Conway’s Game of Life

The Game of Life is a cellular automaton where rules govern the next state of the grid based on the current configuration.

  • Underpopulation – A living cell with less than 2 neighbors dies.
  • Overpopulation – A living cell with more than 3 neighbors dies.
  • Balance – A living cell with 2 or 3 neighbors survives.
  • Reproduction – A dead cell with more than 2 neighbors comes alive.

Here’s a sample of the fun to be had…

(click to play)

The Import/Export feature allows you to load and save different setups.  Post your own in the comments!

[sixfoottallrabbit]

7 Responses

  1. Ape Con Myth
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    Here’s the setup in the post:

  2. Ape Con Myth
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    It’s a simple arrangement but puts on quite the symmetrical show.

  3. Ape Con Myth
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    Awesome sauce…

  4. Ape Con Myth
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    Boxy evolution…

  5. Ape Con Myth
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    No dot is an island.

  6. Ape Con Myth
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    Checkerboard. Do not look at while operating heavy machinery.

  7. Ape Con Myth
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    The Wikipedia entry for Conway’s Game of Life identifies a number of basic patterns to try out. While the arrangements posted so far dead-end around 300 generations in, 7 instances of the acorn pattern allow you to crank it up to 20 hz and watch this one go for over 2,200 generations: