On 08/04/2017 09:59 AM, \0xDynamite wrote:
On 8/4/17, Steve Kinney <admin@pilobilus.net> wrote:
On 08/03/2017 02:54 PM, \0xDynamite wrote:
Speaking of cryptography (harhar),
That joke, btw, was because there's hardly any discussion on this lists subject.
Punk ass bitches 'round here don't much talk about ciphers.
Thing is, the output of an equation that takes one iteration's output as input for the next round, etc. is 100% deterministic: The same equation, with same initial input, produces the same output every time.
Would not a coin flip with the exact same initial parameters (height, force, deterministic air currents, and striking surface) have the same result?
Only if measures are taken to maintain precise control of these variables; in practical terms, a human tossing a coin will produce an unpredictable result every time due to variations in muscle tension, the path the coin takes, etc.
Only physical sources can generate real entropy in this sense: Decaying isotopes, noise from a leaky diode, tumbling dice, snapshots of variable hardware states in a computer (least significant n. digits of CPU temperature, fan speed, keystroke intervals, etc.) do qualify as entropy;
That's part of the question, are those things deterministic, albeit at several more orders maginitiudes than our computers?
Again, the outputs of these processes can not be predicted unless their inputs are under precise control, which in practical situations they are not. A big factor here is that the random number generators used to make cryptographic keys are under the control of the user (or had better be!), and the user will act to assure that the variables driving the generator are not monitored to produce predetermined outputs.
I ask this semi-rhetorically, because in my cosmology, the universe must have some non-determinism in order for life to appear.
This far, physics describes a Universe where the balance of Order and Chaos is ideal for creating life. Almost as if somebody set that up on purpose. To put a stop to that kind of "superstitious" speculation, some physicists propose that a vast, unlimited number of distinct universes must exist, each with its own physical laws, where only a few have conditions supporting the development of life. But if so, there must be a larger cosmic context in which all these universes happen, and the same speculation arises - how did this massively parallel trial and error process get started? Which jumps us up to yet another "higher" context, etc. ad infinitum. Verily, 'tis a mindfucker. :o)