Deciphering Randomness

Symposium:

• ISEA2015: 21st International Symposium on Electronic Art
• More presentations from ISEA2015:  

• Deciphering Randomness

• Robert B. Lisek

• The presentation poses fundamental questions concerning randomness and computation. Nowadays, many procedures based on simulation of random processes lie at the basis of practical applications in banking, stock market, games, in security systems etc. Generating random numbers is not easy. People are extremely bad at generating random sequences. People behave in a mechanic and repetitive manner. Human brain aims to conceive reality within periodic sequences and patterns. The existing computing machines don’t generate random sequences; the so called pseudogenerators of random numbers are periodic. This is way the project deals with quantum level randomness from decay of radioactive materials as Thorium. Quantum mechanics is believed to be fundamentally non-deterministic and it shows that randomness operates on certain level of our reality.

  Quantum Enigma is an installation, which utilizes radioactive materials such as Thorium for generating random numbers sequence that has a many applications as a great cryptographic key and source of random light and sound impulses. The existing computing machines don’t generate random sequences; the so called pseudogenerators of random numbers are periodic. This is why the project reaches quantum states which are highly randomized and can be used for generating random numbers. More: fundamental.art.pl/qenigma.html

Category:

• Artist Talk