The Game of Life (757 hits)
Category: NoneLabels: math fiction
Rating: 2 on 12 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Serious Melvin (View user info) at 2005-11-23 00:24:40 EST
Dr. Raul Garner had finally done it, he had created The Universe. The installation of the massive, theater-sized display grid had been completed the night before. In the back room, four-hundred supercomputers remained idle, ready to process the results of his decade-long research. Just outside, the professor could hear the audience making its way in to the auditorium.
The evening's itinerary was given to guests as they entered:
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dr. Raul Garner Presents
The Game of Life - Accelerated In Time, Expanded In Space
7:00 - Introductory Remarks by Dr. Garner
7:05 - Life Begins
8:30 - Honorary Guest Dr. John Conway on "The Origins of Life"
9:50 - Closing Remarks and Questions
Play 'Life' at home:
http://www.bitstorm.org/gameoflife/
Brought to you by
The University of California, Berkeley
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Welcome, welcome," Dr. Garner greeted the nearly-full auditorium of graduate students, professors and local communitiy members. "For those of you just arriving, there appear to be some seats up in the back.
"We have an exciting evening ahead of us," the professor beamed, "and I'd like to get started."
Dr. Garner stood well over six feet and towered over the podium. His frizzled hair was graying on the sides, and his pupils hid cryptically behind his thick, darkened glasses. Out of habit, he brushed his hair to the left with this hand.
"But before we begin," he continued, "I would like to briefly introduce the topic of my research. Most of you have probably seen The Game of Life before (in its simplest form); some of you might even have programmed it. For anyone here unfamiliar with the game, you are in for a real treat.
"The game is quite simple. The 'Universe' is comprised of a two-dimensional grid of squares, whose value is either 'on' or 'off.' The state of any given square is determined by the state of its surrounding squares. The magnificance behind this game is its simplicity, because when each grid element follows this small set of rules, the game tends to produce much more complex, larger organisms.
"Now, we are very fortunate this evening, because the game's inventor, Dr. John Conway, has made the trip out here to witness the results of my research. Thanks, John." On queue, the audience applauded.
"When the simulation has reached its stable state, Dr. Conway will share with us the origins of the game, and what led him to its discovery.
"In our implementation here, the initial grid state is generated randomly at load-time. That is what you see now on the screen." The screen was amass with splotches, black against white.
"My assistant, Tammy, will be helping me operate the 'Life' system this evening. In about 30 seconds, she will start the simulation. What happens from there is anyone's guess!
"Once again, I want to thank everyone for coming out here this evening, this should be a real treat."
Finally, the professor nodded to his assistant and turned his attention to the screen.
At once, the Universe jumped into motion. The screen was filled with a magnificent display of what appeared to be growths and deaths of various splotches.
"This is the game as you are probably familiar with it, operating at speeds of several dozens of turns per second. In fact, the game you're familiar with provides a much smaller window of what's going on. Unless of course you own a movie theater." The audience chuckled politely.
"My research is based on one central question: what if we were to increase the speed of time and the size of space? Until now that has not been possible, save for an order of magnitude or two. Fortunately, the rapid growth of the computing industry has made my research possible; ten years ago we would not have dreamed of such a system.
"But here tonight, in the back room, are hundreds of computers operating in parallel to compute the game in real-time. What you will witness is the 'Game of Life' operating at 19 billion turns per second! The results could be astounding. And now, Life as you've never seen it before..."
"Tammy, let'errrrip!"
"Ahoy!" she yelped as she pulled the speed lever to its right-most position.
The rise and fall of dark splotches commenced so rapidly that the screen became nothing more than a gray blur.
Not two minutes had passed when a small purple dot first appeared, just faintly, in the upper corner of the screen. Slowly, it began to grow, take form, and multiply! The organisms continued this trend, gradually changing shapes and colors, as generations flashed across the screen.
"Incredible," muttered Garner. "Life has harnessed the power of the color display drivers."
At first there were just a few murmurs. But as forms of various shapes, sizes and colors started fighting for screen space, the murmurs grew into quiet protest. The tension and fear in the auditorium was thickening by the second.
