Conway's Game of Life

Pattern Files for Chapter 10: Self-Supporting Spaceships

RLE, Macrocell, or LifeHistory code for all patterns that are displayed as figures in Chapter 10: Self-Supporting Spaceships are provided here. These patterns can be viewed in-browser by clicking on the "Show in Viewer" link near the code, or the patterns can be viewed and manipulated by copying and pasting the RLE code into Game of Life software like Golly.

All pattern files from this chapter in a .zip archive file (4.05 Mb)

Figure 10.1: 31c/240 reaction

A reaction in which a Herschel climbs a block, leaving behind two blocks and two gliders. Used in the construction of some large 31c/240 spaceships like the Silverfish.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/31c/240_reaction

Figure 10.2: 31c/240 Herschel-pair climber

A pair of Herschels moving along a reburnable block wick at a speed of 31c/240.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/31c/240_reaction

Figure 10.3: 31c/240 rakes and rephaser

A forward rake, rephaser, and backward rake that move along a reburnable block wick at a speed of 31c/240.

Figure 10.4(a): 31c/240 track builder

A configuration of 31c/240 rakes and rephasers that builds its own 6-block track out of a 2-block track.

Figure 10.4(b): 31c/240 track destroyer

A configuration of 31c/240 rakes and rephasers that destroys its 6-block trail behind itself.

Figure 10.5(a): Glider + 2 HWSS to MWSS

A collision of a glider with two heavyweight spaceships that turns them into a perpendicular middleweight spaceship.

Figure 10.5(b): Herschel stabilized by an MWSS

A way of using an MWSS to stabilize a Herschel in the same way as a block in the 31c/240 Herschel crawler.

Figure 10.6(a): Two gliders + HWSS Heisenburp

A way of colliding two synchronized gliders with a HWSS so as to create a toad and beehive without affecting the HWSS.

Figure 10.6(b): 31c/240 double gun

A double-barreled gun that crawls along a 6-block track at a speed of 31c/240, used to create toads and beehives from heavyweight spaceships.

Figure 10.7: HWSS synthesis from toad and beehive

A slow salvo construction of a heavyweight spaceship from a toad and beehive.

Figure 10.8(a): R2L23

A forward rake, used in the silverfish, that emits a glider on lane 23 and has a length of 2 rephasers.

Figure 10.8(b): R2L25

A forward rake, used in the silverfish, that emits a glider on lane 25 and has a length of 2 rephasers.

Figure 10.8(c): R6L17

A forward rake, used in the silverfish, that emits a glider on lane 17 and has a length of 6 rephasers.

Figure 10.8(d): R1L0

A forward rake, used in the silverfish, that emits a glider on lane 0 and has a length of 1 rephaser.

Figure 10.8(e): R6L6

A forward rake, used in the silverfish, that emits a glider on lane 6 and has a length of 6 rephasers.

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Figure 10.9: silverfish

Download link: here (file too large to display in-browser)

Figure 10.10: reburnable wick

Reburnable blinker wick A reburnable wick made up of blinkers, along which a pi-heptomino can travel at a speed of 17c/45.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/17c/45_reaction

Figure 10.11(a): pi backward rake

A p45 backward rake formed via two pi crawlers.

Figure 10.11(b): pi forward rake

A p45 forward rake formed via six pi crawlers.

Figure 10.12: blinker trail synth

A configuration of a backward rake, followed by some rephasers and a forward rake, that synthesizes another blinker trail off to the side. That new blinker trail is then destroyed by a third rake.

Figure 10.13: helix operations

Three reactions that can be used to create orthogonal helices of any rational speed slower than c/2.

Figure 10.14: caterpillar helix

A 17c/45 helix that is used by the caterpillar spaceship.

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Figure 10.15: caterpillar

Download link: here (file too large to display in-browser)

Figure 10.16: (23,5)c/79 reaction

A reaction in which a Herschel moves up an oblique track made of gliders, and duplicates those gliders in the process. Used repeatedly in the construction of the waterbear spaceship.

Figure 10.17: 50 13c 161 helix

A (50,13)c/161 helix that fires forward gliders.

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Figure 10.18: waterbear

Download link: here (file too large to display in-browser)

Figure 10.19: caterloopillar loaf pusher

Three xWSS flotillae that convert a loaf into a glider, reflect that glider, and then use that glider to regenerate the loaf 46 cells forward (without destroying the glider).

Figure 10.21: caterloopillar loaf puller

Three xWSS flotillae that convert a loaf into a two gliders, reflect one of those gliders, and then use that glider to regenerate the loaf 54 cells backward (without destroying the glider).

Figure 10.22(a): caterloopillar front end

Nine xWSSes and a honeyfarm can be used to destroy the loaf-pushing flotillae that are used by the caterloopillar.

Figure 10.22(b): caterloopillar back end

Ten xWSSes and a beehive can be used to destroy the loaf-pulling flotillae that are used by the caterloopillar.

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Figure 10.23: caterloopillar

Download link: here (file too large to display in-browser)
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Figure 10.24(a): shield bug

Download link: here (file too large to display in-browser)
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Figure 10.24(b): centipede

Download link: here (file too large to display in-browser)

Figure 10.25(a): (13,1)c/31 B-heptomino crawler

A way of using a glider to move a B-heptomino by (13,1) in 31 generations.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/(13,1)c/31_Pseudo-B_climber

Figure 10.25(b): (27,1)c/72 Herschel crawler

A way of using a pair of gliders to move a pair of Herschels by (27,1) in 72 generations.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/(27,1)c/72_Herschel_climber

Figure 10.25(c): (34,7)c/156 Herschel crawler (on gliders)

A way of using a glider to move a Herschel by (34,7) in 156 generations.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/(34,7)c/156_Herschel_climber

Figure 10.25(d): Half-bakery reaction

A way of colliding a glider with a half-bakery so as to move the half-bakery by (3,6) without destroying the glider.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Half-bakery

Figure 10.26: Half-baked knightship reactions

The glider-generating reactions at the heart of the parallel half-baked knightship.

Figure 10.27: Parallel half-baked knightship

A knightship with speed (6,3)c/245912 that was constructed by Chris Cain on July 17, 2014.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/Parallel_HBK

Exercise 10.4: R6L21

A forward rake, which could be used in a silverfish-like spaceship, that emits a glider on lane 21 and has a length of 6 rephasers.

Exercise 10.6: R3L28

A forward rake, which could be used in a silverfish-like spaceship, that emits a glider on lane 28 and has a length of 3 rephasers.

Exercise 10.16: helix components

Some additional helix components that can be used to create backward-firing helices of any rational speed.

Solution 10.2(a): R4L1

A forward rake, which could be used in a silverfish-like spaceship, that emits a glider on lane 1 and has a length of 4 rephasers.

Solution 10.5(a): Forward and backward rake

A forward and backward rake that could be used in the construction of a spaceship like the silverfish.

Solution 10.5(b): R2L16

A forward rake, used in the silverfish, that emits a glider on lane 16 and has a length of 2 rephasers.

Solution 10.30(a): (34,7)c/156 Herschel crawler (on blocks)

A way of using a block to move a Herschel by (34,7) in 156 generations.
More info: https://www.conwaylife.com/wiki/(34,7)c/156_Herschel_climber