I'm still having trouble figuring out where to start poking at this rule's depth. I only have some census-y remarks:
Objects and names
Blam & blamshell
Code: Select all
x = 3, y = 3, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
bo$3o$bo!
Renaming this one to "blam" instead of bam ("blam" sounds sillier and also easier to conceive of as a name). I'm the only person who's ever used bam, so I went through this thread and edited all my former uses. The diamond it creates can be a "blamshell" (like clamshell).
(I also have to fix the conduit collection to use "B" rather than "X" so that we can reserve X for "any signal")
Pi
Rhombicubocta wrote: August 10th, 2026, 9:40 am
The p137 from catagolue can be broken into parts. I think that weird pi-shaped nonomino could be useful as a signal for conduits.
We already can convert to it and back from the x via parts from the p137 oscillator.
Code:
Select all
x = 83, y = 27, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8History
57.A17.A$56.A.A15.A.A$55.A3.A13.A3.A$15.B38.A5.A11.A5.A$14.3B36.A7.A
9.A7.A$13.5B34.A9.A7.A9.A$12.2BDBD2B32.A11.A5.A11.A$11.3BDBD3B30.A13.
A3.A13.A$10.4BDBD4B30.A11.A2.B2.A11.A$9.5B3D5B30.A9.A2.3B2.A9.A$8.15B
30.A7.A2.5B2.A7.A$9.13B32.A5.A2.2BEBE2B2.A5.A$7.A2.11B2.A31.A3.A2.3BE
BE3B2.A3.A$6.A.A2.9B2.A.A31.A.A2.4BEBE4B2.A.A$5.A3.A2.7B2.A3.A31.A2.
5B3E5B2.A$4.A5.A2.2BE2B2.A5.A32.15B$3.A7.A2.3E2.A7.A31.15B$2.A9.A2.E
2.A9.A31.13B$.A11.A3.A11.A31.5BD5B$A13.A.A13.A31.3B3D3B$.A11.A3.A11.A
33.3BD3B$2.A9.A5.A9.A35.5B$3.A7.A7.A7.A37.3B$4.A5.A9.A5.A39.B$5.A3.A
11.A3.A$6.A.A13.A.A$7.A15.A!
Good instinct. I don't mind calling this one this rule's pi. It's also the engine of most of the 2c/5 stuff in the spaceship stamp collection (even the ones that don't use it verbatim have the same frontend as it):
Code: Select all
x = 75, y = 15, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8History
3A60.3A6.3A$A.A60.A.A6.A.A$A.A60.A.A6.A.A$A.A60.A.A6.A.A5$.3A60.3A4.3A
$A3.A58.A3.A2.A3.A2$A.A.A58.A.A.A2.A.A.A$2.A62.A6.A$.3A60.3A4.3A$2.A62.
A6.A!
The small 3c/6 turns out to arise very frequently from D4_+1 symmetry. It surprised me how easily it arose from this (bad) random partial's debris:
Code: Select all
x = 13, y = 54, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
5bo4bo$4bobo2bobo$3bobob2obobo$5bo4bo$5bob2obo2$5b2ob2o$6bo$5b2o2$5b2o
2$5bobo$6bobo$5b3obo$7bo$5b2o$6bo$5b3o2$3bobobobo$2bobo3bobo$bob7obo$
3bo5bo$4bobobo$5bobo$4b5o2$4bobobo$b3o2bo2b3o$bobobobobobo$bob7obo$3b
o5bo$2b3o3b3o3$b3o5b3o3$b3o5b3o$3bo5bo$b4obob4o$3bobobobo$b3ob3ob3o$3b
o5bo$bob7obo$2bo3bo3bo$2b2ob3ob2o2$3bo5bo$4bo3bo$bob2obob2obo$13o$b5o
b5o!
