Giving Attention to QRNGs

I’ve had this nagging urge for a while to get my hands on a quantum random number generator (QRNG) and actually experiment with it. I was first introduced to QRNGs through experiments where a quantum event generator outputs binary events (1 or 0) at a fixed rate, and people are supposedly able to influence the distribution enough to skew it in one direction. Seeing that in person would be wild, so I want to test it myself.

I also feel this line of research could be taken further when it comes to practical quantum tools. One example of a device that supposedly leveraged this process is the Psyleron Mind Lamp, which appears to no longer be sold. If that product existed years ago, then today’s technology should be cheaper and better. I would love to see a tangible tool return that lets people poke at the quantum realm directly.

Another idea I keep coming back to is a desktop double-slit experiment, or some other small-scale quantum setup that takes up fidget-toy desk space but still demonstrates how observation and consciousness might interact with the quantum realm.

From the Psyleron site:

The Psyleron random event generator (REG) is a device that converts quantum-level physical phenomena into a digital output. Prevailing theories in quantum mechanics contend that these outputs are intrinsically random and follow a predictable statistical distribution.

However, some scientists have found exceptions. Researchers at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research laboratory at Princeton University, for example, have found that the human mind is capable of influencing the output of such an REG to alter its statistical distribution. The mechanism by which this occurs is unknown, and is not based on known physical effects such as electromagnetic fields. The researchers’ conclusion was that a subtle yet direct connection exists between the mind and the physical world.

The Psyleron Mind Lamp was developed in collaboration with scientists from the PEAR laboratory. A built-in Psyleron REG controls the color changing system, leaving the lamp open to the mind’s influence.

Historical Context: Two Experiments to Pull From

Helmut Schmidt Experiment (1970s)

He built a device that used Strontium-90 radioactive decay detected by a Geiger tube, feeding a high-speed oscillator switching between binary states. Whenever an emitted particle was detected by the tube, the switch was stopped and the binary state outcome was registered. For the visual display, he arranged nine lamps in a circle. Each random output moved the lit lamp one step clockwise or counterclockwise. Subjects tried to mentally push the light in their chosen direction.

The Ingo Swann magnetometer experiment (1972)

Swann visited SRI and reportedly demonstrated psychokinesis by perturbing a shielded magnetometer and remote-viewing its interior without sensory access. The magnetometer was a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) buried underground in a vault. Swann was reportedly able to stop the output completely for 45 seconds, which would be remarkable if genuine. However, while the readouts did show some fluctuations, there was no clear evidence that this was caused by Swann’s efforts.

The Quest Continues

So I keep looking for an accessible way to experiment with QRNGs. For me, this only works if the randomness is genuinely quantum. I want to know whether observation or attention is what drives collapse, and we cannot test that with ordinary electrically generated noise. It has to be quantum.

I understand that many things need to be clean and precise to really harness quantum effects. Still, the inside of modern computers is already doing incredible things, so it feels like we should be able to bridge that gap and build affordable, tangible quantum devices for this kind of experimentation.

Please reach out if you have a practical solution.