Superstrings for diagonal lightspeed signals?

[Macbi]

As you all probably know, being able to transmit information at lightspeed through Life would be useful to to construct all kinds of things, but at the moment there are only systems to transmit horizontally and vertically, like Calcyman's telegraph based on Jason Summers' beehive trail signal. (near the bottom of that page) However, to transmit a signal diagonally with only orthogonal transmitters you need two perpendicular transmitters. This means you can only achive a speed of rt(2)c. A diagonal transimitter, if one existed, would allow lightspeed communication in all directions. Various sugestions have been made, but for various reasons none of them were workable.

I began to think about one based on superstrings. The idea behind superstrings is to get an orthogonal line of cells and then stabalise the back of it and either end so that it moves foward at lightspeed without leaving debris. It also shrinks by one cell at either end each generation, so in its total life it goes from the hypotenuse to the opposite coner of a right angled isoceles triangle. If we could make a "superstring gun" then we could make a diagonal lightspeed signaller: When you wanted a signal you would fire a glider into one of the superstrings just as it was created, shortening it at one end, this would be detected by a receiver at the point of the triangle.

The "hard bit", however, is making the superstring gun in the first place. I had the idea that it could work by firing a row of gliders at a row of still lives so that the reaction created a superstring and remade the still lives. After a bit of seaching I came up with

9 to 6.zip

Loaf to superstring and boat reaction.

(272 Bytes) Downloaded 439 times

A line of loaves spaced every 6 cells is hit by a similarly spaced line of gilders, causing a reaction that produces a supersting and a lie of boats. The ends get messed up but this would be easy, if tedious, to solve. With a few* more of these reactions I can return the loaves to where they were and fire another superstring. Unfortunately I don't know a way to fire gliders so close together on varying flight paths. Does anyone else have the technology to do this, or is it generally impossible? I can post the rest of the reactions if anyone is actually interested.

I also know a list of reactions that produces a line of toads! How cool is that!

* 17 more lines of gliders (I can do it with 12 if they can come from both directions!)

[Lewis]

The ends get messed up but this would be easy, if tedious, to solve.

How would this be easy to solve? Wouldn't it require a spaceship (or other object) travelling at the speed of light?
EDIT: The ends burn cleanly anyway, so maybe the trailing sparks could be affected and used to carry information.

With a few* more of these reactions I can return the loaves to where they were and fire another superstring. Unfortunately I don't know a way to fire gliders so close together on varying flight paths. Does anyone else have the technology to do this, or is it generally impossible? I can post the rest of the reactions if anyone is actually interested.

Couldn't the gliders be created by creating a staggered row of glider guns - the gun furthest from the row of boats would fire first, then when the glider passes the second gun, it could somehow trigger it to fire, so in the end all the gliders would line up?
Also, could you please post the rest of the reactions?

[Macbi]

The ends get messed up but this would be easy, if tedious, to solve.

How would this be easy to solve? Wouldn't it require a spaceship (or other object) travelling at the speed of light?
EDIT: The ends burn cleanly anyway, so maybe the trailing sparks could be affected and used to carry information.

I meant that the reaction of the still lives with the gliders was imperfect at either end, leaving debris. If this reaction were repeated the debris would slowly replace the entire line, so a collection of "clean up" gliders would be needed between every reaction to keep the ends neat. Since this would only be a proof of concept, we can make the delays between the "reaction" gliders really long, and then use some large programmable machine (such things exist) to produce the clean up gliders. The superstring, of course, escapes faster than anything that can mess with it, and I deliberately chose one whose ends tended to burn cleanly. Since the ends seem to only like to burn in one way, a more practical way to encode information may just be to jam a glider in its path (shortening it), whenever you want to send a signal.

With a few* more of these reactions I can return the loaves to where they were and fire another superstring. Unfortunately I don't know a way to fire gliders so close together on varying flight paths. Does anyone else have the technology to do this, or is it generally impossible? I can post the rest of the reactions if anyone is actually interested.

Couldn't the gliders be created by creating a staggered row of glider guns - the gun furthest from the row of boats would fire first, then when the glider passes the second gun, it could somehow trigger it to fire, so in the end all the gliders would line up?
Also, could you please post the rest of the reactions?

The problem is that the reactions require gliders on many different paths, and no gun versatile enough to produce these will fire them from the edge. I can get lots of gliders close together, or gliders on different paths, but not both. Using many different sets of guns would make some get in the way of each other. This all makes me think that this is an impractical way of solving the diagonal lightspeed problem.

Sorry it took so long to reply, I had all my notes of what reaction did what written down on a piece of paper, which took me a while to find. Here's the full reaction I was thinking of, only I've screwed up somewhere, because the blinkers at the end are one cell to the left of the ones at the start.

twork.rar

It almost works.

(2.34 KiB) Downloaded 423 times

I can solve that problem with a few more reactions*, so it's not a big deal. If I get round to it I can create a table of all the different possible reactions and post it up here.

Like I said, I don't think this is practical for lightspeed communication. In fact I'm not sure why Jason Summer's much better technique hasn't been implemented. (See lightspeed.rle in the Golly files or his jslife collection)
Then again a superstring gun would be cool in its own right.

*blinker to beehive to blinker to ship to blinker to ship to blinker to ship to blinker. If you're interested.

[dvgrn]

... Hmm, twork.rar looks like the state after 1K+ ticks, so it doesn't really show the recipe for getting to that point.

> With a few* more of these reactions I can return the loaves to where they were and fire another superstring.
> Unfortunately I don't know a way to fire gliders so close together on varying flight paths. Does anyone else
> have the technology to do this, or is it generally impossible?

There are two ways of solving this construction problem, I think, though the second one is probably much less practical in this case.

One way to make a superstring gun (which I'd love to see in action, by the way!) would be to construct your original "9 to 6.rle" pattern, or something like it -- but build it one loaf at a time, using resettable orthogonal slide guns. These would be fleets of lightweight spaceships that pull a block-or-something toward the spaceship guns, emitting a glider with each pull. [See the "slideguns" subfolder in Jason Summers' main pattern collection, currently at http://entropymine.com/jason/life/p/jslife-20060831.zip ].

Then a chain of edge-shooter guns (in the southeast, let's say) can easily produce the long "trigger" salvo that constructs the superstring, and another chain of guns in the southwest can then clean up the leftover line of boats-or-whatever, leaving empty space for the slide guns to go to work on again and rebuild the original line of loaves, one at a time. Slow, yes, but probably not really much slower than using dozens of lines of gliders to transform the boats-or-whatever back into the original still lifes.

Second method: it is technically possible to build all those dozens of lines of gliders coming in one after the other, without any source guns interfering with each other. It would be a very large engineering problem, though, or at least a very large pattern: you could probably build the line-of-gliders emitter once, hooked up to a high-period gun, and then duplicate the exact same structure dozens of times with the right timing and position. So it might not be quite as painful as it looks.

Here's a proof-of-concept pattern showing possible ways to extend a line of gliders without putting any permanent structures in the line of fire. The block constellations can both be built with gliders coming in perpendicular to the glider-line lanes; they're borrowed from Syntheses/blockish-and-blockic-seeds.rle in Golly's pattern collection. This is very far from optimal -- there must be a working reaction with fewer still lifes, and/or something much more efficient involving *WSS collisions, with no still lifes involved at all.

Code: Select all

#C adding a glider to a closely-spaced horizontal line of gliders
x = 53, y = 56, rule = B3/S23
39b2o$39b2o4$26b2o$26b2o4b2o$32b2o12$51bo$50b2o$50bobo6$27bo5bo5bo5bo$
27b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o$26bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo11$33b2o$33b2o2b2o$37b2o2b2o$
41b2o2$34b2o$34b2o5$bo5bo5bo5bo$b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o$obo3bobo3bobo3bobo24b
3o$45bo$46bo!

It would even be possible to design a pattern made out of nothing but blocks -- lots of blocks -- you'd "light the fuse" with a single glider to produce all the lines of gliders you need, and then rebuild the blocks after the superstring gun triggers. But I certainly don't recommend that method...!

[Macbi]

... Hmm, twork.rar looks like the state after 1K+ ticks, so it doesn't really show the recipe for getting to that point.

I must have saved the wrong file, I'll fix it when I get back to the computer I made it on. At the moment I'm on a Mac and can't even look at the file I posted.

One way to make a superstring gun (which I'd love to see in action, by the way!) ...

