 |
The previous experiment demonstrated how a CA responds to injury. We then discovered that by injuring the border bit of state-32 the CA can be nudged to move upward. In the present experiment whenever the CA reaches state-32 its upper border bit is injured (set to zero).
The CA is controlled by the following buttons:
Plant : Plants a zygote.
Shorter: Makes CA shorter
Longer: Makes CA longer
Obstacle: A toggle switch which places an obstacle
at x=15.
Move obstacle+ moves it downward.
Move obstacle- moves it upward.
Kill CA
Stop movement: The CA stops advancing along the abscissa
Resume movement:
When the experiment starts a zygote has been planted and the CA grows. When it matures it recognizes its first state and starts numbering the subsequent states. When reaching its state-32 it is injured. Perturbation affects its entire structure (v. Embodiment). It proceeds through a transient. Later on it finds a solution (attractor), matures until it recognizes its first state and starts numbering the subsequent states. Only then it is exposed to the state-32 injury, advances upward and so on. When reaching the buttons it has reached also the end of the canvas. It loses resources and dies.
Let the CA occupy the middle of the applet, click ‘stop movement’, and watch the worm moving upward.
Repeat the same experiment. Click 'stop movement'. Click 'Longer' until the CA remembers about 40 states, and watch how it remembers its transient.
When the zygote is planted the CA is isolated and does not interact with the environment. It matures and oscillates at a period of 46. Injury forces it to interact. It rouses its curiosity, and the CA decides to move upward. At state-33 it becomes isolated again and continually restructures itself looking for a solution otherwise it will die. When reaching its new attractor its upward movement has stopped. The CA enjoys its splendid isolation until a new injury arouses it from its slumber, and so on.