25 Jul
1999
25 Jul
'99
8:32 p.m.
Now, cellular automata is my field. John von Neumann invented cellular
automata at the suggestion of Stanislav Ulam, when the two worked at the
Los Alamos National Laboratories in the 1940's. See von Neumann's work,
The Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata, and the book by Arthur Burks,
Cellular Automata.
John Horton Conway invented life as an alternative example of von Neumann's
work. There is also the cellular automata invented by E. F. Codd. The
game of life was first described in the October 1970 issue of Scientific
American.
William R. Buckley
-----Original Message-----
From: Hans B Pufal <hansp(a)digiweb.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, July 25, 1999 6:55 PM
Subject: Re: Conway's "Game of Life" ... when invented?
ss(a)allegro.com wrote:
> I was wondering if anyone knows when John Conway invented "life". The
> best I've found on the web is "1960s".
>
> But...I just saw a movie, "Ocean's Eleven" (starring Frank Sinatra and
the
> rest of the Rat Pack) ... and I'd swear that
the start of the credits
looks a lot
> like a run of life (i.e., several generations of
display in the cellular
automata
game) at the
beginning, which then segues into pseudo-Vegas neon signs.
The movie is credited as being in 1960.
From
<http://home.earthlink.net/~hilery/life/intro.htm#The Game of Life>
:
"In the early seventies, the only references to Conway's work were those
originally given in Martin Gardner's "Mathematical Games" column in the
October 1970 and February 1971 issues of Scientific American."
I think that Conway developed the game just prior to its publication in
Scientific American so seeing it in a film dated 1960 is unlikely. What
you saw may have been a different cellular automatom, these were
investigated if not discovered by von Neumann in the '50's.
Regards,
_---_--__-_-_----__-_----_-__-__-_-___--_-__--___-__----__--_--__-___-
Hans B Pufal Comprehensive Computer Catalogue
<mailto:hansp@digiweb.com> <http://digiweb.com/~hansp/ccc> 
25 Jul
25 Jul
10:06 p.m.
Hi - I'm new to this list, but I think I like it already. William,
could you point me to more information on Dr. Codd's work in
cellular automata? Some how, during my struggle with relational
theory (sounds easy - but Lord it's not!) I don't recall ever being
exposed to this fact about the man. Most interesting!
Thanks
Roger Goswick
-----Original Message-----
From: CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu
[mailto:CLASSICCMP-owner@u.washington.edu]On Behalf Of Buck Savage
Sent: Monday, July 26, 1999 12:32 AM
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
Subject: Re: Conway's "Game of Life" ... when invented?
Now, cellular automata is my field. John von Neumann invented
cellular
automata at the suggestion of Stanislav Ulam, when the two worked at
the
Los Alamos National Laboratories in the 1940's. See von Neumann's
work,
The Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata, and the book by Arthur
Burks,
Cellular Automata.
John Horton Conway invented life as an alternative example of von
Neumann's
work. There is also the cellular automata invented by E. F. Codd.
The
game of life was first described in the October 1970 issue of
Scientific
American.
William R. Buckley
-----Original Message-----
From: Hans B Pufal <hansp(a)digiweb.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, July 25, 1999 6:55 PM
Subject: Re: Conway's "Game of Life" ... when invented?
Life>
ss(a)allegro.com wrote:
> I was wondering if anyone knows when John Conway invented "life".
The
> best I've found on the web is
"1960s".
>
> But...I just saw a movie, "Ocean's Eleven" (starring Frank
Sinatra and
the
> rest of the Rat Pack) ... and I'd swear that
the start of the
credits
looks a lot
> like a run of life (i.e., several generations of
display in the
cellular
automata
> game) at the beginning, which then segues into
pseudo-Vegas neon
signs.
The movie is credited as being in 1960.
>From <http://home.earthlink.net/~hilery/life/intro.htm#The Game of :
"In the early seventies, the only references to Conway's work were
those
originally given in Martin Gardner's
"Mathematical Games" column in
the
October 1970 and February 1971 issues of Scientific
American."
I think that Conway developed the game just prior to its
publication in
Scientific American so seeing it in a film dated 1960
is unlikely.
What
you saw may have been a different cellular automatom,
these were
investigated if not discovered by von Neumann in the '50's.
Regards,
_---_--__-_-_----__-_----_-__-__-_-___--_-__--___-__----__--_--__-_
__-
Hans B Pufal Comprehensive
Computer
Catalogue
<mailto:hansp@digiweb.com>
<http://digiweb.com/~hansp/ccc>
26 Jul
26 Jul
6:36 a.m.
Steve Levy's book 'artifical life' could probably pinpoint it down to a
specific year (my copy is in college storage boxes somewhere) but early to
mid 1960s Oxford, England seems to ring a bell. It was originally played
by having grad students move the pieces by hand on lunch and coffee
breaks. The board eventually grew in size to all over the tables and
floors.
Levy's book 'Hackers' also mentions the MIT train club group writing CA
code on the early PDP boxes. Naturally, this would have been a few years
after Oxford.
As a finale, self-replicating CA structures were invented by a guy in a
LANL working group (see 'artifical life') with an Apple.
--scott
7:21 a.m.
KENNETH S HALEY wrote:
Steve Levy's book 'artifical life' could probably pinpoint it down to a
specific year (my copy is in college storage boxes somewhere) but early to
mid 1960s Oxford, England seems to ring a bell. It was originally played
by having grad students move the pieces by hand on lunch and coffee
breaks. The board eventually grew in size to all over the tables and
floors.
"From a small square coffee table, it grew, spilling over the side,
colonizing the floor, and stretching towards the corners."
Levy says the date is 1968...
_---_--__-_-_----__-_----_-__-__-_-___--_-__--___-__----__--_--__-___-
Hans B Pufal Comprehensive Computer Catalogue
<mailto:hansp@digiweb.com> <http://digiweb.com/~hansp/ccc>
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days inactive
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4 comments
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