Our random isn't actually random

[Deleted member 219079]

So do you guys know the story about Apple's iTunes, where Jobs actually had to make the "random track order" less random, because customers thought it wasn't random enough?

Here's a quote from random.org:

Perhaps you have wondered how predictable machines like computers can generate randomness. In reality, most random numbers used in computer programs are pseudo-random, which means they are generated in a predictable fashion using a mathematical formula. This is fine for many purposes, but it may not be random in the way you expect if you're used to dice rolls and lottery drawings.

RANDOM.ORG offers true random numbers to anyone on the Internet. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs.

I read somewhere that the reason for us to go paranoid on "is this really random" is because our brain's like to create patterns for stuff. Imo that doesn't actually explain anything, like we could know how our brains work...


...so, if you try to use the http://www.random.org/ , set the low bound to 1 and high bound to 10, do you feel like you're trying to make some sort of connections between the pattern the random numbers are represented to you?

For me, it feels like it favours certain numbers for a moment.

 

[chobibo]

Random? As in shuffled play sequence?

 

[Deleted member 219079]

Random as anything, the quote explains it well

But yea as shuffle feature too.

 

[chobibo]

I was really asking about the playing sequence, because I already know that stuff on the quote. It's just amazing that people noticed that "pattern".

 

[Zwiebelchen]

True randomness and patterned random are funny aspects of the human psyche. I love how everyone automaticly assumes that a randomized system is broken as soon as you get the same number three times in a row...

 

[Deleted member 219079]

Like winning lottery, for some it's below 1%, for some its 50-50

 

[gorillabull]

people who use apple products are a bunch of blind sheep

 

[edo494]

http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/numeric/random/random_device

so much for undeterministic randomness