I might do this just to make a cool superstring gun, but I'm in a quandary as to whether it would count as diagonal lightspeed, because as you make the pattern larger you increase its period:

When a signal transmitter is not sending it is merely an oscillator (of period p say). There will be one state per period where it can receive a signal, and then that signal will propagate through the oscillator until it reaches whatever we have deemed as our receiver. If we assume the signal to be sent arrives at the transmitter at some random time, then it will have to "wait" for the oscillator to be ready (taking on average p/2 ticks). If the transmitter is sending to a receiver (distance d away) at lightspeed the time taken averages to p/2 + d, so its speed is only d/(p/2 + d) which is less than lightspeed.
Luckily as d tends to infinity this tends to 1, so it counts as lightspeed communication.

But in your example it takes longer to build a larger superstring, so p increases as we make our transmitter bigger. Say p=40d, then the (average) speed is d/(40d/2+d)=1/21<<1 no matter how far we send the signal.
You might, however, argue that the signals do not arrive randomly but can be timed to correspond to the period of the oscillator, making the transmitter ready each time a signal arrives. So this type of transmitter might still count. In any real system I think that slowing down your system to match the speed of a very slow transmitter will always reduce it's speed more than just using a much lower period non-lightspeed communicator. Can anyone sort out my confusion?

[Macbi]

!

Code: Select all

x = 160, y = 11, rule = B3/S23
13b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o
3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o$13bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$14bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5b
o5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo4$b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b
3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o
3b3o3b3o$o2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo
2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo
2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo$3bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$3bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$obo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo
3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo
3bobo3bobo3bobo!

!
Double post.
One line of gliders spaced 6 apart is caught up by a similarly spaced line of LWSSs creating a superstring and no debris! Maybe we can make the whole thing with one row of glider guns and one of LWSS guns! Can we make LWSS's that close to each other?

Sadly the superstring doesn't burn clean, I'm looking at other variations at the moment.

[knightlife]

Very nice superstring synthesis. I see the cleanup job as quite easy, as demonstrated by the following proof of concept:

Code: Select all

#C Macbi superstring cleanup proof of concept
#CXRLE Pos=-108,-24
x = 307, y = 68, rule = B3/S23
o2bo$4bo$o3bo$b4o6$8bo2bo248bo$12bo246bo$8bo3bo246bo3bo$9b4o246b4o12$
19b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o
3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b
3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o$19bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo$20bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5b
o5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo4$13b3o3b3o
3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b
3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o
3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o$12bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo
2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo
2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo
2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo$15bo5bo5bo5b
o5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$15bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5b
o5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$12bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo
3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo
3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo
3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo22$283bo$282b2o$282bobo$293bo$292bobo$281bo8b
2o3bo9b2o$281b4o5b2o3bo9b2o$271b2o9b4o4b2o3bo$271b2o9bo2bo6bobo$282b4o
7bo$281b4o$281bo!

It only takes two LWSS's to make the debris on the two ends regular and stable. Note that the end conditions have been changed in order to create regular output during superstring travel. The third LWSS (westmost) doesn't do much except complete the stabalization so that only still lifes are left. After that even a single p30 gun can cleanup most of the debris on one side of the superstring. Of course the p30 gun needs to be controlled to fire an exact number of gliders for a particular superstring. The few still lifes at the ends where the superstring is first created can be cleaned up with just a few more gliders.

The only major task left is to generate the closely spaced LWSS formation. Hopefully this task is possible. It is very nice that the LWSS line can catch up to the line of gliders so that the two lines can be synthesized completely separately. dvgrn has already shown that the line of gliders is possible.

I realize that to use this for diagonal lightspeed signals requires a little more work, but I see a superstring gun as a done deal if that LWSS formation can be synthesized. It does take a long time to do the cleanup but with more guns on the sidelines that can be improved.

Nicely done!

[Nathaniel]

...I see a superstring gun as a done deal if that LWSS formation can be synthesized.

It can, and it's not difficult to do (4 gliders per LWSS since the 3-glider syntheses all seem to require gliders coming from various different directions):

Code: Select all

x = 24, y = 21, rule = B3/S23
3bobo$4b2o$4bo5$8bo$6bobo$7b2o$4b2o$3bobo$5bo7bobo$14b2o$b2o11bo5b3o$o
bo17bo2bo$2bo11b2o4bo$14b2o4bo$11b2o8bobo$10bobo$12bo!

[knightlife]

It can, and it's not difficult to do

Impressively simple. Here is an alternate way to cleanup using p36 glider streams:

Code: Select all

#C superstring cleanup using p36 glider streams
#CXRLE Pos=-278,-146
x = 257, y = 90, rule = B3/S23
82b2o$81bobo$83bo89b3o$173bo$174bo5$73b2o$72bobo$74bo107b3o$182bo$183b
o5$64b2o$63bobo$65bo125b3o$191bo$192bo5$55b2o$54bobo$56bo143b3o$200bo$
201bo5$46b2o$45bobo$47bo161b3o$209bo$210bo5$37b2o$36bobo$38bo179b3o$
218bo$219bo5$28b2o$27bobo$29bo197b3o$227bo$228bo5$19b2o$18bobo$20bo
215b3o$236bo$237bo5$10b2o$9bobo$11bo233b3o$245bo$246bo5$b2o$obo$2bo
251b3o$254bo$255bo$4b248o$4bo2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o
2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b
4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2b4o2bo$8b2o4b2o4b2o
4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b
2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o
4b2o4b2o4b2o3bo$6bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
6bo!

The front of the superstring just misses the glider streams but the debris released at the ends of the superstring collides with the gliders perfectly so that nothing is left behind. This produces a very satisfying effect but may be slightly harder to implement as part of a superstring gun. The final output is a single block but various widths produce different final outputs (cyclic as the width various).

The cleanup occurs quickly on the fly and may actually allow the superstring gun to fire at a quicker pace. I think the cleanup on the fly just happens to be more efficient, requiring fewer gliders than trying to cleanup behind the superstring (and therefore less time).

[Macbi]

Impressively simple. Here is an alternate way to cleanup using p36 glider streams:

Very slick.

However, a different glider-LWSS reaction produces a superstring whose ends can be coerced into burning cleanly, probably using a lot less than the five gliders I've used here:

Code: Select all

x = 24, y = 21, rule = B3/S23
3bobo$4b2o$4bo5$8bo$6bobo$7b2o$4b2o$3bobo$5bo7bobo$14b2o$b2o11bo5b3o$o
bo17bo2bo$2bo11b2o4bo$14b2o4bo$11b2o8bobo$10bobo$12bo!

...I see a superstring gun as a done deal if that LWSS formation can be synthesized.

So much less clean-up is needed.

It can, and it's not difficult to do (4 gliders per LWSS since the 3-glider syntheses all seem to require gliders coming from various different directions):

Code: Select all

x = 24, y = 21, rule = B3/S23
3bobo$4b2o$4bo5$8bo$6bobo$7b2o$4b2o$3bobo$5bo7bobo$14b2o$b2o11bo5b3o$o
bo17bo2bo$2bo11b2o4bo$14b2o4bo$11b2o8bobo$10bobo$12bo!

Nice work.
While we're here, here is the correct version of the file I tried to post earlier:

start1.zip

It doesn't work

(942 Bytes) Downloaded 390 times

[dvgrn]

> ...probably using a lot less than the five gliders I've used here:

The RLE after the above is the four-glider LWSS recipe, not the alternate superstring cleanup. I want to see the superstring! -- seems as if a clean-burning one would be much easier to use for diagonal lightspeed communication. May still be utterly impractical, but the lightspeed angle is definitely a good excuse to build the gun. If you have to send p36 glider streams out there way ahead of time to suppress the superstring edge, and then you shorten the superstring by one unit to send a 1 instead of a 0... well, the results won't be pretty.

Here's an edge-shooting LWSS gun I put together a few years ago -- needs three semi-synchronized Herschels instead of two pairs of synchronized gliders. The Herschels are all triggered by a single input Herschel; I left a ghost Herschel to mark the spot. The junk on the left is an extensible track and delay circuit, to make it possible to string as many of these guns together as you need to build a good long superstring.

