Just a quick question..

[Jackk]

Is there any way to non-destrutively test for a block? I was hoping to use such a thing in some circuitry I was developing.

Thanks in advance.

[triller]

A Heisenblock! What a concept.
I'm not much of a practitioner of stable technology, but I do know that Hershels have the curious property of rebuilding blocks (and other still lifes) that are destroyed in the wake of their passage. It might be possible (if it hasn't been done already) to engineer a sort of Y conduit such that if a block is present the hershel takes one path (rebuilding the block) and takes a different path if the block is absent.
From a periodic standpoint, what comes to mind is a queen bee shuttle, delimited by a block. The queen bee generates a beehive at the end of its throw. With a block delimiter, the block is perturbed for one generation, but reforms, and the beehive is destroyed. A solution might be to use a reaction to create a beehive adjacent to the block and then test for the beehive. If the block is there, the beehive is destroyed, leaving the block. If the block is absent, the beehive will remain.
Surely other possibilities exist.
triller

[Wojowu]

Not complete; glider escapes if there is no block, and there is traffic light as debris if there is block

Code: Select all

x = 37, y = 10, rule = B3/S23
2bo5b2o17bo$3o5b2o15b3o$obo22bobo$o24bo5$10b2o23b2o$10b2o23b2o!

[triller]

Here's a periodic rendition, testing for a block @ p240.

Code: Select all

#O Mark S. Walsh
#C Heisenblock2
#C Non-destructive block detector.
x = 207, y = 309, rule = B3/S23
65b2o$65b2o112bo$177b3o$52b2o122bo$52b2o122b2o6$52bo$51b3o$51b
3o10b5o$63bob3obo$49b2o3b2o8bo3bo$49b2o3b2o9b3o$66bo2$51b2o$51b
obo$50bo2b2o13bo$52b2o14bo$52b2o7bo5bobo$53bo7bobo2b2ob2o8b2o
$61b2o2bo5bo7b2o$47bo5bo14bo$47bo5bo11b2o3b2o$48bo3bo4b2o$49b
3o5b2o4$70b2o$70bo7b3o$66bo4b3o3bo3bo$47b2o7b2o9bo5bo2bo5bo$48b
o3b2o4b4o3b3o8bo5bo$45b3o4b2o2b2ob3o17bo$45bo10bo20bo3bo80bo20b
2o$78b3o81b3o17bo$79bo85bo15bo12b2o$84bo79b2o5b2o8bo7bo4b2o$63b
2o17bobo86b2o8bo8b2o5b2o$63b2o16bobo98bo4b2o2bo5b3o5b2o$80bo2b
o11b2o86b2ob5o6b2o6b2o$73b2o6bobo11b2o92bo4b2o$73b2o7bobo109b
2o$84bo$64bo116bo$62b2ob2o113bo$164b2o3b2o9b3o$61bo5bo98b3o$165b
o3bo$61b2obob2o98bobo$167bo17b2o3bo2bo3b2o$175b3o7b5o4b5o$159b
obo15bo7b2o3bo2bo3b2o$154bo4bo2bo11b3o$155b2o5b2o$150b2o8bo3b
2o$61b2o87b2o10b2o$62bo96bo2bo$59b3o97bobo$59bo20$79bo2b2o4b2o
2bo$78bo3b3o2b3o3bo$79bo2b2o4b2o2bo3$95bo$94b3o3$94b3o2$94bob
o45bobo$94bobo45b2o$143bo$94b3o3$94b3o$95bo6$130b2o$130b2o5$125b
3o$125bo$126bo6$91bo$90bobo3$90b3o$90b3o$91bo3$91bo$90b3o74b2o
$90b3o74b2o$73b2o25b2o$74bo26b2o$74bob2o3b2o7bobo7bo$75bo3bo3b
o7bo61b2o$84bo67b2o$77bo2bo3bo69bo$73bo4bo5bo$72b3o4bo3bo$81b
2o81b2obob2o2$72b3o89bo5bo2$72bobo90b2ob2o$72bobo92bo2$72b3o2$
55b2o112b2o$56bo15b3o94bo$56bobo9bo4bo96b3o11b2o$57b2o8bobo102b
o9bo2bo$66bo3b2o$55bo10bo3b2o109bo$55bo10bo3b2o$54b3o10bobo112b
2o$68bo115bo2$54b3o$55bo125b2o3b2o$55bo125b2o3b2o$55bo126b5o$
55bo127bobo$54b3o$183b3o$37b2o$38bo15b3o$38bobo5bo8bo$39b2o3b
obo8bo$43bobo140b2o$42bo2bo140bo$43bobo141b3o$44bobo130b2o10b
o$46bo131b2o$32b2o143bo$33bo$33bobo7b2o$34b2o6bobo$41b3o4b2o4b
o$40b3o4bo2b2obobo$41b3o4b3obo3bo9b2o$42bobo4b2obo3bo9b2o$43b
2o6b2o3bo$28bo24bobo$28b3o23bo$31bo16b3o$30b2o18bo$49bo5$41b2o
$32b3o5bobo$31bo3bo6bo$30bo5bo21b2o56b2o$30bo5bo20b2o56bobo$59b
o57bo$36bo$35b2o$35b2o43b2o$33bo2b2o42b2o$34bobo$34b2o3$32b2o
3b2o$32b2o3b2o2$34b3o$34b3o$35bo$79b5o$78bob3obo$79bo3bo21bo$
80b3o20b3o$81bo20bo$34b2o43b2o5bo15b2o$34b2o42bobo4b2o$78bobo
4bobo$79bo3$76b2obob2o$76bo5bo2b2o10b2o3b2o$77bo3bo3b2o6b2o3b
5o$78b3o11b2o4b2ob2o$94bo3b2ob2o$99b3o4$76b2o39b2o$77bo19b3o18b
2o$74b3o20b3o17bo$74bo21bo3bo$95bo5bo$96bo3bo$72b2o23b3o$72bo
$63bo6bobo$63bobo4b2o$46b2o18b2o$44bo3bo17b2o$38b2o3bo5bo16b2o
$38b2o2b2obo3bo8bo4bobo$43bo5bo9bo3bo31b2o$44bo3bo5bo2b3o36bo
$46b2o45b3o$93bo4$66bo$64bobo$65b2o2$62b2o22b2o$53b3o6b2o22bo
$55bo23bo4bobo$54bo23b4ob3o$61b2o14b2obob2o$61bo2bo11b3obo2bo
$65bo5b2o4b2obobo$65bo5b2o5b4o$65bo5bo7bo$54b2o5bo2bo$53bobo5b
2o$53bo$52b2o5$74b2o10bo4bo$74b2o2b2o5b2o4b2o$78bobo3bo8bo$79b
o5b3o2b3o$87bo2bo$76b2o$77bo$74b3o7b2o6b2o$47b2o25bo8bo2bo4bo
2bo$33b2o11bo3bo32bo2bo4bo2bo$33b2o10bo5bo3b2o26bo2bo4bo2bo$45b
o3bob2o2b2o27b2o6b2o$45bo5bo$11bo6bo27bo3bo$10b2o6b2o10b2o15b
2o$9b3o6b3o10b2o$10b2o6b2o10bo$11bo6bo2$38b3o$37bo3bo$23bo$23b
2o11bo5bo$22bobo11b2o3b2o$13bo$12bobo$2o9bo3b2o8bo$2o9bo3b2o5b
4o$11bo3b2o4b4o9b2o$12bobo6bo2bo9b2o5b2o$13bo7b4o5bo10bo$22b4o
4bo11b3o$25bo18bo!

