Conway’s Game of Life

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Life Lexicon

Fast Forward Force Field

The following reaction found by Dieter Leithner in May 1994. In the absence of the incoming LWSS the gliders would simply annihilate one another, but as shown they allow the LWSS to advance 11 spaces in the course of the next 6 generations.

Game of Life pattern ’Fast_Forward_Force_Field’

The illusion of super-light-speed travel is caused by an LWSS that is always created, but is then destroyed in some cases, by a signal catching up to it from behind that necessarily never travels faster than the speed of light. It is not possible to make any use of the apparent super-light-speed signal. The front end of an output LWSS can't be distinguished from the alternative dying spark output until several more ticks have passed. Not surprisingly, this extra time is enough to drop the average speed of information transmission safely below c.

Leithner named the Fast Forward Force Field in honour of his favourite science fiction writer, the physicist Robert L. Forward. See also star gate and speed booster.

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.

Each cell with two or three neighbors survives.

For a space that is empty or unpopulated:

Each cell with three neighbors becomes populated.

More information

Video’s about the Game of Life

Stephen Hawkings The Meaning of Life (John Conway's Game of Life segment)
The rules are explained in Stephen Hawkings’ documentary The Meaning of Life
Inventing Game of Life (John Conway) - Numberphile
John Conway himself talks about the Game of Life

Interesting articles about John Conway

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