Generation:
Game of Life QR Code Challenge
Golqroc
- The Challenge
- Enter something (a "phrase") in the text field. The phrase is converted into a QR code.
- Press the button to start the game.
- With a bit of luck, the QR code will dissolve completely. The board turns completely white.
- The challenge is to find a phrase where this only happens after as many "generations" as possible, at least 1500.
What is behind it?
- What is a "phrase"?
- A phrase is any sequence of characters. These can be any letters, numbers, special characters etc.. Cyrillic, Greek or other characters are also possible.
- There are no limits to your imagination. You can enter names or a phone number, try your tax ID, an Internet address or the name of your favorite band. Or just any characters.
- What is a QR code?
- A QR code is a square matrix of light and dark fields in which characters (here: the phrase) are encoded. The QR code can be scanned with a smartphone and decoded again. Try it out for yourself.
- How does the QR code dissolve?
- The QR code does not dissolve randomly, but the process follows fixed, reproducible rules. The rules of the "Game of Life" are applied to the square cells.
- The "Game of Life" is a game in which living (black) and dead (white) cells live through a succession of generations.
- A living cell makes it to the next generation alive if two or three of its eight neighboring cells are also alive, otherwise it dies. Dead cells come to life in the next generation if exactly three of their neighboring cells are alive.
- You can find a colorful version of the "Game of Life" here.
- How do the buttons work?
- leads to the next generation (single steps).
- starts the automatic sequence at ten generations per second or resumes it after a pause.
- stops the sequence (pause).
- resets the QR code.
- Are there any phrases that lead to complete dissolution?
- Yes.
- Try "South Dakota", for example. This phrase leads to a resolution after 163 generations.
- What tips and tricks are there?
- Don't choose a phrase that is too long, then the chance of the QR code being fully resolved is greatest because the QR code remains small.
What else?
- More challenges
- Find a phrase in which the QR code dissolves after as few generations as possible, 40 at most.
- Find a phrase in which only a "glider" remains of the QR code after at least 1000 generations.
- Find a phrase in which only a "glider" remains of the QR code after a maximum of 20 generations.
- Find a phrase in which as many "sliders" as possible remain permanently from the QR code.
- Known high scores
- "Extrablau " (note the space at the end) only dissolves after 782 generations.
- "Erde" dissolves after just 51 generations.
- "Schipfl" leaves one glider only after 679 generations.
- "Schadé" leaves one glider after only 70 generations.
- "rocket man" leaves 2 gliders (after 23 generations).
- If you can beat or exceed these levels, send me the phrases. I will then update them here.