'''Solifuge''' is a [[(6,2)c/31|(12,4)c/62]] spaceship constructed by [[Nico Brown]] on 30 November 2025 using a [[lumps of muck]]-based crawler he discovered the previous day.<ref name="post222000"/> He reduced it significantly to its current form the day after the ship's discovery.<ref name="post222124"/> Its name is another term for camel spiders, which relates to the fact that the spaceship travels [[camelwise]]. At 1,571 cells, it is over 15 times smaller than the previous smallest engineered spaceship (not counting [[Cordership]]s), the [[leaf bug 2]], and over 152 times smaller than the previous smallest-known [[camelship]].
'''Solifuge''' is a [[(6,2)c/31|(12,4)c/62]] spaceship constructed by [[Nora Brown]] on 30 November 2025 using a [[lumps of muck]]-based crawler she discovered the previous day.<ref name="post222000"/> Its name is another term for a group of arachnids called camel spiders,{{refn|group=note|While arachnids like true spiders and scorpions, members of the order Solifugae aren't actually true spiders. The camel spider name comes from urban legend that they are fast, venomous, and large enough to take down camels (they aren't venomous or large, and pose negligible threats to humans). Other names include Wind Scorpions, Wind Spiders, Sun Spiders, and more.}} which relates to the fact that the spaceship travels [[camelwise]]. At 1,414 cells, it is over 17 times smaller than the previous smallest [[macro-spaceship]], the [[leaf bug 2]], and over 169 times smaller than the previous smallest-known [[camelship]].
==Underlying reaction==
This is the first macro-spaceship to fit inside a default [[LifeViewer]] universe; its predecessor, leaf bug 2, required script commands to resize the universe beyond its default bounds.
The base reaction of the spaceship is that of a lumps of muck being displaced by (12,4) cells every 62 generations. Weirdly, the underlying LOM reaction is the exact same as that in the [[p124 lumps of muck hassler]], which has been known since 1994.<ref name="post222002"/>
== Underlying reaction ==
The base reaction of the spaceship is that of a lumps of muck (or a [[dove]] in some phases) being displaced by (12,4) cells every 62 generations. Weirdly, the underlying LOM displacement reaction is essentially identical to the one in the [[p124 lumps of muck hassler]], which has been known since 1994.<ref name="post222002"/>
All period-62 variants of the ship have the lowest period for a crawler-based spaceship, beating (34,7)c/156 technology.
All period-62 variants of the ship have the lowest period for a crawler-based spaceship, beating (34,7)c/156 technology.
== History ==
== History ==
On November 30, 2025, Nico Brown completed the original {{times|2305|1560}} spaceship based on a crawler he discovered the previous day.<ref name="post222000"/> Following minor reductions by [[PK22]] and [[iNoMed]], Nico Brown made a significant reduction on December 1 to {{times|584|527}}.<ref name="post222012"/><ref name="post222061"/><ref name="post222124"/> Soon after, he made a few more small reductions resulting in a form with a minimum population of 2,764 cells and a bounding box of {{times|501|496}}.<ref name="post222124"/> The pattern was reduced further on December 3 and 4, first to 2,053 cells by Nico Brown,<ref name="post222245"/> then to 2,036 cells by [[Elijah Ken]],<ref name="post222252"/> them to 1,989 cells by [[iNoMed]],<ref name="post222269"/> and twice by Nico Brown to its current 1,573-cell form.<ref name="post222287"/> There were several intermediate steps in these reduction processes that were posted on the forum, but are not mentioned here. For example, it was reduced [https://discord.com/channels/357922255553953794/370571014654001154/1446524359501021195 here] to 1572 cells.