From Catagolue it seems it makes up 0.003% of C1 objects but 0.03% of D4_+1 objects. The latter figure is definitely inflated by soups where it forms instantly at one of the edges, but it tells us that any reaction that naturally develops D4_+1 symmetry is amenable to producing a 3c/6, right? I wonder if a 'direct' (elementary?) gun for it that works similarly to these...? Not actually via the same mechanism, of course:
M. I. Wright wrote: June 22nd, 2025, 12:12 am
Code:
Select all
x = 202, y = 192, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8History
32.2D3.D79.D2.D3.2D58.2D4.2D$31.D2.D2.D79.D2.D2.D2.D56.D2.D2.D2.D$34.
D2.D79.D2.D2.D2.D56.D2.D5.D$33.D3.D79.4D2.D2.D57.3D4.D$32.D4.D82.D2.D
2.D59.D3.D$31.D5.D82.D2.D2.D56.D2.D2.D$31.4D2.D82.D3.2D58.2D3.4D8$25D
$D23.D$D23.D158.2A5.2A$D23.D157.A2.A3.A2.A$D23.D156.A2.A5.A2.A$D4.2A
17.D39.2A116.2A3.A3.2A$D3.A2.A16.D38.A2.A119.A.A$D2.A2.A12.2A3.D39.A
2.A117.A3.A$D2.A.A2.A9.A2.A2.D37.A2.A.A41.2A26.2A47.A.A$D3.A2.3A7.A2.
A3.D22.2A12.3A2.A41.A2.A24.A2.A47.A$D2.A.A2.A9.2A4.D21.A2.A12.A2.A.A
39.A2.A26.A2.A34.A23.A$D2.A2.A17.D20.A2.A15.A2.A39.A.A2.A22.A2.A.A33.
A.A21.A.A$D3.A2.A16.D20.A.A2.A12.A2.A41.A2.3A20.3A2.A33.A2.A21.A2.A$D
4.2A17.D21.A2.3A12.2A41.A.A2.A22.A2.A.A32.A.A23.A.A$D23.D20.A.A2.A56.
A2.A26.A2.A33.A25.A$D23.D20.A2.A59.A2.A24.A2.A$D23.D21.A2.A59.2A26.2A
$25D22.2A$174.A25.A$173.A.A23.A.A$173.A2.A21.A2.A$174.A.A21.A.A$175.A
23.A$187.A$4.2A15.2A163.A.A$3.A2.A13.A2.A161.A3.A$2.A2.A15.A2.A161.A.
A$2.A.A2.A11.A2.A.A41.2A114.2A3.A3.2A$3.A2.3A9.3A2.A41.A2.A112.A2.A5.
A2.A$2.A.A2.A11.A2.A.A23.2A16.A2.A112.A2.A3.A2.A$2.A2.A15.A2.A22.A2.A
13.A2.A.A113.2A5.2A$3.A2.A13.A2.A22.A2.A13.3A2.A$4.2A15.2A23.A.A2.A
12.A2.A.A$47.A2.3A13.A2.A$46.A.A2.A13.A2.A$46.A2.A16.2A$47.A2.A$48.2A
5$4.2A16.2A$3.A2.A14.A2.A$2.A2.A16.A2.A$2.A.A2.A12.A2.A.A$3.A2.3A10.
3A2.A$2.A.A2.A12.A2.A.A32.2A.2A$2.A2.A16.A2.A31.A2.A2.A$3.A2.A14.A2.A
31.A2.A.A2.A$4.2A16.2A32.A.A3.A.A$57.A2.A2.A$59.3A$60.A3$47.2A$46.A2.
A$45.A2.A$45.A.A2.A$46.A2.3A$15.A29.A.A2.A$14.A.A28.A2.A$13.A2.A29.A
2.A$13.A.A31.2A$4.2A8.A8.2A$3.A2.A15.A2.A$2.A2.A17.A2.A$2.A.A2.A13.A
2.A.A$3.A2.3A11.3A2.A$2.A.A2.A13.A2.A.A$2.A2.A17.A2.A$3.A2.A7.A7.A2.A
$4.2A7.A.A7.2A$13.A2.A$14.A.A39.2A.2A$15.A39.A2.A2.A$54.A2.A.A2.A$54.
