The muon-powered, universe-bifurcating, random number machine

/ alphaphoenixchannel
/ alpha__phoenix
This video has been 4 years in the making… In undergrad I started work on a random number generator that used a geiger tube to generate random pulses and a nixie as the primary display (here's the ancient "it almost works" video: • Random Box Preview ). Unfortunately, I couldn't prove it was actually working back then because I couldn't make the geiger tick faster with the test alpha source I had (alpha particles get blocked super-easily). I rebuilt the thing this past summer, and FINALLY got to making the video! I hope you enjoy it!
If you're interested, here's a nice relatively-plain-English summary of the many-worlds-hypothesis (Rick and Morty) and it mentions the competing Copenhagen interpretation (Schrodinger's cat).
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/manywor...
#Random #Physics #Maker
Music in this video:
I Dunno by grapes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
ccmixter.org/files/grapes/16626
Images in this video:
Rick and Morty from Rick and Morty on Adult Swim
1925 Model T from ModelTMitch
The Rocinante from The Expanse on Syfy/Amazon Prime

[@matthewgilbie4087]

Ah, but the numbers rolled in this video are no longer random, because they were recorded and will come out the same every time now.

[@Rotem_S]

They are what defines this branch from different ones though

[@chalkeater1427]

@@Rotem_S nothing defines any branch from any other; everything is completely random to an infinite degree. In this way, everything is the same. In an infinite amount of trials, something unlikely will happen the same amount of times as something likely. It’s like an infinite number of $20 bills and $1 bills.

[@scrambledmandible]

@@chalkeater1427 What kind of chalk do you like to eat? I like the blue kind

[@Fidder492]

@@scrambledmandible Personally, the white ones are better. My family thinks it's cocaine when it's actually chalk.

[@dimosk7389]

true...but only in OUR universe ;)

[@Monkeyshaman]

It's okay to admit you built a thing to show all your quantum physics memes.

[@liggerstuxin1]

I respect the flex though. Most couldn’t care less how things work and exist.

[@crazydog3307]

is it really possible to show all possible quantum physics memes?

[@spacedoohicky]

@@crazydog3307 The device may be universe bifurcating. So maybe he did in other universes.

[@gama5942]

1000th like

[@Monkeyshaman]

@@gama5942 to me it is tuesday.

[@melody_florum]

Him just punching random numbers into a calculator, getting a syntax error, and continuing to punch random numbers sped up is way funnier than it should have been

[@niemand262]

Q: How do you make a truly random number generator? A: Bombard a planet with sunlight for billions of years.

[@mrspeedrunwastaken1348]

technically my dude, it'd be mostly star light or black hole radiation actually. :nerdface:

[@shoof_5839]

@@mrspeedrunwastaken1348 i believe he is talking about sunlight which birthed life on the planet, and in turn birthed random number generator - generating humans :)

[@billyumbraskey8135]

every planet gets bombarded with sunlight lmao

[@niemand262]

@@billyumbraskey8135 I invite you to try and prove there aren't teslas on every planet near a star.

[@mutantcube1737]

Technicaly speaking there is no true random, it may be unfathomable to be able to predict the outcome of the response, but it is still technicaly possible. Also humans aren't random either, every action you take can be predetermined, and could be predetermined from the beginning of time. With enough computing power you could predict the end of the universe and everything that happened during the universe, from the moment the universe began with 100% accuracy, because physics is absolute, and every reaction and interaction that occurs is bound by those same physics Edit: I've finished watching the video and I've found that he covers exactly what I'm talking about here, however I find that the explination given doesn't make much sense. Now I would love to explain why but im not typing out a 3 page essay in a comment reply section, so ill just leave it at feel free to ignore this message.

[@piousminion7822]

Make another one that just toggles between 0 and 1 (Randomly) and label it "Schrodinger's Vegan Cat".

[@ryuguy032197]

Lol.....Im sure PETA would like that version

[@Asdayasman]

Then finally make one that cycles through only the number zero for full zen mode random number generation.

