Conway's Game of Life

Pattern Files for Chapter 4: Spaceships and Moving Objects

RLE, Macrocell, or LifeHistory code for all patterns that are displayed as figures in Chapter 4: Spaceships and Moving Objects are provided here. These patterns can be viewed in-browser by clicking on the "Show in Viewer" link near the code, or the patterns can be viewed and manipulated by copying and pasting the RLE code into Game of Life software like Golly.

Figure 4.1: basic spaceships

A four basic types of spaceships.

Figure 4.3: glider color

16 gliders that all have the same color.

Figure 4.4: reflect glider change

Two gliders of different color.

Figure 4.5: reflect glider change bees

A twin bees shuttle about to reflect a glider.

Figure 4.8(a): B29

A small c/4 diagonal spaceship with an isolated domino spark; discovered in September 2004.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/B29

Figure 4.8(b): Canada goose

A c/4 period 4 spaceship. At the time of its discovery, the Canada goose was the smallest known diagonal spaceship other than the glider, but this record has since been beaten.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Canada_goose

Figure 4.8(c): Crab

The smallest known diagonal spaceship other than the glider. Period 4 with speed c/4. It was discovered in September 2000.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Crab

Figure 4.8(d): Orion 2

A diagonal period 4 c/4 spaceship.

Figure 4.9: b29 tagalong

A tagalong for the B29 glider tagalong. Found by Nicolay Beluchenko in 2005.

Figure 4.10: tubstretcher

An infinitely growing pattern that stretches a tub.

Figure 4.11: lwss mwss hwss

The LWSS, MWSS, and HWSS.

Figure 4.12: orthogonal destroy

Some light, middle, and heavyweight spaceships about to destroy some small objects.

Figure 4.13(1): hwss eat1

A way of eating an HWSS

Figure 4.13(2): hwss eat2

A way of eating an HWSS

Figure 4.13(3): killer toads

Killer toads A way of eating an HWSS

Figure 4.14(a): Sidecar

An orthogonal period 4 c/2 tagalong for the heavyweight spaceship that was found in 1992.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Sidecar

Figure 4.14(b): hwss x66

A tagalong for a heavyweight spaceship. Found by David Bell and Hartmut Holzwart in July 1992.

Figure 4.14(c): Pushalong 1

An orthogonal period 4 c/2 pushalong that attaches to the front of a middleweight spaceship. Found in 1992.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Pushalong_1

Figure 4.14(d): Hivenudger

A period 4 c/2 orthogonal spaceship.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Hivenudger

Figure 4.15: lwss hwss pseudo

The three pseudo spaceships that can be constructed from mixing and matching two light, middle, and/or heavyweight spaceships.

Figure 4.16: lwss mwss flotillae

The three LWSS-MWSS flotillae.

Figure 4.17: Overweight spaceship

A would-be spaceship similar to the LWSS, MWSS and HWSS, but longer. It is unstable by itself, but can be escorted by other spaceships to produce a flotilla.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Overweight_spaceship

Figure 4.18: owss flotilla

A flotilla involving an overweight spaceship.

Figure 4.19: switch engines 48

A pair of switch engines that *almost* stabilize each other.

Figure 4.20: switch engine infinite

Switch engines can "bounce off" of each other, creating an infinitely-large c/12 diagonal spaceship.

Figure 4.21: switch engines blocks

A pair of switch engines that have produced some troublesome debris.

Figure 4.22: switch engines blocks destroy

A pair of switch engines destroying a trail of blocks.

Figure 4.23: 10-engine Cordership

A c/12 period 96 diagonal Cordership that uses 10 switch engines, which was the fewest possible known at the time of its discovery.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/10-engine_Cordership

Figure 4.24: cordership reflections

A collection of glider-reflecting and transforming reactions that can be performed by a Cordership.

Figure 4.25: Puffer 2

An orthogonal period 140 c/2 puffer. The second puffer to be found. It uses two lightweight spaceships to escort a B-heptomino.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Puffer_2

Figure 4.26: Ecologist

A period 20 c/2 orthogonal spaceship based on one of the classic puffer trains.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Ecologist

Figure 4.27: (Forward) space rake

A rake that shoots a glider once every 20 generations.

Figure 4.28: Backward space rake

A backward rake that fires one glider every 20 generations.

Figure 4.29: Schick engine

An orthogonal period 12 c/2 tagalong found in 1972.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Schick_engine

Figure 4.30(a): Period 60 forward rake

A Schick engine next to a forward space rake destroys 1/3 of the gliders from the space rake, lets 1/3 of them pass unharmed, and turns the remaining 1/3 of them into blocks. A middleweight spaceship is used to delete those blocks, creating a forward rake that emits one glider every 60 generations.

