In a San Francisco office, a wall of glowing lava lamps isn’t just a retro aesthetic choice — it’s a cornerstone of internet security.
Cloudflare, a global leader in website security and performance, uses these mesmerizing lamps to protect millions of websites. But how do groovy 1970s decor and cutting-edge cybersecurity go together?
It’s all about randomness. At Cloudflare’s headquarters, a camera continuously records the chaotic dance of molten wax inside the lava lamps. This unpredictable movement is transformed into streams of random numbers, which are then used to generate encryption keys for securing websites worldwide.
Why go to such lengths? Computers, despite their power, struggle to produce truly random numbers. The “random” outcomes in video games or apps are actually the result of complex but predictable algorithms. For cryptography, though, predictable randomness is a liability. True randomness — derived from physical processes like the swirling wax in lava lamps — is essential for creating unbreakable encryption.
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This quirky setup, dubbed the “LavaRand” system, highlights a fascinating truth: even in our high-tech world, the internet’s security partly relies on the chaotic beauty of analog objects.
So, while we debate the future of AI and quantum computing, half the internet is quietly guarded by… glass jars filled with wax.
