JohnnyVon: Self-Replicating Automata in Continuous Two-Dimensional Space

TL;DR

JohnnyVon demonstrates self-replicating automata in a continuous 2D space, where particles form patterns encoding bits, replicate from seeds, and spontaneously self-organize, with implications for nanotech, biology, and artificial life.

Contribution

Introduces a novel simulation of self-replicating automata with continuous external relationships governed by physics, enabling pattern replication and spontaneous self-organization.

Findings

Particles can form arbitrary bit-encoding patterns.

Seed patterns can self-replicate in a particle soup.

Spontaneous formation of self-replicating patterns occurs over time.

Abstract

JohnnyVon is an implementation of self-replicating automata in continuous two-dimensional space. Two types of particles drift about in a virtual liquid. The particles are automata with discrete internal states but continuous external relationships. Their internal states are governed by finite state machines but their external relationships are governed by a simulated physics that includes brownian motion, viscosity, and spring-like attractive and repulsive forces. The particles can be assembled into patterns that can encode arbitrary strings of bits. We demonstrate that, if an arbitrary "seed" pattern is put in a "soup" of separate individual particles, the pattern will replicate by assembling the individual particles into copies of itself. We also show that, given sufficient time, a soup of separate individual particles will eventually spontaneously form self-replicating patterns. We discuss the implications of JohnnyVon for research in nanotechnology, theoretical biology, and artificial life.