Patterns that didn’t change one generation to the next, Dr. Conway called still lifes — such as the 4-celled block, the 6-celled beehive or the 8-celled pond. Patterns that took a long time to stabilize, he called methuselahs. The tree of Life also includes oscillators, such as the blinker, and spaceships of various sizes (the glider being the smallest). In 2018, there was a much-celebrated discovery of a special kind of spaceship, the first elementary knightship, named Sir Robin. Made of 100s of cells, it moves 2 cells forward and one sideways every 6 generations.

amazing that 50 years later, people are still discovering new life forms.

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