Conway’s Game of Life

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Life Lexicon

Eater5

A compound eater that can eat gliders coming from two different directions. Also called the tub-with-tail eater (TWIT), it is often placed along the edges of glider lanes to suppress unwanted gliders in conduits. Below is the standard form, a compact form with a long hook, and an often-useful conjoined form found with Bellman. The sidesnagger is a Spartan constellation that has a similar glider-absorbing function, using a loaf. See also 7x9 eater.

Game of Life pattern ’eater5’

With gliders from either direction, the eater5's eating reaction creates a spark that can be used to reflect other gliders. See the example pattern in duoplet, or advance any of the topmost three gliders in the above pattern by two ticks.

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

Implemented by Edwin Martin <>