A CA- Applet

The CA in this study are one dimensional.   The present  CA  is like a vertical worm which oscillates between 46 states and the image below depicts its history or a trajectory through the state space.

Despite being one dimensional, the CA may extend also into the second  dimension, which is illustrated by the following applet. Initially it depicts a one dimensional CA. As one clicks on the "longer" button the CA  broadens and becomes two dimensional. Initially only one CA state at a time may interact with the environment. As the CA widens more states have the option to interact. Actually the CA is isolated  and does not interact. Its structure change indicates that it prepares itself for interaction with the environment.

Hitherto interactions between CA were one dimensional. Only the present state interacted. The applet depicts that the CA may mobilize additional states which then will interact with environment  in parallel.  

Let’s remember that each state is an action memory (view also Regeneration ). When the memory is triggered it turns into an action which unfolds during the subsequent time intervals. As the CA broadens it may trigger more and more states which jointly interact and evolve. Their interaction is a non-linear parallel computation.

Click "plant" to plant a zygote. Initially the zygote differentiates until becoming a mature CA with a period of 46.

Additional reading:
Streaming Organism