News Computing

There’s no cheating this random number generator

The protocol ensures jury duty selections and other draws are truly random and secure

This illustration shows numbered balls emerging from two side by side metal cage ball tumblers, like those used to pick Bingo letters.

Many real-life processes — like being picked for jury duty or buying a lottery ticket — rely on random number generators. Researchers say they have now created a tamper-proof, trustworthy source of random numbers (illustrated).

Sarah J Berman Creative

By Celina Zhao

If your name gets picked for jury duty, it’s because a computer used a random number generator to select it.