From: eggplant@inlink.com (eggplant)
Date: Wed, 6 Mar 1996 15:51:54 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Truelly Random Numbers
Message-ID: <v01510108ad62d6dcbc14@[206.196.98.94]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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>
>Tim Fulbright wrote:
>>
>> Now I, a lurker for two months, am truelly confused!  L. Deitweiler must be
>> right.   Surely one of you cyperpunk fellows could hack together a
>>dongle with
>> some kind of AD converter and buffer ram to gather a Truelly Random Bitstream
>> off the environment every couple of milliseconds easier than this raindrop
>> scheme or recording the fan, you're haviung me on!.  Let's go back [..]
>
>The raindrop scheme was (politely) laughed off.  As for the fan recording
>scheme, it's a good make-do-with-what-you-already-have method, as opposed
>to buying and/or building a card.
>
>A 'simple AD converter' isn't so simple.  Especially if you want to be
>sure you really have random noise and not something else that just looks
>random.
>- ---
>[This message has been signed by an auto-signing service.  A valid signature
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>iQBFAwUBMTz0nSoZzwIn1bdtAQGl6QF+P1V62qg+Mf5K+VN3q0Y1e6/A4EO4uLLr
>WNxAbtE+OxQXFKnP7ajFUFBbnDLJxLmx
>=4ysY
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Actually, I remember reading somewhere,  a long time ago though, that the
NSA had come up with an almost undoubtably random sequence by using random
high altitude RF signals, scanning a certain frequency I guess. Then using
it as the random number.
Given the amount of RF transmisions world-wide and the addition of
high-altitude interference, it should be completely random. Unless someone
were to get their hands on you copy of it or happened to be hooked up to
your reciever at the time of recording, there is no way they could figure
it out.

--
"... In Germany they first came for the Communists and I
didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came
for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak
up because I wasn't a trade unionist.  Then they came for
up because I wasn't a trade unionist.  Then they came for
Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me-and by that time no one was left to
speak up..." Pastor Martin Niemoller

++++++++++++
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*	 Matthew Murphy	------------ eggplant@inlink.com
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++++++++++++
finger eggplant@inlink.com for my PGP key.