When I was back in high school, I remember looking forward to geometry. Why? Because we used graph paper in geometry, and that meant I could spend the entire period doodling out generate after generation of Life (as in John Conway, not as in Parker Brothers, or something deep and philosophical). I was fascinated by it then, and I guess I still am, because when I Stumbled Upon Mushroom Life* I was immediately drawn back into the whole wonder of it all.

In this version Conway’s simple cells are replaced by Mushrooms that grow, or die, depending on the rules that have been around since the 70’s. But as the mushrooms age, they mature, which is just a visual thing but it adds another layer of satisfaction to the game.

It was interesting to run into this at the same time I’m slowly churning through Darwin Among the Machines since in some ways the topics are related. But that’s for another day. Right now I need to go grow some more mushrooms.

 

*Editor’s note: This URL is shady. Go there at your own risk. [5 Dec 2018]