On November 30, 2025, Nora Brown completed the original {{times|2305|1560}} spaceship based on a crawler she discovered the previous day.<ref name="post222000"/> Following minor reductions by [[PK22]] and [[iNoMed]], Nora Brown made a significant reduction on December 1 to {{times|584|527}}.<ref name="post222012"/><ref name="post222061"/><ref name="post222124"/> Soon after, she made a few more small reductions resulting in a form with a minimum population of 2,764 cells and a bounding box of {{times|501|496}}.<ref name="post222124"/> The pattern was reduced further on December 3, 4 and 8, first to 2,053 cells by Nora Brown,<ref name="post222245"/> then to 2,036 cells by [[Elijah Ken]],<ref name="post222252"/> then to 1,989 cells by [[iNoMed]],<ref name="post222269"/> and six times by Nora Brown to 1,415 cells.<ref name="post222287"/><ref name="post222422"/> On December 13, Elijah Ken reduced it again to its current 1,414-cell {{times|335|351}} form.<ref name="post222644"/>
|caption = The original form of the spaceship when it was first discovered
|caption = The original form of the spaceship when it was first discovered
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}}}}
}}}}
==References==
== Glider synthesis and gun == {{main|Glider synthesis}}
On December 8, [[hibiscus]] discovered a 236-glider synthesis of a 1,508-cell Solifuge variant.<ref name="post222433"/> This was soon reduced to 194 gliders by [[Entity Valkyrie 2]], 187 gliders by [[KtT]], 150 gliders by iNoMed and 147 gliders by [[Goldtiger997]].<ref name="post222437"/><ref name="post222439"/> The 150- and 147-glider counts assume the presence of reusable debris-eating catalysts to reduce the cost of the recipe.
On December 9, Entity Valkyrie 2 built a p8064 Solifuge gun for the 1,508-cell variant based on the above syntheses.<ref name="post222483"/>
On May 14, {{year|2026}}, hibiscus completed a 215-glider synthesis of the minimum-population 1,414-cell Solifuge.<ref name="post228669" /> This was lowered to 202 gliders the following day by [[Chris857]],<ref name="post228686" /> hibiscus,<ref name="post228687" /> and iNoMed.<ref name="post228700" /> The day after that, [[Dave Greene]] and hibiscus lowered the cost down once more to 190 gliders.<ref name="post228744" /><ref name="post228763" />
== Notes ==
<references group="note">
</references>
== References ==
<references>
<references>
<ref name="post222000">{{LinkForumThread
<ref name="post222000">{{LinkForumThread
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|p = 222000
|p = 222000
|title = Re: Crawlers
|title = Re: Crawlers
|author = Nico Brown
|author = Nora Brown
|date = November 30, 2025
|date = November 30, 2025
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
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|p = 222124
|p = 222124
|title = Re: Crawlers
|title = Re: Crawlers
|author = Nico Brown
|author = Nora Brown
|date = December 1, 2025
|date = December 1, 2025
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
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|p = 222245
|p = 222245
|title = Re: Crawlers
|title = Re: Crawlers
|author = Nico Brown
|author = Nora Brown
|date = December 3, 2025
|date = December 3, 2025
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
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|p = 222287
|p = 222287
|title = Re: Crawlers
|title = Re: Crawlers
|author = Nico Brown
|author = Nora Brown
|date = December 4, 2025
|date = December 4, 2025
}}</ref>
<ref name="post222422">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 222422
|title = Re: Crawlers
|author = Nora Brown
|date = December 8, 2025
}}</ref>
<ref name="post222433">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 222433
|title = Re: (12,4)c/62 technology
|author = hibiscus
|date = December 8, 2025
}}</ref>
<ref name="post222437">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 222437
|title = Re: (12,4)c/62 technology
|author = iNoMed
|date = December 8, 2025
}}</ref>
<ref name="post222439">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 222439
|title = Re: (12,4)c/62 technology
|author = KtT
|date = December 9, 2025
}}</ref>
<ref name="post222483">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 222483
|title = Re: Thread For Synthesisable Spaceship Guns
|author = Entity Valkyrie 2
|date = December 9, 2025
}}</ref>
<ref name="post222644">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 222644
|title = Re: (12,4)c/62 technology
|author = Elijah Ken
|date = December 13, 2025
}}</ref>
<ref name="post228669">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 228669
|title = Re: (12,4)c/62 technology
|author = hibiscus
|date = May 14, 2026
}}</ref>
<ref name="post228686">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 228686
|title = Re: (12,4)c/62 technology
|author = Chris857
|date = May 15, 2026
}}</ref>
<ref name="post228687">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 228687
|title = Re: (12,4)c/62 technology
|author = hibiscus
|date = May 15, 2026
}}</ref>
<ref name="post228700">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 228700
|title = Re: (12,4)c/62 technology
|author = iNoMed
|date = May 15, 2026
}}</ref>
<ref name="post228744">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 228744
|title = Re: (12,4)c/62 technology
|author = Dave Greene
|date = May 16, 2026
}}</ref>
<ref name="post228763">{{LinkForumThread
|format = ref
|p = 228763
|title = Re: (12,4)c/62 technology
|author = hibiscus
|date = May 16, 2026
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
</references>
</references>
==External Links==
== External Links ==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solifugae Solifugae] at Wikipedia
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solifugae Solifugae] at Wikipedia
Solifuge is a (12,4)c/62 spaceship constructed by Nora Brown on 30 November 2025 using a lumps of muck-based crawler she discovered the previous day.[1] Its name is another term for a group of arachnids called camel spiders,[note 1] which relates to the fact that the spaceship travels camelwise. At 1,414 cells, it is over 17 times smaller than the previous smallest macro-spaceship, the leaf bug 2, and over 169 times smaller than the previous smallest-known camelship.
