A spaceship discovered by David
Bell in early 1992, with a minimum of 25 cells - the lowest number of
cells known for any c/3 spaceship. A note in
Spaceships in Conway's Life indicates that it was found with a
search that limited the number of live cells in each column, and
possibly also the maximum cross-section (4 cells in this case). See
also edge-repair spaceship for a very similar c/3 spaceship with a
minimum population of 26.
In December 2017 a collaborative effort found a 26-glider synthesis
for this spaceship.
Game of Life Explanation
The Game of Life is not your typical computer game. It is a cellular
automaton, and was invented by Cambridge mathematician John Conway.
This game became widely known when it was mentioned in an article
published by Scientific American in 1970. It consists of a grid of
cells which, based on a few mathematical rules, can live, die or
multiply. Depending on the initial conditions, the cells form various
patterns throughout the course of the game.
Rules
For a space that is populated:
Examples
Each cell with one or no neighbors dies, as if by solitude.
Each cell with four or more neighbors dies, as if by
overpopulation.