Laboratory equipment manufacturers 'need quantum mechanics' for true randomness

Laboratory equipment manufacturers have been told that any 'random' system that conforms to the rules of classical physics could, in theory, be predicted.

Whether the randomness is used in number generation, encryption or even lottery selection, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Light in Erlangen argue that outcomes should be predictable, if enough information is known about the variables involved.

Most systems simply simulate true randomness to a degree that renders the predictability too difficult to calculate, the researchers explain.

With quantum mechanics, laboratory equipment manufacturers looking to build true unpredictability into their products may be able to do so.

This is because of the uncertainty principles embedded into the theory of quantum physics.

One way of achieving a truly random outcome that the researchers are investigating is to take a reading of unpredictable quantum noise, map it on to a bell curve and assign a value based on the part of the graph in which the reading falls.

The Max Planck Society studies a variety of disciplines, including social sciences, humanities, life sciences and the natural sciences, in order to yield outcomes applicable for the benefit of the public as a whole.