The Enlightened Game of Life

TL;DR

This paper explores a novel cellular automaton model that interacts with electromagnetic fields, demonstrating self-structuring, self-healing, and light-localization phenomena with potential applications across biology, physics, and artificial life.

Contribution

It introduces a new CA model incorporating electromagnetic interactions, including field feedback and photo-driven processes, advancing understanding of light-matter self-organization.

Findings

Demonstrates light-induced self-structuring and self-healing in CA.

Shows evidence of self-organized light-localization.

Models nonlinear feedback between CA and electromagnetic field.

Abstract

We investigate a special class of cellular automata (CA) evolving in a environment filled by an electromagnetic wave. The rules of the Conway's Game of Life are modified to account for the ability to retrieve life-sustenance from the field energy. Light-induced self-structuring and self-healing abilities and various dynamic phases are displayed by the CA. Photo-driven genetic selection and the nonlinear feedback of the CA on the electromagnetic field are included in the model, and there are evidences of self-organized light-localization processes. The evolution of the electromagnetic field is based on the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) approach. Applications are envisaged in evolutionary biology, artificial life, DNA replication, swarming, optical tweezing and field-driven soft-matter.