Saed News: Swiss researchers have, for the first time, used quantum entanglement to generate numbers that not only appear random but are also scientifically proven to be “completely unpredictable.”
According to Saed News, if you ask someone to pick a random number, it may seem simple. However, in physics and computer science, producing “true randomness” is one of the most difficult challenges, because almost any event that appears random can, in principle, be influenced by hidden laws or initial conditions.
For example, the result of a coin toss or dice roll seems random, but from the perspective of classical physics, if all forces and initial conditions are known, the outcome could theoretically be predicted. Even computers usually do not generate true random numbers; instead, they use algorithms that produce only “pseudo-random” results. Recently, researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland announced they have found a way to overcome this limitation.
According to ScienceAlert, the researchers used one of the strangest features of quantum mechanics—quantum entanglement—to produce what they call “perfect randomness.”
The importance of this discovery goes far beyond theoretical physics. Nearly all modern security systems, from passwords and encryption keys to banking communications and government infrastructure, rely on random numbers. The more predictable these numbers are, the easier it becomes to break security systems.
In the experiment, researchers placed two quantum bits (qubits) 30 meters apart and cooled them to near absolute zero. These qubits were put into an entangled state, where the behavior of one particle is directly linked to the other, even at a distance.
Over about nine hours, the team performed more than one billion tests on the system. The results showed that the observed patterns could not be explained by any hidden law or pre-determined mechanism. In other words, the output was truly unpredictable.
More importantly, the researchers used a method called “randomness amplification.” They started with data that was not perfectly random and may have contained biases, but the quantum system transformed it into output that is considered fully random in information theory.
This is the first time scientists have achieved such a level of randomness without relying on trusted hardware or ideal initial conditions.
According to the researchers, this technology could one day play a role similar to atomic clocks—becoming a standard reference for generating and verifying randomness in digital systems.
If successfully applied, it could lead to a new generation of cryptographic and cybersecurity systems that remain unpredictable even to the most advanced analytical methods.