Code: Select all

#C stable edge-shooting H-to-L converter: Dave Greene, 6 January 2007
x = 377, y = 181, rule = B3/S23
54b2o$53bo2bo$54b2o7$92b2o$92b2o3$90b2o40b2o$90b2o40b2o5b2o$77b2o60b2o
$78bo38bo$78bobo36b3o$79b2o39bo16b2o$75b2o42b2o16b2o$40b2o33b2o66b2o
162bo$41bo101b2o160b3o$41bobo15b2o243bo$42b2o15b2o243b2o$318b2o$289b2o
27b2o$289bo$88b2o200b3o$88b2o202bo31b2o$81b2o241b2o$80bo2bo15b2o219b2o
$81b2o15bo2bo218b2o$98bobo23b2o$99bo20bo3b2o165b2ob2o$119bobo24b2o143b
o3bo$60b2o56bobo14b3o8bo109b2o34b3o30b2o$60bobo55bo16bo8bobo44bo39bo
24b2o32bobo32b2o$62bo54b2o15b2o8b2o45b3o35b3o58b2o$62b2o130bo33bo$81b
2o110b2o33b2o24b2o$81b2o171b2o$174bo42bo23b2o$155b2o17b3o38b3o24bo$44b
2o102b2o6bo20bo36bo27bobo$43bobo102bo6bo20b2o11b2o23b2o27b2o46bo$43bo
102bobo6b2o32b2o48b2o50b3o$42b2o102b2o91b2o53bo$41bo251b2o$41b3o$44bo
88b2o$43b2o87bobo$132bo25b2o66b2o$131b2o25b2o65bo2bo$226b2o24b2o$201b
2o49b2o29b2o$202bo42b2o36b2o$41b2o92b2o62b3o8b2o17b2o13bo2bo$41b2o91bo
bo62bo11bo17bo15b2o$65b2o67bo4b2o67b3o19b3o39bo$65bobo65b2o5bo27b2o38b
o23bo38bobo46b2o$67bo69b3o5bo23bo101b2o24b2o21b2o24b2o$67b2o68bo6bobo
19b3o20b2o89b2o16bo15b2o31bo$145bo20bo22bo90bo14b3o16b2o31bobo$190b3o
88bo13bo52bobo$192bo87b2o67bo3b2o$207bob2o34b2o69b2o35b2o$207b2obo34b
2o62b2o5b2o$51b3o255b2o$52bo163b2o$52b3o161b2o9$184bo$182b3o$181bo26b
2o$181b2o26bo$166b2o41bobo$167bo42b2o$167bobo$168b2o10bo$179bobo$179bo
bo$11bo168bo4b2o$11b3o154b2o15bobo$14bo152bobo17bo$13b2o152bo19b2o$
166b2o25b2o88bo$193bo49bo37b3o$191bobo10b2o35b3o36bo$191b2o11b2o34bo
39b2o$240b2o$4bo351b2o$4b3o23b2o145b2o135b2o14bo25bo$7bo21bo2bo144b2o
30b2o78b2o24bo14b3o21bobo$6b2o22b2o177b2o79bo13b2o6b3o18bo20b2o$205b2o
83bobo11b2o6bo19b2o$205b2o84b2o$362b2o$249b2o112bo$211b2o36b2o112bobo$
211b2o13b2o136b2o$225bobo$16b2o147b2o58bo96b2o$16b2o148bo57b2o10b2o84b
2o$166bobo68bo$167b2o65b3o9b2o32b2o$234bo11bo20b2o11b2o$247bo20bo$246b
2o17b3o$265bo53b2o32b2o$319bo20b2o11b2o$284b2o14b2o3b2o13bo20bo$8b2o
275bo15bo3bo13b2o17b3o$3b2o2bo2bo271b3o13b3o5b3o29bo$3bo4bobo271bo15bo
9bo$2obo5bo347b2o$bobob2o351bo$o2bo2bo161b2o15b2o118bo49b3o$2o2bo4bo
158b2o15bobo105bo11b3o47bo$5b5o150b2o25bo103b3o14bo$161bo25b2o86bo14bo
16b2o52bo$4bob2o153bobo111b3o12b2o69b3o$4b2obo154b2o114bo52bo32bo$277b
2o50b3o13bo17b2o$262b2o64bo16b3o$262b2o5b2o57b2o18bo$181bo51bo35b2o7b
2o67b2o$179b3o51b3o7b2o33b2o17b2o$178bo57bo6bo3b2o48b2o$178b2o20bo34b
2o4bobo4bo18b2o$184bo15b3o38b2o5bobo16b2o$182b3o18bo45b2o22b2o$181bo
20b2o11b2o56b2o$181b2o32b2o120b2o$294b2o41b2o$294bo19b2o$296bo16bobo
59b2o$295b2o16bo61b2o$291b2o19b2o10b2o$184b2o105bo33bo$165b2o17b2o106b
3o27b3o9b2o$165b2o127bo27bo11bo19b2o$335bo17bobo$334b2o17bo$164b2o186b
2o$165bo$162b3o12b2o50b2o$162bo14bo16b2o34bo$178b3o14bo31b3o3bob2o$
180bo11b3o20b2o10bo2b4ob2o44b2o$192bo22bo14bo50b2o$216b3o13b2ob2o2b2o
6b2o$218bo14bobo4bo6bobo$233bo2b4o9bo$234bobo2bobo7b2o113b2o$235bo4b2o
123bo$362b3o$362bo3$261b2o$260bobo$260bo18b2obo$259b2o18b2ob3o$285bo$
279b2ob3o$280bobo$280bobo$281bo5$269b2o$269b2o!

You can also make middleweight spaceships with this instead of lightweight ones, just by changing the bottom Herschel track to produce its glider one tick sooner. Guess I'll leave this as a Hersrch exercise for the reader.

A bonus problem is to find a good Herschel conduit to connect two or more of these guns together and produce a horizontal LWSS line, adjusting the 'rectifier' reflectors at the left as necessary. I haven't gotten around to this yet -- will post my best solution at the end of the weekend, along with the Hersrch script I (will have) used.

There are definitely much more compact ways to do this sort of thing, e.g., with p30 or p46 technology. The advantage of the stable version is that an input "trigger" signal can come in at any time, with no synchronization problems.

[knightlife]

Here is a superstring gun that can fire faster because there is no p36 glider stream to set up in advance:

Code: Select all

#C superstring gun capable of firing faster
#C there is no p36 glider stream to set up in advance
#CXRLE Pos=-135,-142
x = 322, y = 197, rule = B3/S23
207bobo$207b2o$111bo96bo$112b2o$111b2o11$216bobo$216b2o$102bo114bo$
103b2o$102b2o11$225bobo$225b2o$93bo132bo$94b2o$93b2o11$234bobo$234b2o$
84bo150bo$85b2o$84b2o11$243bobo$243b2o$75bo168bo$76b2o$75b2o11$252bobo
$252b2o$66bo186bo$67b2o$66b2o11$261bobo$261b2o$57bo204bo$11bobo44b2o$
12b2o43b2o$12bo9$40bobo$41b2o227bobo$41bo228b2o$271bo3$312bo$312bobo$
312b2o15$35bo2bo248bo$39bo246bo$35bo3bo246bo3bo$36b4o246b4o12$46b3o3b
3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o
3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b
3o3b3o3b3o3b3o$46bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$47b
o5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo4$40b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b
3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o
3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b
3o3b3o$39bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2b
o2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo
2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo
2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo$42bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5b
o5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$42bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5b
o5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$39bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bo
bo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bo
bo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bo
bo3bobo3bobo8$40b2o$39bobo$41bo13$b2o$obo$2bo2$311b3o$311bo$312bo2$2b
2o$bobo$3bo$319b2o$319bobo$319bo5$310b2o$30b2o278bobo$29bobo278bo$31bo
!

I agree that Herschel conduits are the way to go because otherwise hundreds of glider guns will be needed to build a decent size superstring gun. Now that I have built the major components of this superstring gun I can see the issues that come up. After the line of gliders and the line of spaceships are formed it takes quite a long time just to let the lines merge together. A superstring 2n cells wide will travel n cells vertically at the speed of light in n generations, but just to merge the gliders with the spaceships will take approximately 8n generations. This superstring gun will be very large, dwarfing the superstring itself, and very slow, maybe ten times slower than the lifespan of the superstring, but it is possible to build. Like dvgrn, I want to see it working!

Of course, if there is a better way...

I am working on a different approach for sending diagonal lightspeed signals. A simple diagonal line of cells, the simplest fuse, burns cleanly at the speed of light. I have already worked out easy ways to send a 1 or a 0 and detect it at the other end. The question is: Can a simple diagonal fuse be synthesized in parallel in just a few generations, regardless of its length, similar to the reactions Macbi has found for superstrings? The fuse would be in a hallway lined with guns on both sides of the fuse, ready to create another fuse as soon as the existing fuse has completely traveled the entire distance at the speed of light. The system would be synchronous, periodically sending a signal.

