Testimonials

I write and use molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulators which have their own pseudo-random number generators (for portability and reproducibility). These require the user to input a random number seed. If I want to perform an ensemble of N statistically independent runs (e.g., with different initial conditions), I need N independent seeds. So I use your site to generate seeds to paste into my input script, i.e., your random generator generates random seeds for input to a pseudo-random generator. Say that 5 times fast.

—Steve Plimpton, Sandia National Labs

I make mixed media animations as a hobby, and have recently been exploring non-sequential abstract patterns, as both a visual ‘static’ effect, and as dynamic planes and surfaces for figures. While sometimes a typological approach appropriate, like taking a photo of a section of every page in the weekly newspaper and running it at high speed so it becomes non-figurative (to be used as an overcast sky), I often need more specific sorts of abstract, and drawing or otherwise generating thousands of frames of images, often for a minute or two of footage can be time consuming. So, I routinely get around this by making a fraction of that amount, and I used to pad the remaining time out by repeating frames in 'random' order, off the top of my own head, results less than impressive. Now, thanks to your random, I generate integers corresponding to existing frames, which eliminates obvious loops and repetitions, creating a much more believable and smooth non-sequential series.

Also, being subject to whimsy, I occasionally include snapshots of said numbers in the odd frame, or even the URL, considering it subliminal advertising.

—Dominic Brown