Show HN: I built a hardware quantum RNG and wired it into a Magic 8-Ball

ML, Biotech, Hardware, and Coordination Problems. Sometimes I write about hard problems and how to solve them.

10 points by dnhkng 118 days ago dnhkng.github.io 1 comments

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Gday, author here!

I've wanted to hack together a "real" quantum random number generator for another upcoming project, and I got carried away a bit, and went down the 'over-engineering' cliff. So, for your nerdy enjoyment, I have documented it all up, and I added something cool for fellow "Multiple World Interpretation" followers in the Quantum Mechanics debate.

This QRNG uses sexy bits: Each is the decision of a photon to go left or right after hitting a 50:50 beam splitter. Standard kinda device, where you attenuate a light source down to single photons, offer them semi-mirror to bounce off, and see which PMT detector they hit (or which universe we ended up in ;) ). Basically, Through → bit=0. Bounce → bit=1.

As I take the MWI interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (its the more fun options), I have also built a Quantum Magic 8-Ball. Ask it a questions, and you get and receive exactly one answer here, plus every possible answer across the multiverse.

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