What Is Randomness, Anyway?

For centuries, randomness has captivated millions—from gamblers and oracles to mathematicians and cryptographers. We draw straws, flip coins, roll dice. We trust the shuffle of a deck. And yet, the moment you start asking what makes something random, the rabbit hole goes very deep. This site aims to help you on that journey.

The simple answer: Something is random when we can't predict the next outcome from the previous ones. A coin flip, a roll of dice. But here's the catch: dice and coins aren't truly random. If you knew the precise position, trajectory, gravity, and friction of the landing surface, you could predict the result. Even children know you can game a counting-out rhyme by choosing where to start. True randomness is surprisingly hard to come by.

Why it's so difficult. Computers are deterministic. Same input, same output—every time. That's the opposite of randomness. Pseudorandom number generators (PRNGs) produce sequences that look random but are fully predictable if you know the "seed." John von Neumann famously said: "Anyone who considers arithmetical methods of producing random digits is, of course, in a state of sin." The same seed always yields the same sequence.

The rabbit hole deepens. True randomness does exist—it's baked into the universe via quantum mechanics. Given a choice of two paths, a quantum entity takes one entirely at random. But proving it? That's harder. High-entropy sources like radioactive decay are quantum-random, yet hard to make user-friendly. And unless someone is in the room with you, you can't always prove you didn't just make up the numbers. The gap between "looking random" and "being random" is exactly where fairness breaks down in gaming and where security fails in cryptography.

Why it matters. Every slot spin, card shuffle, and loot drop depends on randomness. If it can be predicted or manipulated, the game is rigged. Encryption keys and session tokens rely on random bits; weak sources create vulnerabilities. "Without randomness, digital life wouldn't be secure or fair." That's why verification—proving outcomes are genuinely unforeseeable—has become essential. The goal for provably fair systems is to move from "trust our black box" to "verify the proof."

The journey continues. We've only scratched the surface. If you're curious to go deeper, check out this introduction to randomness and this video—and then explore the rest of our Learn section. The rabbit hole goes very deep. Are you ready?