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Problematizing Code qua Life
(I actually only barely know what "problematizing" and "qua" mean, but I see them in philosophical stuff a lot, so I figured putting them in a heading would attract folks to this post.)
In various threads we've been struggling over what "code" means. Some folks seem to want to define it as linear strings of symbols that tell a machine what to do. Others aren't so stuck on the linear strings of symbols part. I think that we all agree that code is whatever it is that humans do to direct a machine do what the "coder" wants it to do., but that's a pretty general definition and ranges from Jacquard cards to Plug Boards to assembler, to Lisp to scratch to boxer to Claude Specs, to ... I'm actually pretty partial to this definition, vague as it is, but in think about this in various threads, I realized that under my nose my son was doing something pretty interesting that brought this whole question into stark relief.
My son is an aficionado of Life ... not life like living ... life like Conway's life. Now, I'm pretty sure that all of you know what Conway's life is, and if you don't, you probably know what wikipedia is, so I won't bother with explaining it. You probably also know that is was a computer ... game? toy? artifact? bobble? ... that was popular 50 years ago, and has pretty much burned out.
That's what I thought, too. But I was wrong! It's true that life based on the the pure Conway rule (B3S23) is mostly discovered out, but there are an infinitude of rules that create an infinitude of fascinating behaviors. You can see numerous of these by going to the Conway Life Forum subforum for "Other Cellular Automata":
https://conwaylife.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=11
Click on any post, and you'll see a multitude of different rules being explored. (It will run any rule + initial state for you by clicking on "Show in Viewer".
For example, this post:
https://conwaylife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1971&p=223561
has many very complex, and often beautiful, behaviors.
A simple rule can look like the standard life rule I mentioned above: B3S23, and can easily become more complex, for example: 2-p3m4p/23o6/3H [https://conwaylife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1971&p=223561#p223587]
Here's a more complex setup from [https://conwaylife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6956]:
#C By islptng: c/2o, 2c/5o, c/3o, c/4o, c/5o, (2,1)c/5
#C By H.H.P.M.P.Cole: c/6o, c/3d, c/4d, c/5d
#C By hibhscus: c/6d
x = 295, y = 139, rule = B2cik3-cijn4cknqr5-anqy6ekn7/S1c2acn3-aijq4cjktw5ejny6aen7c8
2bobo6bobo24bo26bo11bo21bo19bo3bo3bo14bo50bo39bo$bo3bo4bo3bo23bo25b2ob
...
208b2o3bob3o$208b5ob2o$209bobobo2bo$208b4obo2bo$206bo2b2o4b3o$207b2o2b
o2bo$206b3o4bo$205bobobo3bo$204b2o$205b2obo$203bo2bo$203bo!
(I removed about 50 lines of the initial setup, but I strongly recommend going there and running it yourself.)
One post by andrewbayly (January 3rd, 2026, 6:53 pm) [https://conwaylife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1971&p=223561#p223561] has this extremely complex 255 line rule and setup:
x = 8, y = 4, rule = ZC2
$.JDKDHD$.DJDJDF!