[Macbi]

> ...probably using a lot less than the five gliders I've used here:

The RLE after the above is the four-glider LWSS recipe, not the alternate superstring cleanup. I want to see the superstring! -- seems as if a clean-burning one would be much easier to use for diagonal lightspeed communication. May still be utterly impractical, but the lightspeed angle is definitely a good excuse to build the gun. If you have to send p36 glider streams out there way ahead of time to suppress the superstring edge, and then you shorten the superstring by one unit to send a 1 instead of a 0... well, the results won't be pretty.

I'm highly incompetent. Try this:

Code: Select all

x = 215, y = 15, rule = B3/S23
21b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o
4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o$20b2o
4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b
2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o4b2o$22bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo8$b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o
3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b
3o3b3o3b3o3b3o$o2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo
2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo
2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo2bo
2bo$3bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$3bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$obo3bo
bo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bo
bo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bo
bo3bobo3bobo3bobo!

Which has this clean burning end:

Code: Select all

x = 49, y = 17, rule = B3/S23
3$18b31o$18b5obobobobobobobobobobobobobo$18b3o$14bo$13b2o$12b2o$13b2o$
8b4o$7bo3bo2$7bo2bo$10bo!

Note how there are five cells of "overhang" at the end of the superstring, where the supporting pattern is not the same. Once the string has been stretched out by these five cells it will burn clean quite happily.

After the line of gliders and the line of spaceships are formed it takes quite a long time just to let the lines merge together. A superstring 2n cells wide will travel n cells vertically at the speed of light in n generations, but just to merge the gliders with the spaceships will take approximately 8n generations. This superstring gun will be very large, dwarfing the superstring itself, and very slow, maybe ten times slower than the lifespan of the superstring, but it is possible to build. Like dvgrn, I want to see it working!

That is why a solution using only gliders from either side would be better: even when it gets really large you can keep the same period, because the two sets of gliders travel at the same speed they can't crash when they merge, meaning that one set of gliders can have been sent out before the previous set are finished. I prefer the method we're using now though, because you only need one collision per string.

[dvgrn]

I am working on a different approach for sending diagonal lightspeed signals. A simple diagonal line of cells, the simplest fuse, burns cleanly at the speed of light. I have already worked out easy ways to send a 1 or a 0 and detect it at the other end. The question is: Can a simple diagonal fuse be synthesized in parallel in just a few generations, regardless of its length, similar to the reactions Macbi has found for superstrings? The fuse would be in a hallway lined with guns on both sides of the fuse, ...

Can probably be done, but I think the "hallway lined with guns" would likely have the usual problems with fitting the guns next to each other. So you'd have to stack edge-shooters one behind another away from the highway to a ridiculous depth -- very much reminiscent of Jason Summers' design for a diagonal lightspeed transmitter that uses colliding gliders directly as the transmission medium.

And how many is "just a few generations"? It might end up being a lot easier to build the diagonal fuse like a zipper, as quickly as possible but starting at one end to leave more working room at the other: see Spaceships/adjustable-Corder-lineship.rle in Golly's Patterns folder, for example.

Are you ready to share your 1 and 0 fuses? I'd be curious to see what you've worked out.

[knightlife]

dvgrn wrote:

Are you ready to share your 1 and 0 fuses? I'd be curious to see what you've worked out.

Sure, it will take a while to find the various patterns. I will post then at the end of the day.

[calcyman]

I am working on a different approach for sending diagonal lightspeed signals. A simple diagonal line of cells, the simplest fuse, burns cleanly at the speed of light. I have already worked out easy ways to send a 1 or a 0 and detect it at the other end. The question is: Can a simple diagonal fuse be synthesized in parallel in just a few generations, regardless of its length, similar to the reactions Macbi has found for superstrings? The fuse would be in a hallway lined with guns on both sides of the fuse, ready to create another fuse as soon as the existing fuse has completely traveled the entire distance at the speed of light. The system would be synchronous, periodically sending a signal.

Yes, it can be synthesised in parallel (see the Line-crosser pattern). However, there's a much simpler diagonal lightspeed fuse that I discovered:

Code: Select all

x = 225, y = 98, rule = B3/S23
127boo$127boobboo$127boobboo$$oobboo$oobboo125boobboo$oo129boobboo$$4b
oobboo$4boobboo125boobboo$135boobboo$$8boobboo$8boobboo125boobboo$139b
oobboo$$12boobboo$12boobboo125boobboo$143boobboo$$16boobboo$16boobboo
125boobboo$147boobboo$$20boobboo$20boobboo125boobboo$151boobboo$$24boo
bboo$24boobboo125boobboo$155boobboo$$28boobboo$28boobboo125boobboo$
159boobboo$$32boobboo$32boobboo125boobboo$163boobboo$$36boobboo$36boo
bboo125boobboo$167boobboo$$40boobboo$40boobboo125boobboo$171boobboo$$
44boobboo$44boobboo125boobboo$175boobboo$$48boobboo$48boobboo125boobb
oo$179boobboo$$52boobboo$52boobboo125boobboo$183boobboo$$56boobboo$56b
oobboo125boobboo$187boobboo$$60boobboo$60boobboo125boobboo$191boobboo
$$64boobboo$64boobboo125boobboo$195boobboo$$68boobboo$68boobboo125boo
bboo$199boobboo$$72boobboo$72boobboo125boobboo$203boobboo$$76boobboo$
76boobboo125boobboo$207boobboo$$80boobboo$80boobboo125boobboo$211boobb
oo$$84boobboo$84boobboo125boobboo$215boobboo$$88boobboo$88boobboo125b
oobboo$219boobboo$$92boobboo$92boobboo!

My idea is to place universal constructors along the length of the fuse, which trigger
as the fuse burns. It's easy to add more blocks to coax a glider out of it, which
could then be used to build the corresponding section of fuse. Using this method,
it is possible to make a diagonal lightspeed signal, so we know such things exist.

One of the ways of burning this fuse (above) produces one of the necessary lines
of blocks automatically, and amazingly it appears in the correct position. Only the
other line has to be constructed by the universal constructors.

This does count as a genuine lightspeed signal, because extending it does not make
the pattern wider, or increase its period.



Do you know how to make a newly hatched superstring latch on to a trail of tubs or
boats?



More interestingly, can a superstring be made to pull a line of ants? It's possible to
fuse four lines of ants to produce any number of superstrings of any size:

Code: Select all

x = 244, y = 57, rule = S23/B3
133boo$135boo$135booboo98boo$133boo5boo98boo$140booboo88boo5boo$133boo
3boo5boo88booboo$135boo8booboo78boo5boo$131b5obboo3boo5boo78booboo$
140boo8booboo68boo5boo$126boo5b8obboo3boo5boo68booboo$101bobo19bo4boo
15boo8booboo58boo5boo$101bobbobbo3bo3bo3bobbobob4ob15obboo3boo5boo58b
ooboo$101bo3boobobobobobobobobb3o24boo8booboo48boo5boo$107bo3bo3bo3bo
7b24obboo3boo5boo48booboo$102boboo49boo8booboo38boo5boo$103b3o23b27obb
oo3boo5boo38booboo$103b3o54boo8booboo28boo5boo28boo$103b3o25b30obboo3b
oo5boo28booboo25boo5boo$104boo59boo8booboo18boo5boo23boo5boo3boo$102bo
bbo25b35obboo3boo5boo18booboo20boo5boo3booboo$105bo64boo8booboo8boo5b
oo18boo5boo3booboo$94boo3bo5bo25b40obboo3boo5boo8booboo15boo5boo3boob
oo$93bobobbobo4bo69boo8booboo5boo13boo5boo3booboo$94bobbo7bo25b45obboo
3boo5booboo10boo5boo3booboo$94bo10bo74boo8boo8boo5boo3booboo$93boobo8b
o25b50obboo3boo12boo3booboo$91bo4bo8bo79boo9bobo3booboo$91bo5bo7bo25b
55obb4obbo3boboo$93bo3bo7bo85boo3bo$79bobo15bobbo4bo25b55obb4obbobo$
88bobo6bobbo4bo79boo11boo$79bo3bo4bobo6bo7bo25b50obboo3boo10booboo$83b
o5bo10bobobbo74boo8boo8boo3booboo$80bo18boo3boo25b45obboo3boo5booboo3b
oo5boo3booboo$80b3o13boo5b3o69boo8booboo5boo6boo5boo3booboo$104boo25b
40obboo3boo5boo8boo11boo5boo3booboo$61bo40bobbo64boo8booboo8boo3boo13b
oo5boo3booboo$60bo44bo25b35obboo3boo5boo18boo16boo5boo3booboo$60b3o42b
o59boo8booboo20booboo18boo5boo3booboo$102bobbo25b30obboo3boo5boo21boo
5boo21boo5boo3boo$41bo62boo54boo8booboo30booboo23boo5boo$40bo62b3o20b
oo5b23obboo3boo5boo31boo5boo26boo$40b3o59boboo17bo4boo25boo8booboo40b
ooboo$107bo3bo3bo3bobbobob4ob20obboo3boo5boo41boo5boo$21bo79bo3boobobo
bobobobobobb3o24boo8booboo50booboo$20bo80bobbobbo3bo3bo3bo7b19obboo3b
oo5boo51boo5boo$20b3o78bobo41boo8booboo60booboo$129b12obboo3boo5boo61b
oo5boo$bo138boo8booboo70booboo$o130b5obboo3boo5boo71boo5boo$3o132boo8b
ooboo80booboo$133boo3boo5boo81boo5boo$140booboo90booboo$133boo5boo91b
oo5boo$135booboo100boo$135boo101boo$133boo!