[@MJFallout]

Could you explain that please? I don't get it.

[@draghettis6524]

@@MJFallout After opening the box, the Schrodinger's Cat experiment has two possible outputs, dead (0) and alive (1). This guy suggests to do one machine like the one of the video, but that randomly chose between 0 and 1, making it be in essence a Schrodinger's Cat that don't use a cat, wich make it vegan.

[@MJFallout]

@@draghettis6524 Oh, thx! catfree is the vegan option, got it.

[@Garbaz]

Props for using no Arduino (or any microcontroller at all)

[@AlphaPhoenixChannel]

*made by the discrete component gang

[@Monkeyshaman]

*relearns what a gated IC is* _y-yes._

[@vikingursigurdsson]

Well what's wrong with microcontrollers?

[@annaw.1951]

@@vikingursigurdsson Nothing, really. They're just so ubiquotous in DIY electronics projects on KZbin these days that it's nice to see a project that doesn't use one.

[@matthewe3813]

@@annaw.1951 Thats why I like ben eaters 8-bit breadboard computer project a lot.

[@himselfe]

I believe my local supermarket uses this process to decide where and when to place products.

[@mrmurpleqwerty4838]

They actually put the "staple foods" (i.e. bread, milk, eggs, sugar, etc.) as far away from each other as possible, so that you spend more time looking at stuff you wouldn't normally buy, so that you're more likely to buy more stuff. This is what causes you to go to the supermarket "just to grab a loaf of bread" and come back with a trunk full of groceries.

[@MultiSdgsg]

"Einstein would roll over in his grave. Not only does god play dice, the dice are loaded."

[@yimoawanardo]

Randomness is an illusion imo. It is merely us unable to predict something so meticulous and, small I guess. De Broglie mechanics (or pilot-wave theory? I have to verify my sources and names) explain quantum mechanics without randomness.

[@rithvikmuthyalapati9754]

@@yimoawanardo There is no true randomness since the randomness we perceive in the universe is based on a set of strict rules called physics. True randomness has no limits and no restrictions, meaning it doesn't exist.

[@dane1382]

@@rithvikmuthyalapati9754 quantum physics:

[@franciscobohm1699]

@@yimoawanardo you should really take a look at Sabine Hosenfelder channel if you haven't already. She kinda recently did a vid on pilot wave theory and some of its limitations

[@maciejw1263]

Nice civ alpha centauri references

[@Beateau]

Honestly, it was nice to see a Nixie in a project that WASN'T a clock.

[@jamescollier3]

So random 🙃😉

[@midgetman4206]

Sweet right? Well time to go make a nixie clock/watch

[@mr.0x373]

Actually that was a clock that shows the time when a muon hits the tube

[@official-obama]

@@mr.0x373 only one digit

[@philb8437]

@@official-obama well, 10 seconds instead of the regular 12 hours of the round clock, but it still goes round, just many more times in unnamed and unfollowed cycles

[@specific_pseudonym]

If you made more of these, I would totally buy one.

[@TheOpticalFreak]

How much would you pay for it?

[@iIiWARHEADiIi]

@@TheOpticalFreak quamtum amount of money

[@TheOpticalFreak]

@@iIiWARHEADiIi was that a joke?!

[@iIiWARHEADiIi]

@@TheOpticalFreak yes.

[@notquitehadouken]

thrice the price to make it

[@satyajeetjena6758]

It could be a prototype for Divergence meter. May the choice of steins gate be with you. El Psy Congroo.

[@fgvcosmic6752]

This is definitely a Beta worldline

[@fwa8590]

Ah yes, this is me. It seems that the organisation is at it again. Don't worry though, I already my move to. This is all the choice of Steins;gate. El Psy Congrooooo

[@rimmertf]

i am mad scientist

[@anameaname2042]

A divergence meter would require a baseline reading. You would need many gravity sensors.