@RULE ZC2
@TABLE
# Golly rule-table format.
# Each rule: C,N,NE,E,SE,S,SW,W,NW,C'
#
# Default for transitions not listed: no change
#
# Variables are bound within each transition.
# For example, if a={1,2} then 4,a,0->a represents
# two transitions: 4,1,0->1 and 4,2,0->2
# (This is why we need to repeat the variables below.
# In this case the method isn't really helping.)
n_states:15
neighborhood:Moore
symmetries:none
# ALL States:
var aX={0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14}
var bX={aX}
var cX={aX}
var dX={aX}
var eX={aX}
var fX={aX}
var gX={aX}
var hX={aX}
# All Actions:
var aA={6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13}
# Active Actions ( will be transmitted onto Constructor Wire NW ):
var aB={8,9,10,11,12,13}
# WW States
var aW={0,1,2,3}
var bW={aW}
var cW={aW}
var dW={aW}
var eW={aW}
var fW={aW}
var gW={aW}
var hW={aW}
# WW States (Except H)
var aH={0,1,3}
var bH={aH}
var cH={aH}
var dH={aH}
var eH={aH}
var fH={aH}
var gH={aH}
var hH={aH}
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Wireworld Transition Rules
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
2,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,3
3,aW,bW,cW,dW,eW,fW,gW,hW,1
1,2,bH,cH,dH,eH,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,2,cH,dH,eH,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,2,dH,eH,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,2,eH,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,dH,2,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,dH,eH,2,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,dH,eH,fH,2,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,dH,eH,fH,gH,2,2
1,2,2,cH,dH,eH,fH,gH,hH,2
1,2,bH,2,dH,eH,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,2,2,dH,eH,fH,gH,hH,2
1,2,bH,cH,2,eH,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,2,cH,2,eH,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,2,2,eH,fH,gH,hH,2
1,2,bH,cH,dH,2,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,2,cH,dH,2,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,2,dH,2,fH,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,2,2,fH,gH,hH,2
1,2,bH,cH,dH,eH,2,gH,hH,2
1,aH,2,cH,dH,eH,2,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,2,dH,eH,2,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,2,eH,2,gH,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,dH,2,2,gH,hH,2
1,2,bH,cH,dH,eH,fH,2,hH,2
1,aH,2,cH,dH,eH,fH,2,hH,2
1,aH,bH,2,dH,eH,fH,2,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,2,eH,fH,2,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,dH,2,fH,2,hH,2
1,aH,bH,cH,dH,eH,2,2,hH,2
1,2,bH,cH,dH,eH,fH,gH,2,2
1,aH,2,cH,dH,eH,fH,gH,2,2
1,aH,bH,2,dH,eH,fH,gH,2,2
1,aH,bH,cH,2,eH,fH,gH,2,2
1,aH,bH,cH,dH,2,fH,gH,2,2
1,aH,bH,cH,dH,eH,2,gH,2,2
1,aH,bH,cH,dH,eH,fH,2,2,2
#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Action Start transforms to Action Sleep when it finds Sleep Marker to the NW
4,0,0,6,dX,eX,0,0,1,7
# Actions move around tape counter-clockwise:
# NE Corner
4,0,bX,0,0,aA,fX,gX,0,aA
# NW Corner
4,0,0,aA,dX,eX,0,0,hX,aA
# SE Corner
4,aX,0,0,0,0,0,aA,hX,aA
# SW Corner
4,aA,bX,cX,0,0,fX,0,0,aA
4,aX,bX,cX,0,0,7,0,0,6
4,aX,bX,cX,0,0,aA,0,0,aA
# top:
4,0,0,aA,dX,eX,fX,gX,0,aA
# bottom:
4,aX,bX,cX,0,0,0,aA,hX,aA
#transition cell
#4,0,bX,0,8,0,0,0,0,29
# Action Stop creates Sleep Marker and removes Transmission Wire
8,4,0,0,4,0,0,0,0,1
8,4,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0
8,4,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
8,0,4,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
#Actions become Wire ( or Constructor Wire, depending on geometry )
aA,4,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,4
8,aX,0,0,4,0,0,gX,hX,4
aA,aX,0,0,4,0,0,gX,hX,5
aA,aX,0,0,0,0,4,0,0,5
aA,aX,0,0,0,5,0,gX,hX,5
aA,0,0,5,dX,eW,fW,gX,0,5
aA,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,4
7,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,4