With this technology, a signal could be made that lays down the tub tracks that it
moves along.

A bonus problem is to find a good Herschel conduit to connect two or more of these
guns together and produce a horizontal LWSS line, adjusting the 'rectifier' reflectors
at the left as necessary. I haven't gotten around to this yet -- will post my best
solution at the end of the weekend, along with the Hersrch script I (will have) used.

Thanks for using my 'rectifier' reflector.

[knightlife]

Sure, it will take a while to find the various patterns. I will post then at the end of the day.

Code: Select all

#C some basic light speed fuse components
#C glider to light speed fuse to glider (glider warp!).
#C a simple fuse can burn in many ways
#C example shows either a glider or block at receiver
#C June 7, 2009 Emerson Perkins

#CXRLE Pos=-43,-29
x = 115, y = 79, rule = B3/S23
66b2o$65bobo$64bo$63bo$63b2o$65bo$63b2obo$62bobo2bo$61bo3b2o$60bo37b2o
13b2o$59bo39bo14bo$58bo39bo14bo$57bo39bo14bo$56bo39bo14bo$55bo39bo14bo
$54bo39bo14bo$53bo39bo14bo$52bo39bo14bo$51bo39bo14bo$50bo39bo14bo$49bo
39bo14bo$48bo39bo14bo$47bo39bo14bo$46bo39bo14bo$45bo39bo14bo$44bo39bo
14bo$43bo39bo14bo$42bo39bo14bo$41bo39bo14bo$40bo39bo14bo$39bo39bo14bo$
38bo39bo14bo$37bo39bo14bo$36bo39bo14bo$35bo39bo14bo$34bo39bo14bo$33bo
39bo14bo$32bo39bo14bo$31bo39bo14bo$30bo39bo14bo$29bo39bo14bo$28bo39bo
14bo$27bo39bo14bo$26bo39bo14bo$25bo39bo14bo$24bo39bo14bo$23bo39bo14bo$
22bo39bo14bo$21bo39bo14bo$20bo39bo14bo$19bo39bo14bo$18bo39bo14bo$17bo
39bo14bo$16bo39bo14bo$15bo39bo14bo$14bo39bo14bo$13bo39bo14bo$12bo39bo
14bo$11bo39bo14bo$11b2o37bo14bo$49bo14bo$48bo14bo$47bo14bo$46bo14bo$
45bo14bo$44bo14bo$43bo14bo$3o39bo14bo$2bo38bo14bo$bo38bo14bo$39bo14bo$
38bo14bo$37bo14bo$36bo14bo$35bo14bo$34bo14bo$33bo14bo$31b2o14bo$28b4o
14bo!

fuse #1
The glider warp fuse can send a "1" or a "0" just by itself just by detecting if the glider arrives early or late in a synchronous system. The life universe is absolutely synchronous so the receiver will never get out of sync with the transmitter. By using more than two timeslots more information can be sent. If there are 16 different timeslots for the glider to arrive then 4 bits of information can be sent with just one glider. Why send 4 gliders when you can send just one?

fuse #2 and #3
two ways to send a signal on the same fuse with different results at the receiver.

Here is a different way that produces a spark or a glider:

Code: Select all

#C send a "1" or "0" on a diagonal
#C the two glider salvo is the "0" for example
#C the SW glider ("1") has been disabled by deleting one cell
#C you must disable the salvo to see the SW glider warp
#C June 8, 2009 Emerson Perkins

#CXRLE Pos=6,-16
x = 79, y = 86, rule = B3/S23
77b2o$78bo$77bo$76bo$75bo$74bo$73bo$72bo$71bo$70bo$69bo$68bo$67bo$66bo
$65bo$64bo$63bo$62bo$61bo$60bo$59bo$58bo$57bo$56bo$55bo$54bo$53bo$52bo
$51bo$50bo$49bo$48bo$47bo$46bo$45bo$44bo$43bo$42bo$41bo$40bo$39bo$38bo
$37bo$36bo$35bo$34bo$33bo$32bo$31bo$30bo$29bo$28bo$27bo$26bo$25bo$24bo
$23bo$22bo$21bo$20bo$19bo$18bo$7b2o8bo$bo5b2o7bo$2bo12bo$2o12bo$13bo$
12bo3b2o$11bo4b2o$10bo$9bo$9b2o5$17b2o$11b2o4bobo$10bo2bo3bo$11b2o4$
27b2o$27bobo$27bo!

A way of getting gliders on two different tracks at the receiver (not optimized):

Code: Select all

#C This version outputs a glider on a different track for "0"
#C send a "1" or "0" on a diagonal
#C the two glider salvo is the "0" for example
#C the SW glider ("1") has been disabled by deleting one cell
#C you must disable the salvo to see the SW glider warp
#C June 8, 2009 Emerson Perkins

#CXRLE Pos=6,-16
x = 86, y = 86, rule = B3/S23
77b2o$78bo5b2o$77bo5bobo$76bo6b2o$75bo$74bo$73bo$72bo8b2o$71bo9b2o$70b
o$69bo$68bo$67bo$66bo$65bo$64bo$63bo$62bo$61bo$60bo$59bo$58bo$57bo$56b
o$55bo$54bo$53bo$52bo$51bo$50bo$49bo$48bo$47bo$46bo$45bo$44bo$43bo$42b
o$41bo$40bo$39bo$38bo$37bo$36bo$35bo$34bo$33bo$32bo$31bo$30bo$29bo$28b
o$27bo$26bo$25bo$24bo$23bo$22bo$21bo$20bo$19bo$18bo$7b2o8bo$bo5b2o7bo$
2bo12bo$2o12bo$13bo$12bo3b2o$11bo4b2o$10bo$9bo$9b2o5$17b2o$11b2o4bobo$
10bo2bo3bo$11b2o4$27b2o$27bobo$27bo!

Calcyman, your block fuse is awesome and easier to rebuild.

[dvgrn]

A bonus problem is to find a good Herschel conduit to connect two or more of these
guns together and produce a horizontal LWSS line, adjusting the 'rectifier' reflectors
at the left as necessary. I haven't gotten around to this yet -- will post my best
solution at the end of the weekend, along with the Hersrch script I (will have) used.

Thanks for using my 'rectifier' reflector.

...Well, of course I had to use the best available technology... the faster recovery time didn't really matter here, but rectifiers have just five still lifes vs. nine in boojum reflectors.

And a Spartan glider-constructible rectifier is even possible, if you use a plain loaf instead of the fancy eater and reset it from the far side after using it... Come to think of it, you can do something similar with boojum reflectors -- the reset switch is a glider sent into a 180-degree rotated copy of a Spartan boojum reflector -- but the construction would be much more expensive.