[@TheJunky228]

My first thought as well

[@DarkMeta_Minecraft_Dominion-AV]

Everyone ever: True randomness is literally impossible. Fact. Quantum Physics: lol hold my beer/not beer 😂

[@errorninja1019]

it can also be both in quantum physics

[@doctornobody6845]

This isn't true random

[@DarkMeta_Minecraft_Dominion-AV]

@@doctornobody6845 ?

[@DarkMeta_Minecraft_Dominion-AV]

@@doctornobody6845 how come

[@aloysiuskurnia7643]

Shoulda been written as "hold my |beer> + |no beer>" lol

[@mjrippe]

I have to say that I love everything about this project. The graphics around the box telling the story of what's going on inside are double plus good.

[@OH0PO]

36 years later and some are still using those adjective forms

[@Gunth0r]

what does newspeak have to do with all this? :D

[@sangeethav1247]

Nice Video, haha didn't expect the multiverse editing, that was fun to watch.

[@AlphaPhoenixChannel]

I certainly had more fun watching it then my graphics card had trying to encode it xD

[@jameswalker199]

There's only supposed to be one dot on the screen or something?

[@emanu1674]

@@jameswalker199 "Oh, crap, are you kidding me? Two dots? This never needs to be more than one dot. The two of you made us uncertain!"

[@thatoneguyonurleft5338]

"The ground is radioactive!" "The sky is radioactive, too!" AAAAHHAHAHAAHHAHAAA

[@axaide4210]

13:20 "using this mill feels like overkill for this project" - guy using the properties of quantum physics to make a random number generator

[@isaactrockman4417]

Best comment today

[@KlaasDeforche]

Personally I do not subscribe to the many worlds interpretation but I did subscribe to your channel.

[@AlphaPhoenixChannel]

Hahahahaha thanks! (Yeah it seems kinda weird to me too but it makes for great sci-fi when you ignore like ALL of the details...)

[@matthewcahill4475]

Yeah it defies thermodynamics, creating a second universe out of nothing nah, Copenhagen interpretation for me

[@alkestos]

I hold onto the pilot wave. I know it's having _little bit_ of problems currently but it makes most sense to my human mind and _obviously_ I am the center of the universe so this conclusion is only logical. lol

[@lollertoaster]

Which means you didn't subscribe in the other half of the universes :p

[@knaveHearted]

There's a world where you both subscribe to the many worlds theory, and didn't subscribe to the channel.

[@matthewhubka6350]

Admit it, you just unplugged the detector to get the one without any numbers getting picked for a long time

[@nickkonkle541]

shhh

[@ahuman2533]

Shhh

[@idontwantahandlethough]

@@ahuman2533 shhhh

[@someusername121]

Fun fact, you can also call an RDRAND instruction on an Intel cpu made after 2012. It uses thermal noise in the chip to produce a true random number.

[@Steph.98114]

Imagine rolling up to your dnd game with this

[@thelegend8570]

"I swear if this thing doesn't have a nixie tu- YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES"

[@EgnachHelton]

You should try to build a device driver that integrate this device into your computer as /dev/random

[@12-343]

But keep around the nixie tube, just for fun.

[@kiraPh1234k]

This device I don't think can serve as /dev/random without some work. Need consant source of numbers at any time, it cannot afford to wait seconds between requests - what do you do if you need /dev/random 13,000 times this second, 4,000 next second, etc?

[@nikkiofthevalley]

@@kiraPh1234k All you need to do is scale up the area of it. The more area, the more muons you can detect

[@stagger9660]

@@kiraPh1234k just have it backlog a bunch of random numbers and save those number for future use. As one is referenced, toss it away. Place a piece of radioactive material next to the device to crank out random numbers faster.

