Transparent object
In signal circuitry, a transparent object is one that is completely destroyed by the passing signal, then rebuilt. Often (though not always) it is associated with a transparent debris effect, when an active reaction destroys a still life, then later, having passed through the place occupied by still life, recreates the still life in its original position.
Many common objects have been found to be transparent in certain reactions. A brief list of examples include:
- The block in conduit 1, Fx77, BNE14T30, etc., as well as the specifically named transparent block reaction shown below.
- The beehive in RNE-19T84, one of the variants of SW-2, BRx46B, G-to-X, p76 pi-heptomino shuttle etc.
- The loaf in RF48H, HRx65R, Speed tunnel, Bandersnatch etc
The approximate frequency of a specific object being present in a specific location in a random soup is:[citation needed]
- Block: 1 in 500
- Blinker: 1 in 900; 1 in 450 if you don't care about phasing (but note that 2/3 of them will be as part of a complete or partial traffic light)
- Beehive: 1 in 1600
- Traffic light (as a whole): 1 in 5000; 1 in 2500 if you don't care about phasing
- Honey farm (as a whole): 1 in 6000
- Loaf, boat, tub, pond: 1 in 10000, 11000, 12000, 13000. Note that loaves have a common transparent reaction that is far more common than random chance.[citation needed]
These numbers correspond to the chance of a reaction leaving a transparent object in a large space; if the space is smaller, the assumption that the density of on cells is 0.0287 no longer holds, and the chance of a transparent object is higher.
Transparent block reaction
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The transparent block reaction is a certain reaction between a block and a B-heptomino in which the block reappears in its original place some time later, the reaction having effectively passed through it. It was found by David Buckingham in 1988. It has been used in some dependent Herschel conduits and in the gunstars. The reaction can also be usefully described as an interaction between a block and a Herschel great-grandparent, though an actual Herschel never appears in the sequence.
Still life keepers
Rarely, a transparent still life can have the unusual property of showing up even if it isn't there initally. A conduit which has a still life with this property is referred to as a keeper, which is a special type of factory.
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See also
- Transparent lane - for another use of the term "transparent".
- Bait