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Pixels That Think: Exploring Cellular Automata with Conway's Game of Life

Welcome to an exploration of complexity through simple rules! In this workshop, you'll discover how basic interactions between cells on a grid can create fascinating patterns, behaviors, and even computational systems.

In this workshop, you'll build a fascinating simulation that shows how complex patterns can emerge from simple rules.

What is Conway's Game of Life?​

Conway's Game of Life is not a traditional game with players. Instead, it's a "cellular automaton" – a grid of cells that follow simple rules to create surprisingly complex behaviors.

Invented by mathematician John Conway in 1970, the Game of Life demonstrates how simple rules can create emergent complexity – an important concept in mathematics, computer science, and biology.

How it Works​

The Game of Life takes place on a grid of cells, like a chess board. Each cell can be either "alive" or "dead." The state of each cell changes over time according to these four rules:

  1. Any live cell with fewer than 2 live neighbors dies (underpopulation)
  2. Any live cell with 2 or 3 live neighbors survives
  3. Any live cell with more than 3 live neighbors dies (overpopulation)
  4. Any dead cell with exactly 3 live neighbors becomes alive (reproduction)

By applying these rules to every cell, then repeating the process, fascinating patterns emerge:

  • Some patterns remain stable
  • Some oscillate between different states
  • Some move across the grid
  • Some create new patterns that grow and evolve

What We'll Build​

In this workshop, you'll create a complete, interactive Game of Life simulation with:

  • A visual grid display
  • Controls to start, stop, and step through the simulation
  • The ability to draw patterns with your mouse
  • Buttons to create preset patterns

Here's a preview of what you'll create:

What You'll Learn​

Through building this project, you'll learn important programming concepts:

  • Variables: Storing and tracking information
  • Conditionals: Making decisions in your code
  • Loops: Repeating actions efficiently
  • Arrays: Working with grids of data
  • Functions: Creating reusable blocks of code

You'll also learn:

  • How complex systems can emerge from simple rules
  • How to build interactive simulations
  • The basics of cellular automata

How This Workshop Works​

This workshop combines explanation with hands-on coding:

  1. First, we'll introduce key programming concepts
  2. Then, we'll guide you through building the simulation, step by step
  3. Along the way, we'll explain how each part works
  4. At the end, you'll have a working Game of Life simulation to explore and customize

Getting Started​

To get started, you'll need:

  • A computer with internet access
  • A web browser
  • Basic familiarity with using a computer

No prior programming experience is required – we'll explain everything you need to know!

Ready to begin? Let's start by learning about the key programming concepts you'll use in this project.

Fun Facts About Game of Life​

  • The Game of Life is Turing complete, meaning it can simulate any computer program
  • People have created calculators, clocks, and even self-replicating patterns within the Game of Life
  • The simplest moving pattern, called a "glider," was discovered by Richard Guy in 1970
  • The Game of Life has connections to biology, physics, mathematics, and computer science
  • Some patterns weren't discovered until decades after Conway invented the game