Finally, an audience member spoke up: "Well professor? Do you know what you're doing here?" The challenge was followed by a series of acknowledgements as people began to speak openly and nervously to their neighbors about whether the life forms on the screen would stay there.
The professor had had enough.
"Everyone just stay calm! This is a simulation. These 'beings' are mere collections of bits, displayed on a screen. I could shut it down right now, would that make you feel better?"
With a trembling hand, he switched off the power to the screen, blackening the auditorium. Even Garner had not anticipated such rapid evolution within the system, and he struggled to comprehend how the 'game' had accessed, let alone learned to interface with, external components of the computer hardware.
"Is everyone okay?" he shouted into the darkness. An attendant took it upon herself to turn on the lights. As the light flooded the auditorium, the room erupted into enthusiastic commotion at what had just taken place.
"Did you see that?"
"But how did it-"
"I know! I don't know!"
"Was that a war? You don't think..."
"They couldn't have been *alive*..."
For the next half-hour, no one left the auditorium. People, mesmorized, stayed to make sense of what they had just witnessed. Dr. Conway was unable to answer any of the questions that people bombarded him with. In a state of near shock, he merely stared into nothingness and repeatedly muttered the words "Dear God... what have I done..."
"Turn the screen back on," yelled an audience member, after much of the commotion had begun to die down.
There was a pause that could have lasted a lifetime.
The game had been running the entire time. And as that unsettling fact began to spread, the audience began to stand up and move into the aisles, no longer feeling safe in their seats.
"Turn it on!" shouted another, though there was a hint of dread in his voice.
Most of the audience had crowded itself around the doors by now, ready to bolt, but unable to leave.
Dr. Garner reluctantly made his way toward the switches. He had not planned to resume his observation until the audience had left, but it would be unfair to hide what was awaiting now.
Gasps built up around the room before the image made itself visible--before, even, Garner had flipped the switch. Out of the darkness, the display came into view.
Staring vacantly back into the audience was the Mona Lisa. Her smile had never been more chilling and unreadable.
Silent gasps of fear and awe spread wildly amongst the audience.
"But how...?" cried a middle-aged woman as she broke down into tears.
A boy in his late teens charged the screen shouting, "YOU FUCKING BACK DOWN YOU M-" But before he could finish he collapsed into a lifeless unconsciousness, unable to breathe.
Time stood still as the pixels of life began to rearrange themselves; the Mona Lisa slowly turned her gaze to the back of the auditorium, looking deeply, condemningly, into the souls of the terrified crowd. Still she smiled.
More gasps and shrieks escaped into the (now) nearly-empty auditorium. How had life evolved so quickly, into something all but certainly beyond the bounds of their own understanding? How far it had evolved was a question that pierced coldly into the hearts and souls of everyone there.
"It's finally happening..." muttered Dr. Conway, shaking.
Dr. Raul Garner slowly and dreadfully realized the magnitude of his error. Without wasting a second more, he strode up to the podium.
"Tammy," the professor shouted into the frightened abyss. His suit had bunched up around his shoulders amidst the commotion, and his glasses had slidden most of the way down his face. With beads of sweat falling down his forehead, he yelled out, "Shake the mouse!"
User Reviews
Submitted by Confuzitron (user info) at 2006-02-24 09:15:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2006-02-24 01:44:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
As promised.
Submitted by Boondock (user info) at 2005-12-06 00:18:27 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by Kindred (user info) at 2005-11-23 20:08:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
awesome story. That and the fact that I installed the game at work ages ago and love to watch the simulations run in the background while I work. The best are the "creepers" that shoot out on their own to create other "life forms".
Submitted by trent_nz (user info) at 2005-11-23 19:45:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-11-23 17:01:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
interesting...
Submitted by b0bbieb0b (user info) at 2005-11-23 12:08:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
weigh!
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-11-23 10:10:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Bushy (user info) at 2005-11-23 09:02:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Touche Serious Melvin, Touche.
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2005-11-23 05:50:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
ye-es...
Submitted by c1ndy (user info) at 2005-11-23 05:31:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
uh... cool
Submitted by Fabit (user info) at 2005-11-23 05:07:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
cool