Here's a one-bit difference pattern that I built as an experiment in 2003.
I guess it might count as a first-ever seed pattern, except that it's a "nothing seed" and is triggered by a one-bit spark, not a glider:
Code: Select all
#C pseudorandom Herschel soup
#C
x = 146, y = 71, rule = DoubleB3S23
35.CC$35.C.C10.C$36.C.C8.C.C$37.C9.CC30.CC37.C$79.CC36.C.C$118.CC$$69.
CC25.CC$69.CC25.C.C$97.C.C$98.C27.C$83.CC40.C.C$83.C.C39.CC$52.CC30.C$
52.C.C$53.C68.CC$122.CC$$39.CC$40.C$40.C.C87.CC$41.CC45.CC40.CC$60.CC
26.CC$49.CC9.CC$12.C36.CC$10.AC.C$11.C.C8.CC$12.C9.CC7.CC109.CC$5.C25.
CC52.CC55.C$4.C.C78.CC18.CC36.3C$5.C99.CC38.C4$17.CC.C88.CC$17.C.CC39.
C48.CC$41.CC16.C.C$..CC37.CC17.C.C$..CC57.CC$$9.CC$9.CC$43.CC$43.CC13$
CC$CC$38.C49.CC$37.C.C48.CC$36.C.C54.C$36.CC54.C.C$92.C.C$93.C$103.CC$
103.CC$11.CC$11.CC86.CC$99.CC$5.CC$5.CC!
Here's the context, in case anyone is interested in ancient history:
In 2003, dvgrn wrote:I was reminded that I wanted to check to see how easy it was to
convert the average Herschel conduit into a clean-burning fuse. One
horrible thought I had was a Game-of-Life equivalent of those mate-in-
four chess problems that I always hated [just because the board
positions generally seem so contrived, and it's usually easy to mate
in five or six...] In this case it would be:
"Add one ON cell to the following pattern to produce an empty
universe in less than 1000 generations."
Along those lines, here's some pseudorandom soup I just cooked up --
modified pieces of the first four conduits I tried.* It fails a
number of randomness tests -- too many boats and long boats; I was
using them to reflect gliders, but I should really have used larger
random-looking constellations like the one on the lower right.
But I don't want to make this into an attractive-looking puzzle, for
fear someone might like it and produce more of the darn things. Life
is hard enough already.
#C pseudorandom Herschel soup
#C if your Life reader reads B's as b's, this is a stable pattern;
#C if it reads B's as o's, this pattern will self-destruct in
#C 904 generations [the B is in the middle of the fourth line]
x = 146, y = 71, rule = B3/S23
35boo$35bobo10bo$36bobo8bobo$37bo9boo30boo37bo$79boo36bobo$118boo$$69b
oo25boo$69boo25bobo$97bobo$98bo27bo$83boo40bobo$83bobo39boo$52boo30bo$
52bobo$53bo68boo$122boo$$39boo$40bo$40bobo87boo$41boo45boo40boo$60boo
26boo$49boo9boo$12bo36boo$10bBobo$11bobo8boo$12bo9boo7boo109boo$5bo25b
oo52boo55bo$4bobo78boo18boo36b3o$5bo99boo38bo4$17boobo88boo$17boboo39b
o48boo$41boo16bobo$bboo37boo17bobo$bboo57boo$$9boo$9boo$43boo$43boo13$
oo$oo$38bo49boo$37bobo48boo$36bobo54bo$36boo54bobo$92bobo$93bo$103boo$
103boo$11boo$11boo86boo$99boo$5boo$5boo!
It's obviously very easy to throw together miscellaneous debris that
can catalyze Herschel reactions. When I find an actual use for this
idea, you can be sure I'll post it --
Guess I'm a slow thinker. It took over a decade for that seed of an idea to turn into the self-destruct circuitry in the 10hd Demonoid.