Figure 4.30(b): Period 60 backward rake

A Schick engine next to a backward space rake destroys 1/3 of the gliders from the space rake, lets 1/3 of them pass unharmed, and turns the remaining 1/3 of them into chaotic messes. A lightweight spaceship is used to delete those messes, creating a backward rake that emits one glider every 60 generations.

Figure 4.31: Coe ship

An orthogonal period 16 c/2 spaceship discovered in October 1995 that can act as a puffer engine.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Coe_ship

Figure 4.32(a): coe ship back rake

Backward rake based on the Coe ship.

Figure 4.32(b): coe ship forward rake

Forward rake based on the Coe ship.

Figure 4.33(a): coe space rake

A backward space rake next to a backward Coe rake.

Figure 4.33(b): coe space rake stabilized

A backward space rake next to a backward Coe rake, with three lightweight spaceships added to suppress the gliders that would otherwise shoot off in various directions.

Figure 4.36: lightspeed signals

A collection of lightspeed signals.

Figure 4.38(a): signal sink

A sink for two lightspeed signals in zebra stripes.

Figure 4.38(b): signal oscillator

A source and a sink for a period 5 lightspeed signal, which result in a period 5 oscillator when combined. Found by Dean Hickerson in 1995.

Figure 4.39: zebra signal perpendicular

Some signals that travel perpendicular through zebra stripes at a speed of 2c/3. Found by Hartmut Holzwart in 2006.

Figure 4.41(a): diagonal 2c3 signal

A diagonal signal that travels at 2c/3, found by Dean Hickerson in 1997.

Figure 4.41(b): diagonal 5c9 signal

A diagonal signal that travels at 5c/9, found by Dean Hickerson in 1997.

Figure 4.41(c): diagonal c2 signal

A diagonal signal that travels at c/2, found by Hartmut Holzwart in 2003.

Figure 4.42: diagonal 2c3 almost elbow

An almost-elbow for the 2c/3 diagonal signal.

Figure 4.43(a): Blinker fuse

An orthogonal 2c/3 period 18 fuse that burns cleanly through blinkers.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Blinker_fuse

Figure 4.43(b): bi block fuse

An orthogonal 2c/3 bi-block fuse.

Figure 4.44: Fast Forward force field

A reaction involving a lightweight spaceship and three gliders. In the absence of the incoming lightweight spaceship from the left, the gliders would simply annihilate one another, but as shown they allow the spaceship to advance 11 spaces in the course of the next 6 generations. Leithner named the fast Forward force field in honour of his favourite science fiction writer, the physicist Robert L. Forward.

Figure 4.46: diagonal lightspeed

A method of diagonal lightspeed communication. The middle glider at the bottom-left is teleported to the top-right through the large glider collision at lightspeed.

Figure 4.47(a): c3 orthogonal

A c/3 orthogonal period 3 spaceship with 25 cells in each generation -- the lowest number of cells known for any c/3 spaceship.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/25P3H1V0.2

Figure 4.47(b): Spider

A c/5 period 5 orthogonal spaceship found in April 1997. It is the smallest known c/5 orthogonal spaceship.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Spider

Figure 4.47(c): Loafer

A small c/7 orthogonal spaceship found on 17 February 2013.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Loafer

Figure 4.47(d): c4 orthogonal

The smallest known c/4 orthogonal spaceship.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/37P4H1V0

Figure 4.47(e): c6 orthogonal

Period 6 c/6 orthogonal spaceship. Discovered in May 2009.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/56P6H1V0

Figure 4.47(f): 2c5 orthogonal

An orthogonal spaceship with period 5. The smallest known 2c/5 spaceship.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/30P5H2V0

Figure 4.47(g): Weekender

An orthogonal period 7 spaceship with speed 2c/7.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Weekender

Figure 4.47(h): Copperhead

An c/10 orthogonal spaceship found on March 5, 2016.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Copperhead

Figure 4.47(i): Soba

The third 3c/7 spaceship to be found -- after the original 3c/7 spaceship, called the "flying spaghetti monster", found by Tim Coe in 2016, and Dylan Chen's previous 3c/7 spaceship discovery "Anura"
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Soba

Figure 4.48(a): c5 diagonal

The smallest known c/5 diagonal spaceship.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/58P5H1V1

Figure 4.48(b): c6 diagonal

The smallest known c/6 diagonal spaceship. Found in March 2011.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/77P6H1V1

Figure 4.48(c): Lobster

The first known c/7 diagonal spaceship (and currently the smallest known).
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Lobster_(spaceship)

Figure 4.49: Sir Robin

The first elementary knightship to be found in Conway's Game of Life. Constructed by Adam P. Goucher in 2018, based on a partial spaceship by Tom Rokicki.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Sir_Robin

Figure 4.50(a): p2 spaceship

One of the earliest period 2 spaceships to ever be found.

