Chirality

Chirality is a term borrowed from chemistry to describe asymmetrical patterns with two distinct mirror-image orientations. One common use is in relation to Herschel transmitters, where the spacing between the two gliders in the tandem glider output can limit the receiver to a single chirality (see also Ambidextrous).

Sometimes a rule or a pattern is described as chiral when it has two distinct mirror-image orientations. The oscillator shown below is chiral.

x = 24, y = 7, rule = 23/34/8 2.GF16.FG$3.GE14.EG$3.2GD12.D2G$.D.GA14.AG.D$2AE2BA12.A2BE2A$ABDBA14.ABDBA$.3A16.3A! #C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]] #C [[ ZOOM 10 GPS 12 AUTOSTART ]]

A chiral oscillator in the rule 23/34/8 (click above to open LifeViewer)

External links

• Chirality at the Life Lexicon
• Rotation but no reflection (C4) MAP rules (discussion thread) at the ConwayLife.com forums