A.A3.A.A$55.A2.A2.A$57.3A$58.A2$47.2A$46.A2.A$45.A2.A$45.A.A2.A$4.2A
18.2A20.A2.3A$3.A2.A16.A2.A18.A.A2.A$2.A2.A18.A2.A17.A2.A$2.A.A2.A14.
A2.A.A18.A2.A$3.A2.3A12.3A2.A20.2A$2.A.A2.A14.A2.A.A$2.A2.A18.A2.A$3.
A2.A16.A2.A$4.2A18.2A5$60.2A.2A$59.A2.A2.A$4.2A19.2A31.A2.A.A2.A$3.A
2.A17.A2.A30.A.A3.A.A$2.A2.A19.A2.A30.A2.A2.A$2.A.A2.A15.A2.A.A32.3A$
3.A2.3A13.3A2.A34.A$2.A.A2.A15.A2.A.A$2.A2.A19.A2.A19.2A$3.A2.A17.A2.
A19.A2.A$4.2A19.2A19.A2.A$46.A.A2.2A$47.A2.A.A$46.A.A2.2A$16.A29.A2.A
$15.A.A29.A2.A$14.A2.A30.2A$14.A.A$4.2A9.A11.2A$3.A2.A19.A2.A$2.A2.A
21.A2.A$2.A.A2.A17.A2.A.A$3.A2.3A15.3A2.A$2.A.A2.A17.A2.A.A$2.A2.A21.
A2.A$3.A2.A19.A2.A$4.2A9.A11.2A$14.A.A$14.A2.A38.D$15.A.A34.2D2.2D2.
3D$16.A34.D2.D.D2.D$51.4D.D2.D$51.D4.D2.D$52.3D2.D2.3D6$4.2A22.2A$3.A
2.A20.A2.A$2.A2.A22.A2.A$2.A.A2.A18.A2.A.A$3.A2.3A16.3A2.A$2.A.A2.A
18.A2.A.A$2.A2.A22.A2.A$3.A2.A20.A2.A$4.2A22.2A6$18.A$17.A.A$16.A2.A$
4.2A10.A.A10.2A$3.A2.A10.A10.A2.A$2.A2.A23.A2.A$2.A.A2.A19.A2.A.A$3.A
2.3A17.3A2.A$2.A.A2.A19.A2.A.A$2.A2.A23.A2.A$3.A2.A10.A10.A2.A$4.2A
10.A.A10.2A$16.A2.A$17.A.A$18.A5$16.D$12.2D2.2D2.3D$11.D2.D.D2.D$11.
4D.D2.D$11.D4.D2.D$12.3D2.D2.3D!
This is far from an exhaustive enumeration of p21s. [...]
(I don't know if it's a fair/sound comparison in the least, but Life has the LWSS make up 0.13% of C1 objects and MWSS 0.003%, and of course there are direct guns for those)
One common source of the 3c/6 is this object, for which the name "catamaran" comes to mind:
Code: Select all
x = 14, y = 74, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
6b3o$5bo2bo$4bo3b3o$3bo6bo$2bo7bo$2bo6bo$2b3o3bo$4bo2bo$4b3o57$4b3o$3b
o2bo$2bo3b3o$bo6bo$o7bo4bo$o6bo5bo$3o3bo6bo$2bo2bo$2b3o!
All the blinker is doing is deleting one of the blams that would otherwise appear by gen 14. Maybe if an X->catamaran exists and the blinker can be replaced by something stable we'd have a compact 3c/6 gun (even if it's not "direct")?
EDIT: I think I misnamed/misidentified the catamaran. Really it's preceded most commonly by a pattern like this or a predecessor of it I can't recall right now:
Code: Select all
x = 7, y = 7, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
3o$o2bo$obobo$bo3bo$2bo3bo$3bobo$4bo!
yyh_baboon wrote: August 10th, 2026, 9:40 am
U->D:
Code: Select all
x = 53, y = 35, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8History
29.2A6.A$15.E12.A2.A4.A.A$14.E.E10.A2.A5.A2.A$14.E.E11.2A7.A.A$14.3E21.
