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First Self-Replicating Creature Spawned In Conway's Game of Life

Posted by Soulskill on from the emergent-gameplay dept.

Calopteryx writes "New Scientist has a story on a self-replicating entity which inhabits the mathematical universe known as the Game of Life. 'Dubbed Gemini, [Andrew Wade's] creature is made of two sets of identical structures, which sit at either end of the instruction tape. Each is a fraction of the size of the tape's length but, made up of two constructor arms and one "destructor," play a key role. Gemini's initial state contains three of these structures, plus a fourth that is incomplete. As the simulation progresses the incomplete structure begins to grow, while the structure at the start of the tape is demolished. The original Gemini continues to disassemble as the new one emerges, until after nearly 34 million generations, new life is born.'"

3 of 241 comments (clear)

  1. Most impressive and important pattern? by Tacvek · · Score: 5, Interesting

    From the article:

    In fact, this is arguably the single most impressive and important pattern ever devised.

    Really? Not the universal Turing machine pattern, or the pattern that emulates the game of life itself? Those both seem more impressive to me.

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  2. that's what the entire universe is: by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Interesting

    some alien 43 dimensional child's entry in the local science fair

    "look: i've created self-replicating life based on a few simple rules!"

    and the judge says: "but it's only 4 dimensions, and one of the dimensions is only one way. shoddy, very simplistic, not a good middle school level effort"

    to which the alien's mom says: "don't worry honey, next year we'll put baking soda and vinegar in a paper mache cone and simulate a volcano!"

    and the alien child says: "that's ok mom, i don't like science anymore, i want to be a ranch hand. bye bye, little universe critters, i always thought you were cute"

    and then he pulls the plug on his simulation, and trillions of animal, plant, and human lives on earth and septillions of lives on the other inhabited planets cease to exist in a puff

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  3. Re:I thought someone had a glider gun... by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If I understand correctly, it creates two copies while self-destructing in the process. So it is, indeed, replicating.