The quest for true randomness has long haunted cryptography. Conventional random number generators (RNGs) often rely on deterministic algorithms or physical phenomena, leaving potential vulnerabilities to prediction—especially as quantum computing advances. Enter Human Entropy (https://entropygrid.net), an experimental project that proposes a radical alternative: harvesting the inherent unpredictability of human behavior.

According to its creator's Hacker News post, the web app captures users' unique interaction patterns—mouse movements, keystroke timing, or other gestures—and converts them into cryptographic hashes. These hashes stream into a Firestore database where users can only append new data, preventing tampering or read access. Daily, a Firebase Cloud Function (deliberately hidden from client-side code) concatenates the accumulated hashes into massive, non-deterministic random strings.

Key security architecture includes:

  • App Check Enforcement: Blocks automated bots from polluting the entropy pool with predictable inputs
  • One-Write Data Model: Users contribute hashes but cannot access or modify existing pool data
  • Logic Obfuscation: Critical concatenation occurs server-side, shielding the core algorithm from reverse engineering

"Can we create a random sequence that no machine can predict because its source is the unpredictable nature of human behavior?" the creator muses, acknowledging the project's experimental nature.

While theoretically compelling, the approach faces practical challenges. Human behavior patterns aren't uniformly random—users might develop repetitive habits, and small user pools (currently ~15 contributors) risk low entropy diversity. Moreover, behavioral biometrics could introduce privacy concerns if improperly handled.

Nevertheless, the project sparks crucial dialogue: as deterministic algorithms face quantum decryption threats, could collective human unpredictability become a viable randomness source? For cryptography specialists, this grassroots experiment—flawed but philosophically provocative—underscores the urgent need for quantum-resilient entropy solutions beyond traditional mathematical constructs.