-- Anyway, here's the result of the Hersrch search I promised to write up, three weeks ago already (!). Nothing spectacular, but it works. To extend the LWSS line, add more copies of the Herschel circuitry to the bottom of the pattern below, then add more rectifiers in a straight line with the four shown here:

Code: Select all

x = 488, y = 796, rule = B3/S23
143b2o$142bo2bo$143b2o13$132b2o$131bobo23bo$131bo23b3o$130b2o22bo$138b
2o14b2o$138b2o12$137b2o13b2o$136bobo13b2o$136bo$135b2o$154bo$153bobo$
154bo$155b3o$157bo4$147b2o$147b2o3$138b2o$138b2o$173b2o$173b2o3$139b2o
$140bo$137b3o3b2o$137bo4bobo$142bo$141b2o$140bo$140b3o25b2o$143bo24bo$
142b2o25b3o$171bo2$143b2o19b2o$143b2o19b2o5$161b2o$161bobo$163bo$163b
2o2$146b2o$147bo8b2o$147b3o6bo$157b3o$159bo$131bo$131b3o$134bo$133b2o
3$158bo$156b3o$155bo$130b2o23b2o$130bo2b2o$131b2obo$132bo$132bo$131b2o
bob2o18b2o$130bo2b2ob2o18bobo$131bo26bo$132b3ob2o20b2o$134bobo$136bo$
135b2ob2o$137bobo45b2o$137bo14b2o31b2o$136b2o14bo$150b3o$183b2o40b2o$
183b2o40b2o5b2o$170b2o60b2o$171bo38bo$171bobo36b3o$172b2o39bo16b2o$
168b2o42b2o16b2o$133b2o33b2o66b2o162bo$134bo101b2o160b3o$134bobo15b2o
243bo$135b2o15b2o243b2o$411b2o$382b2o27b2o$382bo$181b2o200b3o$181b2o
202bo31b2o$174b2o241b2o$173bo2bo15b2o219b2o$174b2o15bo2bo218b2o$191bob
o23b2o$192bo20bo3b2o165b2ob2o$212bobo24b2o143bo3bo$153b2o56bobo14b3o8b
o109b2o34b3o30b2o$153bobo55bo16bo8bobo44bo39bo24b2o32bobo32b2o$155bo
54b2o15b2o8b2o45b3o35b3o58b2o$155b2o130bo33bo$174b2o110b2o33b2o24b2o$
174b2o171b2o$267bo42bo23b2o$248b2o17b3o38b3o24bo$137b2o102b2o6bo20bo
36bo27bobo$136bobo102bo6bo20b2o11b2o23b2o27b2o46bo$136bo102bobo6b2o32b
2o48b2o50b3o$135b2o102b2o91b2o53bo$134bo251b2o$134b3o$137bo88b2o$136b
2o87bobo$225bo25b2o66b2o$224b2o25b2o65bo2bo$319b2o24b2o$294b2o49b2o29b
2o$295bo42b2o36b2o$134b2o92b2o62b3o8b2o17b2o13bo2bo$134b2o91bobo62bo
11bo17bo15b2o$158b2o67bo4b2o67b3o19b3o39bo$158bobo65b2o5bo27b2o38bo23b
o38bobo46b2o$160bo69b3o5bo23bo101b2o24b2o21b2o24b2o$160b2o68bo6bobo19b
3o20b2o89b2o16bo15b2o31bo$238bo20bo22bo90bo14b3o16b2o31bobo$283b3o88bo
13bo52bobo$285bo87b2o67bo3b2o$300bob2o34b2o69b2o35b2o$300b2obo34b2o62b
2o5b2o$144b2o256b2o$145bo163b2o$145b3o161b2o7$163bo$161b3o$160bo116bo$
144b2o14b2o113b3o$144b2o128bo26b2o$274b2o26bo$259b2o41bobo$260bo42b2o$
260bobo$261b2o10bo$272bobo$272bobo$104bo168bo4b2o$104b3o154b2o15bobo$
107bo152bobo17bo$106b2o152bo19b2o$143b2o8b2o3b2o99b2o25b2o88bo$142bobo
8bo4b2o126bo49bo37b3o$142bo8b3o130bobo10b2o35b3o36bo$141b2o141b2o11b2o
34bo39b2o$160bo172b2o$97bo61bobo287b2o$97b3o23b2o35bo109b2o135b2o14bo
25bo$100bo21bo2bo35b3o106b2o30b2o78b2o24bo14b3o21bobo$99b2o22b2o38bo
138b2o79bo13b2o6b3o18bo20b2o$298b2o83bobo11b2o6bo19b2o$298b2o84b2o$
455b2o$153b2o187b2o112bo$153b2o149b2o36b2o112bobo$304b2o13b2o136b2o$
318bobo$109b2o33b2o112b2o58bo96b2o$109b2o33b2o113bo57b2o10b2o84b2o$
179b2o78bobo68bo$179b2o79b2o65b3o9b2o32b2o$327bo11bo20b2o11b2o$340bo
20bo$145b2o192b2o17b3o$146bo211bo53b2o32b2o$143b3o3b2o261bo20b2o11b2o$
143bo4bobo226b2o14b2o3b2o13bo20bo$101b2o45bo229bo15bo3bo13b2o17b3o$96b
2o2bo2bo43b2o226b3o13b3o5b3o29bo$96bo4bobo42bo228bo15bo9bo$93b2obo5bo
43b3o25b2o274b2o$94bobob2o49bo24bo276bo$93bo2bo2bo48b2o25b3o83b2o15b2o
118bo49b3o$93b2o2bo4bo74bo83b2o15bobo105bo11b3o47bo$98b5o150b2o25bo
103b3o14bo$149b2o19b2o82bo25b2o86bo14bo16b2o52bo$97bob2o48b2o19b2o82bo
bo111b3o12b2o69b3o$97b2obo154b2o114bo52bo32bo$370b2o50b3o13bo17b2o$
355b2o64bo16b3o$355b2o5b2o57b2o18bo$167b2o105bo51bo35b2o7b2o67b2o$167b
obo102b3o51b3o7b2o33b2o17b2o$169bo101bo57bo6bo3b2o48b2o$169b2o100b2o
20bo34b2o4bobo4bo18b2o$277bo15b3o38b2o5bobo16b2o$152b2o121b3o18bo45b2o
22b2o$153bo8b2o110bo20b2o11b2o56b2o$153b3o6bo111b2o32b2o120b2o$163b3o
221b2o41b2o$165bo221bo19b2o$137bo251bo16bobo59b2o$137b3o248b2o16bo61b
2o$140bo243b2o19b2o10b2o$139b2o136b2o105bo33bo$258b2o17b2o106b3o27b3o
9b2o$258b2o127bo27bo11bo19b2o$164bo263bo17bobo$162b3o262b2o17bo$161bo
95b2o186b2o$136b2o23b2o95bo$136bo2b2o114b3o12b2o50b2o$137b2obo114bo14b
o16b2o34bo$138bo132b3o14bo31b3o3bob2o$138bo134bo11b3o20b2o10bo2b4ob2o
44b2o$137b2obob2o18b2o121bo22bo14bo50b2o$136bo2b2ob2o18bobo144b3o13b2o
b2o2b2o6b2o$137bo26bo146bo14bobo4bo6bobo$138b3ob2o20b2o160bo2b4o9bo$
140bobo184bobo2bobo7b2o113b2o$142bo185bo4b2o123bo$141b2ob2o309b3o$143b
obo45b2o262bo$143bo14b2o31b2o$142b2o14bo$156b3o195b2o$189b2o40b2o120bo
bo$189b2o40b2o5b2o113bo18b2obo$176b2o60b2o112b2o18b2ob3o$177bo38bo161b
o$177bobo36b3o153b2ob3o$178b2o39bo16b2o135bobo$174b2o42b2o16b2o135bobo
$139b2o33b2o66b2o130bo31bo$140bo101b2o160b3o$140bobo15b2o243bo$141b2o
15b2o243b2o$417b2o$362b2o24b2o27b2o$362b2o24bo$187b2o200b3o$187b2o202b
o31b2o$180b2o241b2o$179bo2bo15b2o219b2o$180b2o15bo2bo218b2o$197bobo23b
2o$198bo20bo3b2o165b2ob2o$218bobo24b2o143bo3bo$159b2o56bobo14b3o8bo
109b2o34b3o30b2o$159bobo55bo16bo8bobo44bo39bo24b2o32bobo32b2o$161bo54b
2o15b2o8b2o45b3o35b3o58b2o$161b2o130bo33bo$180b2o110b2o33b2o24b2o$180b
2o171b2o$273bo42bo23b2o$254b2o17b3o38b3o24bo$143b2o102b2o6bo20bo36bo
27bobo$142bobo102bo6bo20b2o11b2o23b2o27b2o46bo$142bo102bobo6b2o32b2o
48b2o50b3o$141b2o102b2o91b2o53bo$140bo251b2o$140b3o$143bo88b2o$142b2o
87bobo$231bo25b2o66b2o$230b2o25b2o65bo2bo$325b2o24b2o$300b2o49b2o29b2o
$301bo42b2o36b2o$140b2o92b2o62b3o8b2o17b2o13bo2bo$140b2o91bobo62bo11bo
17bo15b2o$164b2o67bo4b2o67b3o19b3o39bo$164bobo65b2o5bo27b2o38bo23bo38b
obo46b2o$166bo69b3o5bo23bo101b2o24b2o21b2o24b2o$166b2o68bo6bobo19b3o
20b2o89b2o16bo15b2o31bo$244bo20bo22bo90bo14b3o16b2o31bobo$289b3o88bo
