Random Number seeds, was RE: First computer with real-time clock?

John> Computer-based ramndom number seed generation: John> I may at some point remember the machine/manufacturer, but I John> *do* recall tha one (perhaps Gummint-oriented?) device used a John> standard radio buried in it somewhere, tuned to a local John> station, the output of which was digitized and the seeds John> extracted from that... as I write this, IISTR that it was some John> kind of crypto-thingy... That would be quite a bad idea. I'm sure the spooks are smarter than that. Random number generators are built in to most crypto chips these days; they work starting from the noise generated by some simple electronic circuits. Then any biases are taken out by post-processing, for example by running the bitstream through a cryptographic hash. paul