[@unflexian]

believe it or not this actually exists commercially, it's called an HRNG and there are many types using many quantum random process

[@adamstolen4965]

Very smooth execution and presentation. Phenomenal job with putting the random number generator together! If you could make a double nixie tube system, I’m convinced there are some dedicated D&D players that would demand one of these elegant quantum systems to make their game proper.🤓

[@vhaelen326]

i hate to admit it.. but yeah that was my idea aswell, rolling up to a d&d game with one of these, preferable with: 1. more lights, preferably different ones with all the common dice numbers plus a d2 or some way to configure it into such 2. loads of buttons and switches like oh if i switch over this here this is a d6, if i switch those 2 aswell its a d100 but if i only switch those 2 its a d10

[@DavidZMediaisAwesome]

This was on my mind the whole time while i was watching (and of course i’m a dungeon master)

[@PretzelBS]

I want one of these. Always been bugged how nothing in computers or physical objects that you can hold can be considered “true randomness”

[@lukabinks1388]

Could you plllllleeeeeaasssseeee show us how to make one? I'd really enjoy making this

[@Leekodot15]

Well.... I mean, make a tube with a thin wire in it, vacuum it, maybe slap a different gas in it, I don't know, wire that through to the circuitry shown in the video, make a container for it, set the outputs, and uh... work yourself to death trying to figure out what you actually need to do.

[@iIiWARHEADiIi]

Just buy Geiger tube and some sort of counter with the external triger and reset

[@RSHastingsIV]

So... hypothetically, if I asked to purchase this box off of you, how much would you charge + shipping? Also, how would you go about making a D20 version?

[@Randy14512]

You could have the number counter count up to 20 instead of 9 and have 2 tubes instead of the 1 the circuitry isn't that hard its pretty cool to think of possibly having a toggle to chose what the highest number could be and then beable to toggle between diffrent standard dice

[@Sick1982]

MTG?

[@Xeth247]

Ah, I found the ttrpger. I also would like one. Or 8. In the d2, d4, d6, d8, d10, d100, d12, and d20 type. I knew my quest for perfect dice was not over.

[@word6344]

When the players you DM keep fudging their dice rolls:

[@CyanStudios24]

The visuals paired with your explainations are so well thought out! Absolutely love the parallel universes part

[@OMJames]

I found you with the "tiniest KZbin plaque" video. Glad I stuck around! Really looking forward to what you have to show, man. GREAT editing, and I can really tell you put your heart into your videos. I'll be here for the long-run :)

[@AlphaPhoenixChannel]

Thanks! Editing can be a pain but it's also a pile of fun! I love when I get to release a new project - next one shouldn't be too far out. I'm literally right now making final renders out of matlab for a Snake-playing AI... (tell your friends) =D

[@Kellysg126]

Please please please post the schematics and plans for this, or sell them. Id love to have one

[@maximus8905]

I always wondered how Okabe Rintaro could build a machine that “detects” what worldline he’s on. This it literally it. Lol

[@westonslc]

He is future gadget lab member 001, he just doesn't know it yet...

[@Rossilaz58]

You're creating new universes for as long as that machine works.

[@phyricquinn2457]

Amplification. That is an amazingly intuitive way of looking at quantum measurement that I had never considered before!

[@Rotem_S]

The next step is noticing amplification is associated with decoherence, and voila - a nice, logical (and completely rigorous, with no further axioms) reasoning behind the many worlds interpertation

[@LogicalQ]

Alpha Phoenix is a God. He created RNGesus.

[@Leekodot15]

Nah, he just created a vessel for him to manifest in that uses the real world instead of the computer world.

[@ThreeProphets]

This is the most overengineered D10 I've ever seen

[@jaycobwhaley3974]

Just discovered you, and I absolutely love the content! This is one of the most satisfying diy gizmos I’ve seen yet 😊

[@enchantedplayer6168]

Honestly, I'd really like to see this being sold somewhere, it'd make games really interesting

[@unusedTV]

I ran into your channel this afternoon your new election video. Enjoying several of the other videos now, including this one and the golf phase-plane!

[@taylankammer]

This is absolutely amazing. I subscribed after watching some other videos already but after this one I can't understand why you don't have more subscribers!

[@ZeroEight]

found your channel on a KZbin suggestion and I have been enjoying your videos for the past few days. I think you'll hit 1million subs in no time.

