26-bit still-lifes | 27-bit still-lifes | 28-bit still-lifes | 29-bit still-lifes | 30+-bit still-lifes | Pseudo-still-lifes | P2 oscillators | P2 scrubbers | P2 pseudo-oscillator | P3 oscillators | P4 oscillators | P5 oscillators | P6 oscillators | P8 oscillators | P10 oscillator | P12 oscillators | P14 oscillator | P15 oscillators | Pentadecathlon pairs | P15 pseudo-oscillators | P24 oscillator | P30 oscillators | P36 oscillator | P60 oscillators | Other oscillators | Spaceships | Constellations
Bellman One (B1) is a specific eater found using Mike Playle's Bellman search program. (Actually, the name refers to the mechanism, rather than the form; the forms shown are the smallest currently known). It consists of a still-life and an eater, and is specifically designed to eat traffic-lights. A slight variant of it eats gliders instead.
Bun on buckle on house [12] | 27-bit still- life #3 [56] | House on tables siamese loaves [13] | 27-bit still- life #1 [13] | Vase siamese hat [15] | 27-bit still- life #2 [44] | 27-bit still- life #4 [6] |
Cover on pre-block on Z on paperclip [10] | 29-bit still- life #1 [6] | Long snake and pre-block on Z on paperclip [10] |
* NOTE: The items marked * can be divided into more than two sets of separate objects, but not just two.
Pistons are infinitely extensible. Pistons of any even length can be made by starting with the double piston synthesis, and adding as many additional copies of down-beacon-on-table as necessary for the desired length. (The first one is easiest, e.g. the quadruple piston; all others can use the method to extend this to the sextuple piston). Pistons of any odd length can be made by shortening an even-length piston by one unit, e.g. the triple and quintuple pistons.
NOTE: Because there are so many scrubbers, they are omitted from this list, and shown in the next section.
The Scrubber is a billiard table oscillator consisting of a traffic light predecessor surrounded by induction coils. There are many different ways to stabilize the exterior sides. Here are several synthesizable variations.
Glasses are pairs of scrubbers with out-of-phase spark coils between them.
Two blocks on spark coil [6] | Two beacons on two eaters [10] |
The Pulsar consists of four inducting Traffic light predecessors. Its predecessors are used in many other oscillators (as described under Traffic light). Pulsars are also infinitely extensible, by arranging multiple quadrants in a closed loop. The Pulsar, consisting of four quadrants, is the smallest such arrangement. The Quasar, consisting of twelve quadrants, is the next largest.
The three spaceship emulators produce edge-sparks like the correspondingly-named spaceships. Because it is so large, the larger, original synthesis of the light-weight emulator is included in a separate file.
There are five basic versions of Jack: two shown here, offset by 0 generations and 0 or 2 spaces vertically, two offset by 2 generations and 0 or 2 spaces vertically, and one offset by 1 generation and one space vertically. Only the first two currently have syntheses.
Two pentoads between two eaters [17] | Hooks on two snakes [22] | Heart [15] | Two pentoads between two eaters and a pond [19] | 40-bit P5 oscillator [27] | Harbor [34] |
Extremely impressive is an unusual oscillator. It appears at first glance to be a billiard table, but isn't really, as one of the sides temporarily falls apart, but then re-forms later.
Kok's Galaxy is produces a period 8 diagonal bit spark.
(See notes under Toad for details about toad-flipper and toad-sucker oscillators.)
44-bit P10 #1 [65] | Merzenich's 4 clocks hassling 2 alternating unices [41] | Eight blocks hassling two pulsars [30] |
Baker's dozen; Loaf hassled by two blocks and two caterers [30] | 44-bit P12 #1 [142] | 45-bit P12 #1 [79] | Crown hassled by HWSS emulator and two molds [52] |
Note that caterers and/or molds could be used as hasslers in both the first and last oscillators, and either oscillator could also be flipped vertically, yielding 10 distinct versions of the Baker's dozen, and 16 of the Crown.
Up beacon beside burloaf- erimiter [33] |
This has a pseudo-period of 14, a composite of 2 and 7.
Karel Suhajda's P15 generates a useful finger spark.
NOTE: Because there are so many pentadecathlon pairs, they are omitted from this list, and shown in the next section.
* NOTE: The three marked * are pseudo-oscillators.
Penta- decathlon on penta- decathlon #11 [8] | Penta- decathlon on penta- decathlon #9 [8] |
Karel Suhajda's Four blocks hassling two honeyfarms and a beacon [15] |
The "bad gun" is a an arrangement of two queen bee shuttles that forms a glider gun that doesn't quite work, because the escaping glider hits the right shuttle at the last moment; if it were advanced only 2 more generations, it would have escaped. This is rescued and turned into a period 30 oscillator by eating the glider before the right shuttle returns.
Jason Summers's Two eaters and two caterers hassling two B heptominos [34] |
(See notes under Toad for details about toad-flipper and toad-sucker oscillators.)
Due to the large number of oscillators, these are shown on the Oscillators by period page, since most oscillator periods only have oscillators in this category.
Due to the large number of spaceships, these are shown on the Exotic spaceship and Flotilla pages, since most larger spaceships are in these categories.
Eater-3 is an eater that can eat gliders, but unlike Eater-1, it can also eat many other things that grow at a corner. It consists of a catalyst still-life and a loaf. The loaf eats the target and flips over, then takes a bite out of the catalyst still-life (that reforms), and flips back. With appropriate pairs of sparks, it can also reflect pairs of gliders, allowing the construction of glider-loop oscillators of periods 18+8n.
The variant eater-3 is very similar, and much cheaper to construct. Unfortunately, it cannot be used to reflect glider pairs.
Bellman One (B1) is a specific eater found using Mike Playle's Bellman search program. (Actually, the name refers to the mechanism, rather than the form; the forms shown are the smallest currently known). It consists of a still-life and an eater, and is specifically designed to eat traffic-lights. A slight variant of it eats gliders instead.
The Century eater is specifically designed to eat a century.
Pairs of candelfrobras, known as "killer candelfrobras", can also eat expanding objects like middle-weight and heavy-weight spaceships, and forming 3/4 traffic light. These are most useful for eating spaceship streams whose period is a multiple of 3. For those whose period is a multiple of 2, Killer toads are more appropriate.
The Snark is a remarkable eater discovered by Mike Playle in April of 2013 using his Bellman search program. (Actually, the name refers to the mechanism, rather than the form; the forms shown are the smallest currently known). It has many remarkable eating properties. When combined with two eaters and a block, it forms a stable glider reflector that can reflect gliders 90 degrees as long as they are at least 43 generations apart. This allows for creation of glider-loop oscillators of every period 43 and higher, and is the first period 43 oscillator ever found. This is also the smallest (and fastest) stable glider reflector currently known.
Other sizes: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and larger, not quite stable objects.
See also: Life objects sorted by: counts, frequency of occurrence, cost in gliders, name, size in bits, or type.
Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2013, 2014 by Mark. D. Niemiec.
All rights reserved.
This page was last updated on
2015-02-19.