A15$49.2A$.2A45.A2.A$A2.A45.A2.A$.A2.A45.2A$2.2A8$33.5D$33.D3.D$33.D3.
D$34.3D!
[[ STOP 436 ]]
D->D:(seems trackable?)
Code: Select all
x = 32, y = 39, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8History
10.A$9.A.A$9.A2.A$10.A.A$11.A21$9.5E$9.E3.E$9.E3.E$10.3E6$.3D25.2A$D2.
D24.A2.A$D2.D23.A2.A$D2.D24.2A$.3D!
[[ STOP 98 ]]
Nice! I can't get the D track to work out either, but these seem like encouraging first results. As for the D, I've noticed that it very frequently runs through this predecessor:
Code: Select all
x = 6, y = 5, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
3bo$4bo$6o$4bo$3bo!
Like at the [[ STOP ]] I added to those RLEs or this soup:
Code: Select all
x = 31, y = 31, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
4o2b2o4b2o3b2o4b2o2b4o$2o6b2ob2o2bo2b2ob2o6b2o$ob2ob6o2b5o2b6ob2obo$3o
5b3o9b3o5b3o$3bo2b2o2bobob3obobo2b2o2bo$b3o2bo4bobo3bobo4bo2b3o$3bobob
o2b3o2bo2b3o2bobobo$2b2ob2o2bo3bo3bo3bo2b2ob2o$2b3ob3o5bobo5b3ob3o$obo
4b4obo2bo2bob4o4bobo$3b4ob4obo3bob4ob4o$3obo3bo2b2ob3ob2o2bo3bob3o$3ob
4o3b3obob3o3b4ob3o$o7b2o3bo3bo3b2o7bo$o4b5obobo3bobob5o4bo$6b2o2b3o5b
3o2b2o$o4b5obobo3bobob5o4bo$o7b2o3bo3bo3b2o7bo$3ob4o3b3obob3o3b4ob3o$
3obo3bo2b2ob3ob2o2bo3bob3o$3b4ob4obo3bob4ob4o$obo4b4obo2bo2bob4o4bobo$
2b3ob3o5bobo5b3ob3o$2b2ob2o2bo3bo3bo3bo2b2ob2o$3bobobo2b3o2bo2b3o2bobo
bo$b3o2bo4bobo3bobo4bo2b3o$3bo2b2o2bobob3obobo2b2o2bo$3o5b3o9b3o5b3o$o
b2ob6o2b5o2b6ob2obo$2o6b2ob2o2bo2b2ob2o6b2o$4o2b2o4b2o3b2o4b2o2b4o!
[[ STOP 443 ]]
The only D in this thread that doesn't pass through that arrow is in the p96 oscillator Silversmith completed. Not sure if an arrow-related name is perhaps justified, or if the p96 makes that illogical.
Meanwhile I *think* (haven't double-checked) that the U is named/identified at the right generation.
Jar lid
Rhombicubocta wrote: August 10th, 2026, 9:40 am
I found out why this still life is so common. It can form from 2 whams.
Code:
Select all
x = 11, y = 11, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
7b3o$7bo2bo$7bo2bo$8b3o4$3o$o2bo$o2bo$b3o!
Been calling this SL a "jar lid". The wham-siamese-wick I initially noticed it arising from is also surprisingly common and appears with surprisingly long tails. (This:)
Code: Select all
x = 6, y = 5, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8History
A$.4A$2.A2.A$2.A2.A$3.3A!
The name "wigwham" came to mind for this, initialism "Ww" with the lowercase to avoid confusion, unless someone has a better name (most natural to me is "dirty wham" but that conflicts with the initialism "DW" for the two double-wham(my) variants)
Other names
These oscs/rotors and SL are common enough to deserve names, but I don't have any:
Code: Select all
x = 20, y = 36, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
2bo10bo$obo9b3o$ob2o8bobo$o3bo6bo3bo$bo3bo6bo3bo$2bobo8bobo$3bo10bo11$
13bo$12bobo$11bo3bo$12bo3bo$13bo3bo$14bo3bo$15bo3bo$16bobo$9b3o5bo$9bo
bo$3bo5b3o$2bobo$bo3bo$2bo3bo$3bo3bo$4bo3bo$5bo3bo$6bobo$7bo!
rabbit named the p17 "Narcissus" last year due to this phase:
Code: Select all
x = 7, y = 12, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
bo3bo$3bo$o5bo$bo3bo$2b3o3$2b3o$bo3bo$o5bo$3bo$bo3bo!
This SL looks like it should be named "cauldron", and I guess the osc is a wham stew or wham boil or something:
Code: Select all
x = 29, y = 29, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
23bo$22bobo$21bo3bo$20b3o3bo$19b3o5bo$18bobobo5bo$17bo5bobobo$18bo5b3o
$19bo3b3o$20bo3bo$21bobo$22bo2$19bo$18bobo$17bo3bo$16bo4bo$6bo8bo6bo$
5bobo6bo6bo$4bo3bo4bo8bo$3b3o3bo4bo6bo$2b3o5bo4b2obobo$bobobo5bo5bobo$
o5bobobo$bo5b3o$2bo3b3o$3bo3bo$4bobo$5bo!
I don't have any new finds here other than a p84 W-hassler mechanism I haven't seen/thought of before:
Code: Select all
x = 20, y = 50, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
7bo4bo$6bobo2bobo$5bo3b2o3bo$4bo4b2o4bo$3bo4bo2bo4bo$2bo4bo4bo4bo$bo4b
o6bo4bo$o4bo8bo4bo$bo4bo6bo4bo$2bo4bo4bo4bo$3bo4bo2bo4bo$4bo4b2o4bo$5b
o3b2o3bo$6bobo2bobo$7bo4bo9$8b3o$8bo2bo$8bo2bo$9b3o9$7bo4bo$6bobo2bobo
$5bo3b2o3bo$4bo4b2o4bo$3bo4bo2bo4bo$2bo4bo4bo4bo$bo4bo6bo4bo$o4bo8bo4b
o$bo4bo6bo4bo$2bo4bo4bo4bo$3bo4bo2bo4bo$4bo4b2o4bo$5bo3b2o3bo$6bobo2bo
bo$7bo4bo!
It strikes me that, were ships more common in this rule, TW-on-TW interactions would be producing them left and right. I tried a gencols search just to make sure and of course couldn't find a statorless gun. Presumably there are gajillions of statorless other-signal-generators, though. I wish I had a better idea of what this rule's circuitry would look like (p86-based? stable? Corderoids as signals or some smaller spaceship?)
I was looking for more magic-trick reactions than just the TW>B one we know of, and this soup:
Code: Select all
x = 16, y = 16, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8
b3obo3bo2b2o$bob3o2bob4o$ob2o2bo8bo$3o7bo$4obo2bob3o$2o5bo4b3o$5ob3obo
b2obo$4bo4bo2b2o$2b3obo2bobo2bo$2b3obo2b3obo$b2ob2obobobo3bo$o2b3o3b2o
bo2bo$3o3bobobo4bo$o4b3o4bo$obo2b2obo2bobo$b4ob2o3bo!
does it with this W predecessor:
Code: Select all
x = 53, y = 29, rule = B3air4aceirw567/S2-a3-aejr4cknqy5ejky8History
6.C6.C30.C6.C$9.C4.C32.C4.C$7.3C35.3C$4.2C36.2C$5.2C2.C33.2C2.C$6.C.
2C34.C.2C$6.C3.C33.C3.C$7.3C35.3C7$7.A38.3D$6.A.A36.D2.D$5.A3.A35.D2.
D$4.A5.A34.3D$3.A7.A$2.A9.A$.A11.A$A13.A$.A5.D5.A$2.A3.3D3.A$3.A3.D3.
A$4.A5.A$5.A3.A$6.A.A$7.A!
Sadly none of our X>W conduits pass through that exact W predecessor.