[@MichaelRuppe]

Such a project! And extremely well documented. Love this!

[@AlphaPhoenixChannel]

Thanks! This one was literally years in the making! (Granted shelved for most of that time)

[@Riokaii]

I think a fix to the slight expected-ness of re-starting the clock at the previous value it was on is to run 2 clocks. When a trigger happens on the first clock as normal, The first number is shown as a value, and the display is frozen, while a 2nd clock is running in the background, the 2nd trigger pauses the 2nd clock for a "random" period of time, based on which value the 2nd clock lands on. Once the 2nd clock unfreezes, the first clock is set to sync with the value of the 2nd clock. And then you wait for the first clock to trigger again. (If this doesnt work, because my brain isn't 100% sure it conceptually works, i think some heuristic of re-syncing the clocks to each other on every other trigger or something might also work. It's hard to mentally track how the random triggering of everything affects the "randomness")

[@alextaylor9746]

Could just use high voltage latch that gets triggered locking the number an clock just keeps running just not Seen till reset

[@PotatoBoiYT]

Just discovered this channel, and I’ve gotta say, this is crazy stuff to even think about.

[@chicken_punk_pie]

I need to apologize (to you and the almighty algorithm) because I've seen this video in my feed multiple times in the past but not clicked it. I finally clicked on your Veritasium response a while ago and I'm now watching a bunch of your videos, and they're all fantastic! Wish I had done so sooner.

[@Scrogan]

Nicely done, I’ve always pondered the use of a Geiger counter as a random number generator. In fact I’ve got a tube just like your one in my parts box in a breadboard boost converter circuit that may or may not have experienced one too many exciting discharges. As for your use of a nixie tube with an upside-down 2 as a 5, I like your style.

[@AlphaPhoenixChannel]

The SBM-20 was an upgrade from some really really tiny glass geiger tube I started with a few years ago. Other than making some toasty arcs inside when I got the test source too close to it, it's a great tube! I think I may have too little resistance in series or something to get very high countrates... As for the upside-down numbers, what can I say but I bought the cheapest tubes I could get!

[@Scrogan]

AlphaPhoenix Different GM tubes have different gains or counts/area/second or whatever the metric is. There was a website I found a year or two ago when searching for a comparison between tubes that comprehensively measured a dozen or two of the tubes with alpha, beta, and gamma sources, both solid can and end-window tubes, chances are you’ve also stumbled across it. Really great resource, but I’m the end cost becomes the major factor when choosing, at least for me. I initially picked up the tiny SBM-21 as it was the cheapest GM tube on eBay, but I tried to solder a wire to it and it turns out that the plug in the end to keep the inside at low pressure melted at under 300C, so that ruined that tube. So I bought an SBM-20, as the ends of it perfectly fit a standard fuse holder bracket. The positive end of the SBM-21 is too small for any common size of fuse holder I know of, so I’ve no clue how it’s supposed to be held. I assume you’re also using fuse brackets yourself. As far as nixies go, a lot of the surplus ones around today are of soviet origin, where cutting costs by using the same digit for a 2 and 5 was somewhat common. I personally quite like this, it gives the display a character not found on other displays. I haven’t began a foray into the realm of nixies just yet, but when I do I plan on going for tubes which have symbol versions, e.g. Ω, V, A, Hz, etc. I’m also considering some of those obscure panel-mount electroluminescent displays, since they can be used for alphanumeric applications. From what I’ve seen on Applied Science’s channel, multiplexing EL displays is quite the task.

[@AlphaPhoenixChannel]

Yeah inside the lasercut wood humps on top of the box I've got some bent-up fuse holders I had to be very careful to not let touch any of the screws I use to hold it together lest I zap myself with 400V... I have also noticed that nearly all ebay vacuum tubes seem to come from former soviet states. Kinda interesting

[@davidjohnston4240]

As a designer of random number generators of the sort you find in your CPU, that's a not-very-good random number generator. If you sample fast enough, you will get highly serially correlated data since it's an up-counter with a partially random clock. You use the term "Truly Random" when you should say "Non deterministic". To get to full randomness (1 bit of entropy per bit of data) you need to study up on entropy extractor theory. All the non-determinism in normal electrical RNGs come from quantum effects that lead to electrical noise. So there's nothing particularly special about a Geiger counter based RNG.

