JSFoo: round the year submissions

Randomization is an important tool in any developer’s toolkit, but do you know how it actually works? Did you know some approaches can be more “random”

In this talk we’ll take a deep-dive into random numbers in JavaScript — how they are generated, how to make more cryptographically-sound random numbers with the Web Cryptography API and why we should care. We’ll also explore practical and creative applications of randomness in building software.

In this talk we’ll take a deep-dive into pseudo-random number generation in JavaScript — how they are generated, how to make more cryptographically-sound random numbers with the Web Cryptography API and why we should care. We’ll also explore practical and creative applications of randomness in building software.

Outline

• Very brief history touching on importance of randomness in cryptography & computing
• Early Math.random() implementations in JavaScript
• The Web Cryptography API: What it solves, why it exists and when to use it
• Alternative algorithms for randomness: MWC1616, XorShift128+
• Extremely alternative algorithms for randomness: atmospheric microphone noise, images, APIs and quantum computing
• Non-crytpographic applications for randomness
• Why developers should care

Speaker bio

George Mandis is a freelance web developer, consultant, frequent traveler and occasional educator based primarily out of Portland, Oregon. He’s worked with startups, professional sports teams, small businesses and individuals but excels at helping people find elegant solutions for their projects. He spent a year living as a digital nomad, inadvertently cheated at a marathon in North Korea and writes frequently on technology and travel on his website.