generate up to 3,000 random numbers per second {{cite news}}: External link in |quote= (help)
^ Johnson, George (2001-06-12). "Connoisseurs of Chaos Offer A Valuable Product: Randomness". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-23. Random.org generates unpredictable sequences of data using a radio tuned between stations, harvesting the atmospheric noise
^ Bialik, Carl (2009-10-14). "How Random Is the iPod's Shuffle?". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
^ http://www.random.org/randomness/
^ "Your Quota". Random.org. Retrieved 2011-10-30.

External links

Official website
HTTP client implementations for various programming languages.

This website-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[alexa-1] "Random.org Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2012-06-02.

[nyt2-2] O'Connell, Pamela LiCalzi (2004-04-08). "Lottery Numbers and Books With a Voice". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-23. Other sites also offer true random numbers, said Mads Haahr, lecturer in computer science at Trinity College, Dublin ^{[dead link]}

[Wired-3] McNichol, Tom (2003-08-11). "Totally Random". Conde Nast Publications. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-10-23. Mads Haahr, a lecturer in computer science at Trinity College in Dublin, designed the system

[Klarreich-4] Klarreich, Erica (2004-12-04). "Take a chance: scientists put randomness to work". Science News. Archived from the original on 2009-10-23. Haahr's Web site (http://www.random.org/) can generate up to 3,000 random numbers per second {{cite news}}: External link in |quote= (help)

[nyt1-5] Johnson, George (2001-06-12). "Connoisseurs of Chaos Offer A Valuable Product: Randomness". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-23. Random.org generates unpredictable sequences of data using a radio tuned between stations, harvesting the atmospheric noise

[wsj-6] Bialik, Carl (2009-10-14). "How Random Is the iPod's Shuffle?". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2009-10-23.

[7] ttp://www.random.org/randomness/

[8] "Your Quota". Random.org. Retrieved 2011-10-30.

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