This is the first macro-spaceship to fit inside a default LifeViewer universe; its predecessor, leaf bug 2, required script commands to resize the universe beyond its default bounds.
The base reaction of the spaceship is that of a lumps of muck (or a dove in some phases) being displaced by (12,4) cells every 62 generations. Weirdly, the underlying LOM displacement reaction is essentially identical to the one in the p124 lumps of muck hassler, which has been known since 1994.[2]
All period-62 variants of the ship have the lowest period for a crawler-based spaceship, beating (34,7)c/156 technology.
History
On November 30, 2025, Nora Brown completed the original 2305 × 1560 spaceship based on a crawler she discovered the previous day.[1] Following minor reductions by PK22 and iNoMed, Nora Brown made a significant reduction on December 1 to 584 × 527.[3][4][5] Soon after, she made a few more small reductions resulting in a form with a minimum population of 2,764 cells and a bounding box of 501 × 496.[5] The pattern was reduced further on December 3, 4 and 8, first to 2,053 cells by Nora Brown,[6] then to 2,036 cells by Elijah Ken,[7] then to 1,989 cells by iNoMed,[8] and six times by Nora Brown to 1,415 cells.[9][10] On December 13, Elijah Ken reduced it again to its current 1,414-cell 335 × 351 form.[11]
On December 8, hibiscus discovered a 236-glider synthesis of a 1,508-cell Solifuge variant.[12] This was soon reduced to 194 gliders by Entity Valkyrie 2, 187 gliders by KtT, 150 gliders by iNoMed and 147 gliders by Goldtiger997.[13][14] The 150- and 147-glider counts assume the presence of reusable debris-eating catalysts to reduce the cost of the recipe.
On December 9, Entity Valkyrie 2 built a p8064 Solifuge gun for the 1,508-cell variant based on the above syntheses.[15]
On May 14, 2026, hibiscus completed a 215-glider synthesis of the minimum-population 1,414-cell Solifuge.[16] This was lowered to 202 gliders the following day by Chris857,[17] hibiscus,[18] and iNoMed.[19] The day after that, Dave Greene and hibiscus lowered the cost down once more to 190 gliders.[20][21]
Notes
↑While arachnids like true spiders and scorpions, members of the order Solifugae aren't actually true spiders. The camel spider name comes from urban legend that they are fast, venomous, and large enough to take down camels (they aren't venomous or large, and pose negligible threats to humans). Other names include Wind Scorpions, Wind Spiders, Sun Spiders, and more.
References
↑ 1.01.1 Nora Brown (November 30, 2025). Re: Crawlers (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ Entity Valkyrie 2 (November 30, 2025). Re: Crawlers (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ PK22 (November 30, 2025). Re: Crawlers (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ iNoMed (December 1, 2025). Re: Crawlers (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ 5.05.1 Nora Brown (December 1, 2025). Re: Crawlers (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ Nora Brown (December 3, 2025). Re: Crawlers (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ Elijah Ken (December 3, 2025). Re: Crawlers (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ iNoMed (December 4, 2025). Re: Crawlers (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ Nora Brown (December 4, 2025). Re: Crawlers (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ Nora Brown (December 8, 2025). Re: Crawlers (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ Elijah Ken (December 13, 2025). Re: (12,4)c/62 technology (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
↑ hibiscus (December 8, 2025). Re: (12,4)c/62 technology (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums
