Fast randomness A diagram of the quantum random number generator on the photonic integrated chip. (Courtesy: Bing Bai and Yao Zheng) Smartphones could soon come equipped with a quantum-powered source ...

If your name gets picked for jury duty, it’s because a computer used a random number generator to select it. The same goes for tax audits or when you opt for a quick pick lottery ticket. But how ...

There are many ways to generate random numbers, the most well-known of which can be traced back over thousands of years: for instance, a simple dice, or coin-flipping, provides unpredictable results.