Figure 4.50(b): p8 puffer

A small period 224 puffer with a period 8 underlying mechanism. Found by Jason Summers on March 18, 2001.

Figure 4.51(a): p8 rake

A small period 8 rake that was found by Jason Summers on March 18, 2001.

Figure 4.51(b): p8 bi blocks

Two rakes next to each other make a row of bi-blocks.

Figure 4.52: adjustable rake

A rake whose period can be any sufficiently large multiple of 8 that is congruent to 8 mod 32, by moving the front two rakes father away from the rear rake and trailing LWSS/MWSS/HWSS cluster.

Figure 4.53: Big glider

The first known diagonal spaceship other than the glider. Has period 4 and speed c/4.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Big_glider

Figure 4.54: almost knightship

An "almost knightship", found by Eugene Langvagen.

Figure 4.55: 17c/45_Reaction

A reaction between a pi-heptomino and a blinker in which the pi moves forward 17 cells in the course of 45 generations while the blinker moves back 6 cells and is rephased.

Exercise 4.1(a): color 1

Two gliders

Exercise 4.1(b): color 3

Two gliders

Exercise 4.1(c): color 2

Two gliders

Exercise 4.6: Swan

A diagonal period 4 c/4 spaceship that produces some useful sparks.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Swan

Exercise 4.7: c4 tagalong0

A small tagalong for c/4 diagonal spaceships.

Exercise 4.8: c4 tagalong1

A small tagalong for c/4 diagonal spaceships.

Exercise 4.9(a): owss4

An overweight spaceship with a "spark" of length 4.

Exercise 4.9(b): owss10

An overweight spaceship with a "spark" of length 10.

Exercise 4.9(c): owss6

An overweight spaceship with a "spark" of length 6.

Exercise 4.10: large owss flotilla

A very overweight spaceship.

Exercise 4.11: Rephaser

A reaction in which two gliders hit a block and are recreated on different parallel lanes.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Rephaser

Exercise 4.15: switch engine reaction

A reaction in which two switch engines bounce off of each other and a third switch engine cleans up the debris.

Exercise 4.16: switch engine back

A reaction in which two switch engines bounce off of each other and destroy two trails of blocks.

Exercise 4.17: two switch engine block puffer

An arrangement of two switch engines that evolves into a puffer for a single diagonal row of blocks.

Exercise 4.18: 3-engine Cordership

A diagonal c/12 period 96 3-engine Cordership found on January 12, 2004.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/3-engine_Cordership

Exercise 4.20: 2 engine cordership

A 2-engine Cordership reflecting gliders in several different ways.

Exercise 4.21: corderrake

A "Corderrake": a rake based off of interacting switch engines.

Exercise 4.25: 2-glider synthesis of a block

A way of colliding two gliders to create a block.

Exercise 4.28: beehive wire

A beehive wick that can be burned.

Exercise 4.29: beehive puffer

A beehive puffer.

Exercise 4.36: adjustable spaceship

A spaceship that can be turned into a puffer with arbitrarily large period. Displayed here as a spaceship with period 1136.

Exercise 4.37: schick engine blinker puffer

A blinker puffer created by using two heavyweight spaceships to hassle the spark behind a Schick engine.

Solution 4.6(a): swan tubstretcher

A swan being used as a tubstretcher.

Solution 4.6(b): swan duplicate

A swan being used to duplicate a glider.

Solution 4.9(a): owss4

A flotilla.

Solution 4.9(b): owss10

A flotilla.

Solution 4.9(c): owss6

A flotilla.

Solution 4.10: large owss flotilla

A flotilla involving a very overweight spaceship.

Solution 4.15: switch engine reaction

A 7-engine Cordership.

Solution 4.16(b): switch engine back

A way to use a reaction involving two switch engines to reflect a glider.

Solution 4.16(c): switch engine back cordership

A 7-engine Cordership reflecting a glider.

Solution 4.18(b): 3 engine cordership

A 3-engine Cordership can reflect a glider.

Solution 4.20(a): 2 engine cordership

A glider bouncing back and forth between two 2-engine Corderships.

Solution 4.21(b): backward corderrake

A backward Corderrake.

Solution 4.21(c): lwss corderrake

A Corderrake that shoots lightweight spaceships.

Solution 4.22(a): six cell schick

A 6-cell object behind two LWSSes that evolves into a Schick engine.

Solution 4.23: back to forward space rake

A modified forward space rake.

Solution 4.32: c5 diagonal reflect

A c/5 diagonal spaceship about to reflect a glider.