13bo52bobo$291bo87b2o67bo3b2o$306bob2o34b2o69b2o35b2o$306b2obo34b2o62b
2o5b2o$150b2o256b2o$151bo163b2o$151b3o161b2o7$169bo$167b3o$166bo116bo$
150b2o14b2o113b3o$150b2o128bo26b2o$280b2o26bo$265b2o41bobo$266bo42b2o$
266bobo$267b2o10bo$278bobo$278bobo$279bo4b2o$267b2o15bobo$266bobo17bo$
266bo19b2o$149b2o8b2o3b2o99b2o25b2o88bo$148bobo8bo4b2o126bo49bo37b3o$
148bo8b3o130bobo10b2o35b3o36bo$147b2o141b2o11b2o34bo39b2o$166bo172b2o$
165bobo287b2o$166bo109b2o135b2o14bo25bo$167b3o106b2o30b2o78b2o24bo14b
3o21bobo$169bo138b2o79bo13b2o6b3o18bo20b2o$304b2o83bobo11b2o6bo19b2o$
304b2o84b2o$461b2o$159b2o187b2o112bo$159b2o149b2o36b2o112bobo$310b2o
13b2o136b2o$324bobo$150b2o112b2o58bo96b2o$150b2o113bo57b2o10b2o84b2o$
185b2o78bobo68bo$185b2o79b2o65b3o9b2o32b2o$333bo11bo20b2o11b2o$346bo
20bo$151b2o192b2o17b3o$152bo211bo53b2o32b2o$149b3o3b2o261bo20b2o11b2o$
149bo4bobo226b2o14b2o3b2o13bo20bo$154bo229bo15bo3bo13b2o17b3o$153b2o
226b3o13b3o5b3o29bo$152bo228bo15bo9bo$152b3o25b2o274b2o$155bo24bo276bo
$154b2o25b3o83b2o15b2o118bo49b3o$183bo83b2o15bobo105bo11b3o47bo$73bo
185b2o25bo103b3o14bo$73b3o79b2o19b2o82bo25b2o86bo14bo16b2o52bo$76bo78b
2o19b2o82bobo111b3o12b2o69b3o$75b2o184b2o114bo52bo32bo$376b2o50b3o13bo
17b2o$361b2o64bo16b3o$361b2o5b2o57b2o18bo$173b2o105bo51bo35b2o7b2o67b
2o$173bobo102b3o51b3o7b2o33b2o17b2o$66bo108bo101bo57bo6bo3b2o48b2o$66b
3o23b2o81b2o100b2o20bo34b2o4bobo4bo18b2o$69bo21bo2bo188bo15b3o38b2o5bo
bo16b2o$68b2o22b2o64b2o121b3o18bo45b2o22b2o$159bo8b2o110bo20b2o11b2o
56b2o$159b3o6bo111b2o32b2o120b2o$169b3o221b2o41b2o$171bo221bo19b2o$
143bo251bo16bobo59b2o$143b3o248b2o16bo61b2o$146bo243b2o19b2o10b2o$78b
2o65b2o136b2o105bo33bo$78b2o184b2o17b2o106b3o27b3o9b2o$264b2o127bo27bo
11bo19b2o$170bo263bo17bobo$168b3o262b2o17bo$167bo95b2o186b2o$142b2o23b
2o95bo$142bo2b2o114b3o12b2o50b2o$143b2obo114bo14bo16b2o34bo$144bo132b
3o14bo31b3o3bob2o$70b2o72bo134bo11b3o20b2o10bo2b4ob2o44b2o$65b2o2bo2bo
70b2obob2o18b2o121bo22bo14bo50b2o$65bo4bobo69bo2b2ob2o18bobo144b3o13b
2ob2o2b2o6b2o$62b2obo5bo71bo26bo146bo14bobo4bo6bobo$63bobob2o75b3ob2o
20b2o160bo2b4o9bo$62bo2bo2bo77bobo184bobo2bobo7b2o113b2o$62b2o2bo4bo
76bo185bo4b2o123bo$67b5o75b2ob2o309b3o$149bobo45b2o262bo$66bob2o79bo
14b2o31b2o$66b2obo78b2o14bo$162b3o195b2o$195b2o40b2o120bobo$195b2o40b
2o5b2o113bo18b2obo$182b2o60b2o112b2o18b2ob3o$183bo38bo161bo$183bobo36b
3o153b2ob3o$184b2o39bo16b2o135bobo$180b2o42b2o16b2o135bobo$145b2o33b2o
66b2o130bo31bo$146bo101b2o160b3o$146bobo15b2o243bo$147b2o15b2o243b2o$
423b2o$368b2o24b2o27b2o$368b2o24bo$193b2o200b3o$193b2o202bo31b2o$186b
2o241b2o$185bo2bo15b2o219b2o$186b2o15bo2bo218b2o$203bobo23b2o$204bo20b
o3b2o165b2ob2o$224bobo24b2o143bo3bo$165b2o56bobo14b3o8bo109b2o34b3o30b
2o$165bobo55bo16bo8bobo44bo39bo24b2o32bobo32b2o$167bo54b2o15b2o8b2o45b
3o35b3o58b2o$167b2o130bo33bo$186b2o110b2o33b2o24b2o$186b2o171b2o$279bo
42bo23b2o$260b2o17b3o38b3o24bo$149b2o102b2o6bo20bo36bo27bobo$148bobo
102bo6bo20b2o11b2o23b2o27b2o46bo$148bo102bobo6b2o32b2o48b2o50b3o$147b
2o102b2o91b2o53bo$146bo251b2o$146b3o$149bo88b2o$148b2o87bobo$237bo25b
2o66b2o$236b2o25b2o65bo2bo$331b2o24b2o$306b2o49b2o29b2o$307bo42b2o36b
2o$146b2o92b2o62b3o8b2o17b2o13bo2bo$146b2o91bobo62bo11bo17bo15b2o$170b
2o67bo4b2o67b3o19b3o39bo$170bobo65b2o5bo27b2o38bo23bo38bobo46b2o$172bo
69b3o5bo23bo101b2o24b2o21b2o24b2o$172b2o68bo6bobo19b3o20b2o89b2o16bo
15b2o31bo$250bo20bo22bo90bo14b3o16b2o31bobo$295b3o88bo13bo52bobo$297bo
87b2o67bo3b2o$312bob2o34b2o69b2o35b2o$312b2obo34b2o62b2o5b2o$156b2o
256b2o$157bo163b2o$157b3o161b2o7$175bo$173b3o$172bo116bo$156b2o14b2o
113b3o$156b2o128bo26b2o$286b2o26bo$271b2o41bobo$272bo42b2o$272bobo$
273b2o10bo$284bobo$284bobo$285bo4b2o$273b2o15bobo$272bobo17bo$272bo19b
2o$155b2o8b2o3b2o99b2o25b2o88bo$154bobo8bo4b2o126bo49bo37b3o$154bo8b3o
130bobo10b2o35b3o36bo$153b2o141b2o11b2o34bo39b2o$172bo172b2o$171bobo
287b2o$172bo109b2o135b2o14bo25bo$173b3o106b2o30b2o78b2o24bo14b3o21bobo
$175bo138b2o79bo13b2o6b3o18bo20b2o$310b2o83bobo11b2o6bo19b2o$310b2o84b
2o$467b2o$165b2o187b2o112bo$165b2o149b2o36b2o112bobo$316b2o13b2o136b2o
$330bobo$156b2o112b2o58bo96b2o$156b2o113bo57b2o10b2o84b2o$191b2o78bobo
68bo$191b2o79b2o65b3o9b2o32b2o$339bo11bo20b2o11b2o$352bo20bo$157b2o
192b2o17b3o$158bo211bo53b2o32b2o$155b3o3b2o261bo20b2o11b2o$155bo4bobo
226b2o14b2o3b2o13bo20bo$160bo229bo15bo3bo13b2o17b3o$159b2o226b3o13b3o
5b3o29bo$158bo228bo15bo9bo$158b3o25b2o274b2o$161bo24bo276bo$160b2o25b
3o83b2o15b2o118bo49b3o$189bo83b2o15bobo105bo11b3o47bo$265b2o25bo103b3o
14bo$161b2o19b2o82bo25b2o86bo14bo16b2o52bo$161b2o19b2o82bobo111b3o12b
2o69b3o$267b2o114bo52bo32bo$382b2o50b3o13bo17b2o$367b2o64bo16b3o$367b
2o5b2o57b2o18bo$179b2o105bo51bo35b2o7b2o67b2o$179bobo102b3o51b3o7b2o
33b2o17b2o$181bo101bo57bo6bo3b2o48b2o$181b2o100b2o20bo34b2o4bobo4bo18b
2o$289bo15b3o38b2o5bobo16b2o$164b2o121b3o18bo45b2o22b2o$165bo8b2o110bo
20b2o11b2o56b2o$165b3o6bo111b2o32b2o120b2o$175b3o221b2o41b2o$177bo221b
o19b2o$149bo251bo16bobo59b2o$149b3o248b2o16bo61b2o$152bo243b2o19b2o10b
2o$151b2o136b2o105bo33bo$270b2o17b2o106b3o27b3o9b2o$270b2o127bo27bo11b
o19b2o$176bo263bo17bobo$174b3o262b2o17bo$173bo95b2o186b2o$148b2o23b2o
95bo$148bo2b2o114b3o12b2o50b2o$149b2obo114bo14bo16b2o34bo$150bo132b3o
14bo31b3o3bob2o$150bo134bo11b3o20b2o10bo2b4ob2o44b2o$149b2obob2o18b2o
121bo22bo14bo50b2o$148bo2b2ob2o18bobo144b3o13b2ob2o2b2o6b2o$149bo26bo
146bo14bobo4bo6bobo$150b3ob2o20b2o160bo2b4o9bo$152bobo184bobo2bobo7b2o
