Conway’s Game of Life: Cellular Automaton in Your Browser
Explore the fascinating world of cellular automata with this interactive Conway’s Game of Life Chrome extension. This elegant simulation demonstrates how complex patterns can emerge from simple rules, right in your browser’s toolbar.
Key Features
Interactive Grid
Click on cells to create custom patterns and watch how they evolve over generations.
Play Controls
Start, pause, step through generations, or clear the board with intuitive controls.
Random Patterns
Generate random cell configurations with a single click to discover new patterns.
Cell Aging
Cells change color as they age, providing visual feedback on the longevity of patterns.
Custom Themes
Choose from multiple color themes to personalize your Game of Life experience.
Persistence
Your theme preferences are saved between sessions for a consistent experience.
Live Demo
About Conway’s Game of Life
Conway’s Game of Life is a cellular automaton devised by mathematician John Conway in 1970. It’s not a traditional game with players, but rather a zero-player game where evolution is determined by its initial state.
The game takes place on an infinite grid of cells, each of which can be either alive or dead. The state of each cell evolves according to four simple rules:
- Any live cell with fewer than two live neighbors dies (underpopulation)
- Any live cell with two or three live neighbors lives on to the next generation
- Any live cell with more than three live neighbors dies (overpopulation)
- Any dead cell with exactly three live neighbors becomes alive (reproduction)
These simple rules give rise to astonishingly complex patterns and behaviors, making the Game of Life a fascinating example of how complexity can emerge from simple rules.
How to Use the Extension
Using the Game of Life extension is simple:
- Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store
- Click on the extension icon in your browser toolbar
- Click cells to make them “alive” or create a random pattern with the “Random” button
- Press “Start” to watch the simulation run, or “Next” to step through generations one at a time
- Choose your preferred theme from the dropdown menu
Why This Extension?
- Educational: Explore concepts in mathematics, computer science, and emergent complexity
- Relaxing: Watch mesmerizing patterns evolve and transform
- Creative: Design your own starting patterns and see how they evolve
- Convenient: Access the Game of Life anytime right from your browser
Development
This Game of Life implementation was developed by Dor Pascal using vanilla JavaScript. It follows Conway’s original rules while adding features like cell aging and theme customization for an enhanced experience.
If you have suggestions or find any bugs, please feel free to contribute on GitHub.
Explore the Fascinating World of Cellular Automata
Install Conway's Game of Life extension now and discover how complex patterns emerge from simple rules!
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