[@jayjasespud]

True random is non-deterministic. This is still pseudo-random.

[@LogicalFindings]

​@jayjasespud the only right answer in this whole room of pseudo intellectuals

[@davidjohnston4240]

@@jayjasespud The term "True Random" is used differently by different people. In all cases it seems to mean nondeterministic but for some it means full entropy and others it does not. Since cryptographically secure, nondeterministic, deterministic, full entropy, partially entropic and other terms like that are vey well defined and accurately define the properties of an RNG, poorly defined terms that don't really match what they mean like PRNG and True Random should be avoided if you want to make your words unambiguous.

[@i18nGuy]

What a fun, instructive and inspiring video! Great stuff and very much appreciate all the hard work that went into it.

[@dandaigle4546]

once again your presentations, youth, excitement, enthusiasm keep me wanting more and more, ty

[@sligovolts]

Always a pleasure to watch a new video from you. Thank you very much and happy New Year!

[@AlphaPhoenixChannel]

Thanks! Happy New Year!

[@_badsine_]

I love that quantum mechanics can, in a way, be explained with math or philosophy interchangeably. It's a deliciously counterintuitive intersection of thinking.

[@AlphaPhoenixChannel]

I’d say it can only be adequately described (ie. predicted) with math. Philosophy is just the approximate interpretation from a human brain. When you try to wedge something that’s pure math into everyday life, it just doesn’t work...

[@mikhailmikhailov8781]

I'd say more - Modern Physics in general is a window into incomprehensible through mathematics. The fact that humanity can formulate and manipulate that which it cannot understand is insane.

[@officersoulknight6321]

@@AlphaPhoenixChannel Man, I wish Philosophy was actually useful. I find this kinda stuff extremely interesting, and I can _kinda_ swallow it, but I’m more talented for philosophical thoughts.

[@kingcrimson4133]

@@officersoulknight6321 Philosophy is useful, just not in a modern sense. Philosophy can be the difference between a life spent in contentment and a life spent in dread. But unfortunately, the modern definition of "useful" is "makes corporations more money", so the viability of important human practices like art and philosophy is tanking at the moment.

[@TheRmbomo]

The many-worlds you sequence was very satisfying to watch, thank you.

[@cantubloodaxe768]

I did enjoy this! And I'm glad to have discovered your channel!

[@SollowP]

Perfect for my D&D games.

[@t.487]

I kind of want a version that cycles between 1 and 20. If we can randomise a D10, we can randomise a D20 as well.

[@elisanovelo]

"your so predictable" "PREDICT THIS" *builds a muon powered random number machine*

[@duality4y]

i love this channel its under rated you explain everything so well :)

[@fwa8590]

Is this how Okabe built the divergence meter in Steins;gate?

[@Cpruett]

was looking for the Stein's Gate reference.

[@rajshakya2854]

just keep going, these worth million views

[@alejrandom6592]

This channel deserves infinitely many more views

[@baddspella]

just stumbed onto yoru video, love your style, effort and presentation ! subscribed !

[@PabloRomanelli]

Great video, please post stats about randomness of the device

[@danielhe8695]

I've made something similar before as well, after I saw a video on random numbers on numberphile. I used a small piece of uranium ore as my true randomness source instead of cosmic rays. I also used a micro to do some more complex functions. Basically, every time the box gets booted up, the micro "calibrates" and measures the number of counts for a few minutes. After that, every minute, the number of counts in the past minute is subtracted from the calibration value. This result is then used as a seed for a pseudorandom number algorithm. This allows for an arbitriary range of random numbers. I hope it also serves to smooth out the bell curve and generate a more even statistical distribution, not sure about that though.

