On eaters as protecting groups

[Rhombic]

As a chemist, I find eaters to be very interesting, since they can be attached to otherwise unstable sections of a pattern to stabilise it (and thus create still lifes just by capping every single unstable point with an eater).
This is similar to the concept of protecting groups in chemistry, that can be removed easily later on.

Eaters coordinate very effectively, and in a very useful way, to dominoes:

Code: Select all

x = 10, y = 5, rule = B3/S23
2b2o$bobo4b2o$bo2b2o2bo$2o4bobo$6b2o!

Now, while that example seems a bit pointless, I think that for more useful structures where you want a domino to appear at some point (namely, when a glider takes the eater off), it is not so far-fetched to conceive it as a potential way to temporarily cap still life structures.

I am going to try to find a way to remove the eater on the following pattern with a glider, without causing immediate interference to the adjacent pattern (except that that would result of manually taking away the eater):

Code: Select all

x = 24, y = 24, rule = B3/S23
2b2o$bobo$bo2b2o$2o4bo$6bo$7b2o$9bo$9bo$10b2o$12bo$12bo$13b2o$15bo$15b
o$16b2o$18bo$18bo$19b2o$21bo$21bo$22b2o$23bo$20b3o$20bo!

Any ideas or comments are welcome.

[Rhombic]

Update: getting close

Code: Select all

x = 12, y = 12, rule = B3/S23
bo$2bo6bo$3o6bobo$9b2o2$6bo$4b3o$3bo$3b2o$10bo$9b2o$9bobo!

[BlinkerSpawn]

...except that NW-traveling glider in the second post is 2hd too far left and would interfere with the domino chain and the other eater.

[chris_c]

I am going to try to find a way to remove the eater on the following pattern with a glider, without causing immediate interference to the adjacent pattern.

I think this does the job after 8 generations:

Code: Select all

x = 29, y = 27, rule = B3/S23
2b2o$bobo$bo2b2o$2o4bo$6bo$7b2o$9bo$9bo$10b2o$12bo$12bo$13b2o$15bo$15b
o$16b2o$18bo$18bo9bo$19b2o5b2o$21bo5b2o$21bo$22b2o$23bo$20b3o$20bo$25b
3o$25bo$26bo!

[Rhombic]

I am going to try to find a way to remove the eater on the following pattern with a glider, without causing immediate interference to the adjacent pattern.

I think this does the job after 8 generations:

Code: Select all

x = 29, y = 27, rule = B3/S23
2b2o$bobo$bo2b2o$2o4bo$6bo$7b2o$9bo$9bo$10b2o$12bo$12bo$13b2o$15bo$15b
o$16b2o$18bo$18bo9bo$19b2o5b2o$21bo5b2o$21bo$22b2o$23bo$20b3o$20bo$25b
3o$25bo$26bo!

Beautiful! Let's see where this goes then.

[mniemiec]

Eaters coordinate very effectively, and in a very useful way, to dominoes: ...

Snakes and carriers can perform the same function, and are usually easier to construct.

Code: Select all

x = 10, y = 5, rule = B3/S23
ob2o$2obo$4b2o2b2o$6bo2bo$6b2o!

[Rhombic]

Snakes and carriers can perform the same function, and are usually easier to construct.

Code: Select all

x = 10, y = 5, rule = B3/S23
ob2o$2obo$4b2o2b2o$6bo2bo$6b2o!

That is true. However, removing them without interfering with the adjacent pattern is a bit more unlikely (as far as I have seen). I'll have a look now.

[Rhombic]

A still life: di-carrier-capped 3(1)2 hexomino protected by a beehive. A glider collides with the beehive, destroying it without directly attacking the other section of the still life. It then collapses after the beehive disappears.

Code: Select all

x = 13, y = 12, rule = B3/S23
3bo$4bo$2b3o2$6bo$5bobo$5bobo$6bo2$2o2b5o2b2o$o2bo2bo2bo2bo$2b2o5b2o!

[mniemiec]

A still life: di-carrier-capped 3(1)2 hexomino protected by a beehive. A glider collides with the beehive, destroying it without directly attacking the other section of the still life. It then collapses after the beehive disappears. ...

Such caps are easy to remove. Here are some other examples:

Code: Select all

x = 147, y = 50, rule = B3/S23
3bobbo16bobbo16bobbo16bobbo16bobbo16bobbo16bobbo16bobbo$3b4o16b4o16b4o
16b4o16b4o16b4o16b4o16b4o$$3boo18boo18boo18boo18boo18boo18boo18boo$3b
oo18bobo16bobbo17bobo17bo19bo19bobbo16bo$24bo18boo19boo18bo20bo19boo
19bo$boo23b3o32boo4boo14boo15b3oboo16boo21boo$obo23bo33bobo4bobo10bo5b
oo14bo18bobo$bbo24bo16boo16bo4bo12boo4bobo12bo21bo20bo$44bobo32bobo4bo
56boo$44bo98bobo$41boo$40bobo$42bo7$3boo3boo13boo3boo13boo3boo13boo3b
oo13boo3boo13boo3boo13boo3boo$3bobbobbo13bobbobbo13bobbobbo13bobbobbo
13bobbobbo13bobbobbo13bobbobbo$4b5o15b5o15b5o15b5o15b5o15b5o15b5o$$6bo
19bo19bo19bo19bo19bo19bo$5bobo17bobo17bobo17bobo16b3o18bobo17bobo$6bo
18boo19bobo16bobo15bo20bobbo16bobbo$28b3o16bo18bo16boobb3o15boo17bobo$
4booboo19bo39boo17bo13b3o21bo$3bobobobo19bo18boo18bobo17bo14bo17b3o$5b
obo40bobo17bo11boo20bo20bo$48bo32boo39bo$80bo8$3boo18boo$3bobbo16bobbo
$4b3o17b3o$$4boobo16boobo$4boboo15bobboo$23boo$3boo3b3o9boo6b3o$bbobo
3bo10bobo6bo$4bo4bo11bo7bo!