113b2o$154bo185bo4b2o123bo$42bo110b2ob2o309b3o$42b3o110bobo45b2o262bo$
45bo109bo14b2o31b2o$44b2o108b2o14bo$168b3o195b2o$201b2o40b2o120bobo$
201b2o40b2o5b2o113bo18b2obo$188b2o60b2o112b2o18b2ob3o$189bo38bo161bo$
35bo153bobo36b3o153b2ob3o$35b3o23b2o127b2o39bo16b2o135bobo$38bo21bo2bo
122b2o42b2o16b2o135bobo$37b2o22b2o88b2o33b2o66b2o130bo31bo$152bo101b2o
160b3o$152bobo15b2o243bo$153b2o15b2o243b2o$429b2o$374b2o24b2o27b2o$
374b2o24bo$199b2o200b3o$47b2o150b2o202bo31b2o$47b2o143b2o241b2o$191bo
2bo15b2o219b2o$192b2o15bo2bo218b2o$209bobo23b2o$210bo20bo3b2o165b2ob2o
$230bobo24b2o143bo3bo$171b2o56bobo14b3o8bo109b2o34b3o30b2o$171bobo55bo
16bo8bobo44bo39bo24b2o32bobo32b2o$173bo54b2o15b2o8b2o45b3o35b3o58b2o$
39b2o132b2o130bo33bo$34b2o2bo2bo150b2o110b2o33b2o24b2o$34bo4bobo150b2o
171b2o$31b2obo5bo244bo42bo23b2o$32bobob2o228b2o17b3o38b3o24bo$31bo2bo
2bo117b2o102b2o6bo20bo36bo27bobo$31b2o2bo4bo113bobo102bo6bo20b2o11b2o
23b2o27b2o46bo$36b5o113bo102bobo6b2o32b2o48b2o50b3o$153b2o102b2o91b2o
53bo$35bob2o113bo251b2o$35b2obo113b3o$155bo88b2o$154b2o87bobo$243bo25b
2o66b2o$242b2o25b2o65bo2bo$337b2o24b2o$312b2o49b2o29b2o$313bo42b2o36b
2o$152b2o92b2o62b3o8b2o17b2o13bo2bo$152b2o91bobo62bo11bo17bo15b2o$176b
2o67bo4b2o67b3o19b3o39bo$176bobo65b2o5bo27b2o38bo23bo38bobo46b2o$178bo
69b3o5bo23bo101b2o24b2o21b2o24b2o$178b2o68bo6bobo19b3o20b2o89b2o16bo
15b2o31bo$256bo20bo22bo90bo14b3o16b2o31bobo$301b3o88bo13bo52bobo$303bo
87b2o67bo3b2o$318bob2o34b2o69b2o35b2o$318b2obo34b2o62b2o5b2o$162b3o
255b2o$163bo163b2o$163b3o161b2o9$295bo$293b3o$292bo26b2o$292b2o26bo$
277b2o41bobo$278bo42b2o$278bobo$279b2o10bo$290bobo$290bobo$291bo4b2o$
279b2o15bobo$278bobo17bo$278bo19b2o$277b2o25b2o88bo$304bo49bo37b3o$
302bobo10b2o35b3o36bo$302b2o11b2o34bo39b2o$351b2o$467b2o$288b2o135b2o
14bo25bo$288b2o30b2o78b2o24bo14b3o21bobo$320b2o79bo13b2o6b3o18bo20b2o$
316b2o83bobo11b2o6bo19b2o$316b2o84b2o$473b2o$360b2o112bo$322b2o36b2o
112bobo$322b2o13b2o136b2o$336bobo$276b2o58bo96b2o$277bo57b2o10b2o84b2o
$277bobo68bo$278b2o65b3o9b2o32b2o$345bo11bo20b2o11b2o$358bo20bo$357b2o
17b3o$376bo53b2o32b2o$430bo20b2o11b2o$395b2o14b2o3b2o13bo20bo$396bo15b
o3bo13b2o17b3o$393b3o13b3o5b3o29bo$393bo15bo9bo$468b2o$469bo$279b2o15b
2o118bo49b3o$279b2o15bobo105bo11b3o47bo$271b2o25bo103b3o14bo$272bo25b
2o86bo14bo16b2o52bo$272bobo111b3o12b2o69b3o$273b2o114bo52bo32bo$388b2o
50b3o13bo17b2o$373b2o64bo16b3o$373b2o5b2o57b2o18bo$292bo51bo35b2o7b2o
67b2o$290b3o51b3o7b2o33b2o17b2o$289bo57bo6bo3b2o48b2o$289b2o20bo34b2o
4bobo4bo18b2o$295bo15b3o38b2o5bobo16b2o$293b3o18bo45b2o22b2o$292bo20b
2o11b2o56b2o$292b2o32b2o120b2o$405b2o41b2o$405bo19b2o$407bo16bobo59b2o
$406b2o16bo61b2o$402b2o19b2o10b2o$295b2o105bo33bo$276b2o17b2o106b3o27b
3o9b2o$276b2o127bo27bo11bo19b2o$446bo17bobo$445b2o17bo$275b2o186b2o$
276bo$273b3o12b2o50b2o$273bo14bo16b2o34bo$289b3o14bo31b3o3bob2o$291bo
11b3o20b2o10bo2b4ob2o44b2o$303bo22bo14bo50b2o$327b3o13b2ob2o2b2o6b2o$
329bo14bobo4bo6bobo$344bo2b4o9bo$345bobo2bobo7b2o113b2o$346bo4b2o123bo
$473b3o$473bo3$372b2o$371bobo$371bo18b2obo$370b2o18b2ob3o$396bo$390b2o
b3o$391bobo$391bobo$392bo5$380b2o$380b2o19$11bo$11b3o$14bo$13b2o6$4bo$
4b3o23b2o$7bo21bo2bo$6b2o22b2o8$16b2o$16b2o9$8b2o$3b2o2bo2bo$3bo4bobo$
2obo5bo$bobob2o$o2bo2bo$2o2bo4bo$5b5o2$4bob2o$4b2obo!

A summary of the Hersrch script for this search is in the Scripts discussion area: Sample Hersrch search script.

Anybody want to try their hand at building a similar chain of Herschel conduits to produce the line of gliders?

After that, the next step would be to find efficient cleanup gliders (and/or catalysts) for the ragged edges of the superstring, so that the gun can be fired again -- and maybe figure out the best way to use the superstring gun for lightspeed communication.

[calcyman]

A superstring with clean-burning ends can be constructed very easily:


(Is this what you're looking for?)

Code: Select all

x = 334, y = 29, rule = B3/S23
20boo295boo$20boo295boo14$14boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4b
oo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo
4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4b
oo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo$13boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4b
oo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo
4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4b
oo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo4boo$15bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5b
o5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo7$b
3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o
3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b
3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o3b3o
3b3o3b3o$obbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbo
bbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbo
bbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbo
bbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbo
bbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbobbo$3bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$3bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo
5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo5bo$obo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo
3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo
3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo
3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo
3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo3bobo!