# A Virtual Ecosystem Powered by Cellular Automata The Life Engine is a fascinating website that allows you to explore the world of [[cellular automata]] by creating and simulating virtual ecosystems. These ecosystems are populated by organisms made up of different colored cells, each with specific functions like eating, reproducing, and moving. Here's what you can expect: **Core mechanics:** - **Cellular automata engine:** The core of the website is a cellular automata engine. This engine follows a set of rules to determine how each cell in the grid evolves based on its current state and the states of its neighboring cells. - **Organisms and cells:** Different colored cells come together to form organisms with unique behaviors. Each cell type has its own function, such as: - **Mouth cells:** Eat food in adjacent cells. - **Producer cells:** Generate food in adjacent cells. - **Mover cells:** Allow the organism to move and rotate. - **Evolution:** Organisms can reproduce and mutate over time, giving rise to new and diverse species within the ecosystem. - **Visual simulation:** You can watch the simulation unfold in real-time, observing how the organisms interact with each other and their environment. **Key features:** - **Customization:** You can adjust the initial conditions of the simulation, such as the number of organisms, the food distribution, and the mutation rate. - **Presets:** Explore a variety of pre-designed ecosystems with different starting configurations and evolutionary possibilities. - **Save and share:** Save your own custom ecosystems and share them with others to explore together. - **Educational resources:** The website provides educational content about cellular automata, evolution, and complex systems. **Beyond Conway's Game of Life:** While the website might resemble Conway's Game of Life at first glance, it goes far beyond the simple rules of that classic cellular automaton. The Life Engine incorporates more complex organism behavior, evolution, and even rudimentary forms of "brains" that allow organisms to respond to their environment. **Overall:** The Life Engine offers a unique and engaging way to learn about cellular automata, evolution, and complex systems. It's a great tool for anyone interested in these topics, from curious students to seasoned scientists. It can be used for both entertainment and exploration, allowing you to experiment with different configurations and observe the surprising results that emerge. **Additional resources:** - The Life Engine website: [https://lifeenginelocal.netlify.app/](https://lifeenginelocal.netlify.app/) - YouTube channel with tutorials and explanations: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSAKEnRfles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSAKEnRfles) - Max Robinson's GitHub repository with the source code: [https://github.com/MaxRobinsonTheGreat/LifeEngine](https://github.com/MaxRobinsonTheGreat/LifeEngine) # Relation with Lenia "[[Lenia]]" and "[[The Life Engine]]" are both examples of cellular automata, but they are distinct in their design, implementation, and objectives. Here's a brief overview of their relationship and differences: 1. **[[Lenia]]**: Created by [[Bert Wang-Chak Chan]], Lenia is a form of cellular automata known for its biological-like patterns. It operates on continuous space and time, which is a departure from traditional cellular automata like Conway's "Game of Life" that are grid-based and stepwise. Lenia's creatures, often referred to as "life forms," exhibit complex, lifelike behaviors and morphologies, resembling real organisms. The rules of Lenia involve continuous states and circular convolution kernels, allowing for smoother and more organic movements and interactions. 2. **[[The Life Engine]]**: Developed by [[MaxRobinsonTheGreat]], "The Life Engine" is a cellular automata game that allows users to experiment with creating and observing life-like systems. While it shares the basic principle of cellular automata with Lenia - that is, a grid of cells that evolve based on certain rules - its implementation and the specifics of its rules may differ. "The Life Engine" might be more focused on providing an interactive experience where users can manipulate variables and observe the outcomes, potentially with a more game-like or educational approach. The relationship between the two lies in their shared foundation in cellular automata theory, but they diverge in their specific rules, purposes, and user experiences. Lenia is more focused on the study and simulation of complex, lifelike patterns, whereas "[[The Life Engine]]" might be more oriented towards interactive exploration and education in the field of cellular automata. Both contribute to the understanding and appreciation of the fascinating behaviors that can emerge from simple rules in cellular automata systems. # References ```dataview Table title as Title, authors as Authors where contains(subject, "Life Engine") ```