[@jlong613]

The parallel universe part got me subscribed. Awesome editing.

[@yteicosf1103]

This is sooo fricking cool. Glad I discovered this channel.

[@gljames24]

Dice are decently chaotic. I think I'll stick with dice for dnd.

[@Ensign_games]

this one is better though

[@PolarDoc22]

Dice are lawful neutral, change my mind

[@tubeDude48]

Where's the schematic for this?

[@didxogns1]

Really loved your intro! Such a high quality

[@Gunny1971]

Well done. This video really made me think. The quantum made visible (in a way) and a reference to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy...Solid Gold.

[@GTRichardson7]

you should find a company to make and sell these! I want one that has multiple Nixie tubes that each would have a different die value, so you have your full set of polyhedrals displayed ( a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, and d% or d100).

[@dimosk7389]

7:40 talking about total randomness, and the device gives 8-9 and then again 8-9...spooky

[@dimosk7389]

@Michael Darrow ye i understand that. it was just a joke ;)

[@satan.is.my.copilot]

I noticed that too, and I don't understand. Was that indeed random that it did exactly the same thing twice?

[@dimosk7389]

@@satan.is.my.copilot i guess it is. if we are talking about total randomness, there is nothing that prevents the number 8 for example, to randomly pop 10 times in a row. or the number 5555555555 to exist somewhere in the Pi number

[@ojkolsrud1]

It's quite lame that your channel doesn't have millions of subs. It's brilliant!

[@Gunbudder]

i love a good pure random sequence. there was an urban legend that the random number sequence used in Doom's source code was generated using a nuclear generator. probably my favorite thing is using nuclear random sequences in a completely deterministic way. That is, you get the exact same number sequence each time, but the sequence follows no pattern at all. this can be incredibly useful for various things. it is like seeding your PRNG with 0 each time you use it, but on steroids

[@BLUYES422]

Make it into a Linux true random device

[@akaHarvesteR]

I was thinking of that too... Why aren't there ic package versions of this device out there for hardware rng? They'd be pretty great for crypto stuff

[@Rotem_S]

@@akaHarvesteR there absolutely are! Like two months ago I read about a laser chip thing which could generate tens of kilobytes of randomness per second - in consumer computers the operator has enough entropy to make these unecessary though (just use things like mouse positions to seed a CSPRNG)

[@DanHoke]

That was rad. Nice work. Now to go review "From Eternity to Here" to make sure I understood the Many Worlds hypothesis (hint: I didn't; I don't).

[@melody3741]

The fact you used a nixie tube for this is incredible.

[@possiblynova]

6:25 The Expanse reference is what earned my like, love it

[@TrabberShir]

"SOON"* unless I am just filing to see the video in question, you are really milking that asterisk for all it is worth at this point I think. Awesome work though, only recently found your channel, but you do awesome work.

[@AlphaPhoenixChannel]

Man well nobody watched this video when it was new - there are a bunch of follow-ups I passed on cause nobody cared and making another video after the project was “done” wasn’t nearly as interesting. It’s a whole lot more worthwhile now that KZbin is showing millions of people my thumbnails out of the blue!

[@the.gamer112]

@@AlphaPhoenixChannel My best guess is youtube hooked themselves up with a quantum computer XD

[@Asdayasman]

Anyone interested in the muon nonsense should check out The Thought Emporium's very recent video on the subject.

[@TheAechBomb]

agreed

[@berryerpacic9995]

ok wtf.. that was the most interesting vid i saw on yt in a long time.. u smart.. i like that.. and i didnt actually skip to the end to see the finished product.. nice presentation.. very well done..

[@QazNotQuaz]

your editing in this is so cool!!

[@tailez606]

I think a great improvement for this would be to add some kind of memory component. Then, when a random pulse is detected, instead of displaying a value on the display, store the value in memory (or store the time between detections, since that's where the randomness comes from). Afterwards, a user can just press a button and the device will display the oldest stored value and delete it from memory. This can be made more or less complicated as needed, for example by making a system that stores lots of values and can also recall previous random values instead of deleting them, or random numbers for specific dice types (like d6, d8, d20 or others).

[@ironbeard4627]

I truly want upgraded version. Connection to computer, ability to change the range of numbers, and program that allows you to roll any dice easily. Not sure if possible, but connection to discord bot? Then nobody could say that the "random generator hates them", becouse that would just be "universe hates them".

[@kongqianfu]

That casual slow mo scene in the beginning was very cool. I was not ready

[@seb612schuth]

Wow, just, wow, lovely project! This was excellent!

[@mojeimja]

You play with that devil's machine long enough - TVA will come for you and they prune you, just like every other unwanted VARIANT

[@humanperson2375]

I had this idea and I'm so glad i found this video. You could use this box to create a name for each universe, use it to identify nearby universes. You would have to have the box and result cause something do the universes arent just copies with different names so i would suggest using an output in a search engine and finding the first link that comes up, then find its creator get incontact, ask them what their job is and try to visit it. That should make a reliably random output, with travel cost, time, location and experience varying between the copies of the universe.

[@wiktormazur7027]

I love your channel. It's also nice seeing some crystalography because i liked it a lot in high school.

[@jedstanaland2897]

When I was in the military I proposed a setup for random number generator that used subatomic particals to pick a randomly selected number that was then used to pick a random number of algorithms for a second number to be run through and then that will be your result the order of the algorithms could be determined randomly along with the starting algorithm and you could also make it repeat any number of times you want at random and the whole idea was to introduce as much difficulty as possible to determining the final value and what might have made the whole thing possible is that you could possibly just get it to work on a smartphone of the time.

[@costynvd]

Amazing high quality content. You are going places!

[@qbasic16]

Great video! Love your style of presentation :D

[@felge2]

Damn you account is growing fast :) *me being happy for you cause your videos are great :)

[@SannevanSchie]

Great video, great explanation and a supercool looking random number generator. Would love to have one!

[@austindale3129]

Loved the many world video edit lol, really interesting project Thanks!

[@martinwood744]

The numbers rolled on the die may very well be truly random as there may well be quantum level effects acting on it, which mean that it might land on a different number if it was rewound to the same starting conditions.

[@Leo99929]

I like that you addressed the uncertainty between if the process is truly "random" and "unpredictable", or if we just do not have the scientific knowledge required to predict it accurately yet. It vexes me that the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics is tacitly assumed to be the "correct" interpretation, even though there are alternatives that are at least arguably at least equally as compelling such as De Broglie-Bohm.

[@brazni]

that's a really neat project, I like that you put some effort into the look of the box too. also appreciate the 555 :p

[@MichalRysanek]

+5 internets for using the Rocinante...!! Love your videos, and have since you had like 200 subscribers!! Never would have thought material science could be so interesting, and now I can't stop watching. Thank you!

[@sigma4401]

Your content is amazing, please keep it up!

[@scottmarshall6766]

Just a random (ah.. yeah) thought - You could use 2 (or more) events to set the clock frequency, then a another to start and stop the counter, if you wanted to reduce the averaging of time between muon events as a way of predicting the next event. Start at random a counter clock whose period is determined at random, then stop it at random. When recycled, there would be no way to predict the next event especially if you run the clock in the mhz range. You could even use several GM tubes and select the tubes used for the events based on a previous muon event. If you wanted a bigger more elaborate randomizer model. I've been a student of random since 1977 when I built my 1st big computer, a 6502 machine overclocked to 2mhz. True random is much harder than most people realize, but this is one of the better method I've seen. Cool too, using natures random events as an engine. Nice project. Enjoyed the video, thanks!

[@johngalt4657]

Excellent video! More about Muons! Also you should show a how to step by step video on how to build a machine. Where can your viewers buy one? Maybe you should sell them! Doesn't need to be that fancy. No need for special tube counter.