enjoy,
triller

[Jackk]

Thanks! It seems that it would be more complicated than I had first thought, though.

[triller]

It seems that it would be more complicated than I had first thought, though

Without knowing your intended application, it's hard to recommend an optimization.
Considerations of recovery time, available space, etc., all come into play.
The module shown has the positive aspect of developing the beehive and detecting glider from a single glider input.
The cost is 2 fanouts, 3 pushers, and 4 (mostly) different 90 deg. reflectors to obtain the salvo. The downside is that this takes space.
A continuous sensing salvo could easily and more compactly be constructed from 3 p60 guns and a buckaroo.
And surely experimentation will render other reactions that will achieve the desired end. However it's done though, the reacting components need to be developed and delivered to the point of sensing.
I've long held that there's always a way (though maybe not the one you'd prefer).

triller

[Jackk]

I found a reasonably compact way to do it, using this reaction:

Code: Select all

x = 4, y = 8, rule = B3/S23
2o$2o4$3o$bo$b3o!

If you then put some catalysts behind the block, you get get a glider if the block isn't there:

Code: Select all

x = 19, y = 18, rule = LifeHistory
10.2A$9.B2A2B$10.4B.B$5.2D2.9B$4.B2D11B$4.13B2A$4.11B.B2A$4.10B3.B$4.
B3C4B$4.2BC.3B$4.2B3C2B$4.6B$3.7B$2.7B$5B.3B$4B3.B$.2B$F!

If you put the block back in, the Herschel does not release the glider.

Now I just need some way of periodically producing Herschels...