# Auto-Expander removes top cell in the Conductor Wire ( left and right )
5,aX,bX,14,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,0
5,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,14,hX,0
# Action Start creates initial Constructor Wire to the NE and NW
0,0,0,0,0,0,6,0,0,5
0,0,0,0,6,0,0,0,0,5
# Transition Actions onto Constructor Wire (NW):
5,aX,0,0,aB,0,0,0,hX,aB
# Transition Extend Action onto Constructor Wire (NE):
5,aX,0,0,0,0,10,0,0,10
# Extend North Extends Constructor Wire to the North:
0,0,0,0,0,10,0,0,0,5
# Extend West Extends Constructor Wire to the West:
0,0,0,9,5,eW,fW,0,0,5
0,0,0,9,dW,eW,fW,0,0,5
# Retract removes next Constructor Wire to the West:
5,0,0,13,dX,eX,fX,gW,0,0
# Action Deposit Wire / Electron
0,0,0,12,dW,eW,fW,gW,0,1
1,0,0,12,dW,eW,fW,gW,0,2
# Transmit Actions N & W on Constructor Wire
5,aX,bX,cX,dX,aB,fX,gX,hX,aB
5,aX,bX,aB,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,aB
# Action Stop sets Sleep Marker to the NE
5,aX,0,0,0,0,8,0,0,1
# Action Deposit Auto-Expander Deposits Auto-Expander to the NE
0,0,0,0,0,0,5,11,0,14
# Auto-Expander creates Wire two cells wide
0,aX,bX,cX,dX,14,4,gX,0,4
0,aX,bX,cX,dX,14,5,gX,0,4
14,aX,bX,cX,dX,5,fX,gX,hX,0
14,aX,bX,cX,dX,1,fX,gX,hX,0
14,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,4
0,aX,bX,cX,dX,5,fX,14,hX,0
0,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,5,14,hX,0
0,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,0,14,0,14
# Auto-Expander moves Down
5,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,gX,14,14
5,14,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,14
# Delete Down removes all Constructor Wire Cells
#5,16,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,16
#16,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,0
# All Actions are transmitted on the transition Wire
4,aX,0,0,6,0,0,0,0,7
4,4,0,0,aA,0,0,0,0,aA
4,aX,bX,0,0,7,0,0,0,7
4,aX,bX,0,0,aA,0,0,0,aA
4,aX,0,0,aA,0,0,0,0,aA
# Sleep Marker is removed when Action Sleep appears on NW and NE corner.
1,aX,bX,cX,7,eX,fX,gX,hX,0
1,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,7,gX,hX,0
#0,aX,bX,cX,dX,eX,fX,gX,hX,0
@NAMES
# these state names are not yet used by Golly
0 Background
1 WW Computer Wire (Conductor) / Sleep Marker
2 WW Electron Head
3 WW Electron Tail
4 Wire
5 Construction Wire
6 Action Start
7 Action Sleep
8 Action Stop
9 Action Extend West
10 Action Extend North
11 Action Deposit Auto-Expander
12 Action Deposit Wire / Electron
13 Action Retract
14 Auto-Expander / Delete Down
@COLORS
0 48 48 48 dark gray
1 255 128 0 orange
2 0 0 255 Blue
3 255 255 255 white
4 255 128 0 orange
5 0 255 128 Green
6 0 255 0 Green
7 0 128 0 Dark Green
8 255 0 0 red
9 128 0 0 Dark Red
10 128 128 0 Dark Yellow
11 255 255 0 Yellow
12 0 255 255 cyan
13 255 0 255 magenta
14 255 255 0 Yellow
We're clearly not in Conway's Kansas anymore. (Conway was actually a Brit, but I don't know what the correct British idiomatic equivalent of "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" is...Maybe "I don't think we're in Cambridge anymore." -- since Conway moved from Cambridge to Princeton! :-)
These representations are linearizations of what amounts to a complex circuit that tells the life execution machine what to do, combined (usually) with an initial state to create a particular behavior. So, what's the code? One could think of the code as this linear format of the rule (and optionally initial state). Or the code could be considered the circuit itself that is indicated by the rule. Or that that the code is the circuit combined with the initial state themselves -- when one actually works with these rules one usually "paints" the initial states on the viewer's IDE. (I'm assuming that we are assuming that the machine that executes the code -- whatever you might think of that as -- is not part of the code. Of course, it has its own code.)
Not that "code" needs to be problematized any further.
Cheers,
'Jeff