That H-to-eater is actually quite a significant discovery, something we haven't had before, and the block is not particularly unfortunate at all! We've always had to build big engineered contraptions to create fishhook eaters before, but this is (relatively) small, simple, and direct.
The eater is on a completely transparent lane, with several more transparent lanes on both sides, so this H-to-eater can be used as a convenient permanent off-switch for a stream of gliders (subject to the usual timing constraints). The block isn't in a place where it gets in the way of the fishhook doing its work, so in a permanent-switch context it could just stay there.
There's almost a way to send a second Herschel in to clean up the block --
Code: Select all
x = 42, y = 49, rule = LifeHistory
24.2A$24.A$21.A4.A2.2A$21.5A.A2.A$7.2A16.B.2A.A.2A$8.A10.4AB3AB2.A2.A
$8.A.AB7.A2.A.A3B2A.A$9.2AB.3B4.7B2.A.2A$11.7B3.7B.A$11.16B.2A$12.15B
$11.16B$9.18B$7.19B$7.2BA15B$6.3BABA4B.7B6.2C$7.2B3A4B2.7B3.2B2CB$6.5B
A4B2.9B.4B8.2A$5.10B4.15B6.A$4.4B10.16B3.BA.A$4.3B11.18B.B2A$2.4B12.20B
$2.2CB13.19B$3.C13.21B$3C15.20B$C17.20B$19.18B$20.15B2C$24.11B2C$15.2C
7.12B$16.C6.12B$16.C.CB4.11B.B$17.2CB.17B$19.21B$19.22B$19.9BC12B$19.
7B3C13B$18.7BC16B$16.9B2C15B$16.26B$17.24B$20.21B$22.17B$21.13B3.2B$22.
7B$22.3B.3B$27.3B$26.B2CB$27.2C!
Maybe there's another catalysis there that would keep the lane transparent, though, I'm not sure. But failing that, if the stream needs to be turned back on again, it just takes a couple of gliders to clear out the block and eater:
Code: Select all
x = 52, y = 49, rule = LifeHistory
24.2A$24.A$21.A4.A2.2A$21.5A.A2.A$7.2A16.B.2A.A.2A$8.A10.4AB3AB2.A2.A
$8.A.AB7.A2.A.A3B2A.A$9.2AB.3B4.7B2.A.2A$11.7B3.7B.A$11.16B.2A$12.15B
$11.16B$9.18B$7.19B$7.2BE15B$6.3BEBE4B.7B6.2C$7.2B3E4B2.7B3.2B2CB$6.5B
E4B2.9B.4B$5.10B4.15B10.A4.A$4.4B10.16B10.A.A2.A.A$4.3B11.16B10.2A3.2A
$2.4B12.17B$2.2CB13.18B$3.C13.20B$3C15.19B$C17.19B$19.17B$20.15B2C$24.
11B2C$15.2C7.12B$16.C6.8B.B$16.C.CB4.9B3.B$17.2CB.17B$19.21B$19.8B2.12B
$19.9BC12B$19.7B3C13B$18.7BC16B$16.9B2C15B$16.26B$17.24B$20.21B$22.17B
$21.13B3.2B$22.7B$22.3B.3B$27.3B$26.B2CB$27.2C!
Code: Select all
x = 43, y = 58, rule = LifeHistory
24.2A$24.A$21.A4.A2.2A$21.5A.A2.A$7.2A16.B.2A.A.2A$8.A10.4AB3AB2.A2.A
$8.A.AB7.A2.A.A3B2A.A$9.2AB.3B4.7B2.A.2A$11.7B3.7B.A$11.16B.2A$12.15B
$11.16B$9.18B$7.19B$7.18B$6.10B.7B6.2A$7.9B2.7B3.2B2AB$6.10B2.9B.4B$5.
10B4.15B$4.4B10.16B$4.3B11.18B$2.4B12.19B$2.2AB13.19B$3.A13.21B$3A15.
20B$A17.20B$19.18B$20.15B2C$24.11B2C$15.2A7.12B$16.A6.12B$16.A.AB4.11B
.B$17.2AB.17B$19.21B$19.22B$19.9BC12B$19.7B3C13B$18.7BC16B$16.9B2C15B
$16.26B$17.24B$20.21B$22.17B$21.13B3.2B$18.3A.7B$20.A.3B.3B$19.A7.3B$
26.B2AB$27.2A$12.3A$14.A$13.A4$7.3A$9.A$8.A!