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One-dimensional rule explorer

Cellular Automata Lab

A browser for all 256 elementary cellular automata rules, with live previews, binary readouts, I Ching mappings, and a 16-by-16 rule index.

Each 8-bit rule grows into a different black-and-white order.

All 256 elementary rules

An elementary cellular automaton reads three binary cells (left, self, right), so there are 8 neighborhoods and 2 to the power of 8, or 256, possible rules. The lab renders any of them on a 128 by 72 canvas, with a 16 by 16 rule index of 24 by 14 thumbnails and a jump-to-rule input from 0 to 255. Featured rules are 30, 90, 110, and 184.

Binary readouts and the I Ching

Every rule shows its 8-bit table and a binary readout. A mapping layer pairs the 8 neighborhoods with the eight trigrams and the 64 combinations with the hexagrams, the same combinatorial bridge explained on the Conway’s Game of Life page: shared binary structure, not a claim that the I Ching predicted computers.

Playback

Run, pause, step, and reset at 0.5x, 1x, or 2x speed. The current rule is kept in the URL so a specific pattern can be shared, and playback pauses automatically when the tab is hidden or the visitor prefers reduced motion.