[time-nuts] are any time-nuts also random-nuts?

[David Forbes]

Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:
> In message <4B326600.9040506 at rubidium.dyndns.org>, Magnus Danielson writes:
>> Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:
> 
>>> As far as I know, the first RNG to be connected to a computer was this
>>> one:
> 
>> The first analog random generator that was hooked to any form of digital 
>> circuit must be the random generator used to generate the key-records 
>> used in the SIGSALY system during WWII.
> 
> I think that is not the case, I have found references to some telephone
> queue-simulations done with punched cards involving a radioactive
> decay as a RNG.  I have not found the original document though.
> 

The Americans eventually got into the act, with the RAND Corporation producing a 
book of 1 million random digits in 1955. It's described in some detail and with 
sardonic humor on my friend Tom's website.

http://wps.com/projects/million/

(Yes, that is a tattoo of the ITA2 character set on his arm. ASCII is on the 
other arm.)

--David Forbes, Tucson AZ