October 11, 2025
A blank canvas.
A neighborhood of eight.
A single rule.
Infinite possibilities.
The Setup
A 100x100 grid where cells are either alive or dead.
Each cell examines its 8 neighbors (Moore neighborhood).
Depending on the sum (0 to 8), a rule dictates the future condition: 0=die, 1=live, 2=keep state.
There are 3^9 = 19,683 possible rules. See them unfold.
Each cell examines its 8 neighbors (Moore neighborhood).
Depending on the sum (0 to 8), a rule dictates the future condition: 0=die, 1=live, 2=keep state.
There are 3^9 = 19,683 possible rules. See them unfold.
CA PARAMS
R:
?
D0:
?
D1:
?
D2:
?
D3:
?
D4:
?
D5:
?
D6:
?
D7:
?
D8:
?
Emergence in Action
These simple local interactions are Turing complete, meaning they can perform any computation.
Trivial rules generate profound complexity. Patterns stabilize, oscillate, or collapse into chaos.
Trivial rules generate profound complexity. Patterns stabilize, oscillate, or collapse into chaos.