These are cellular automata simulations I wrote in JavaScript one weekend. As of November 9th, 1999, these are the only such simulations written in JavaScript on the web. Which is a fact that doesn't really surprise me as JavaScript is dog slow and the browser compatibility issues are a nightmare. So why did I do it? Because it was there. Actually, JavaScript isn't a bad language for writing the simulations, it provides object orientation, automatic type conversion, and easy access to HTML elements (great for displaying images). It just isn't a good environment for running the simulations :). The simulations are notably slower than ones written in "real" languages.

The scripts in these pages require a web browser which implements version 1.2 or higher of the Javascript language as well as the Document Object Model. All scripts are standards-compliant, not browser-compliant. If your browser is not also standards-compliant, then perhaps you should consider getting one that is :). For these scripts, the relavant standards are HTML 2.0 or higher, the EMCA-262 , and the Document Object Model.

If you are not sure whether your browser supports all of these standards, currently (Nov 9, 1999) only the following browsers are sufficiently standards-compliant for these scripts to run:

• Netscape Navigator 4.5 or higher.
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher

However, Microsoft Internet Exporer 4.0 will work for all of the scripts except the life simulation using form checkboxes (in case you're curious, IE 4 mistakenly calls the "elements" array, defined in the Document Object Model, "items" instead which breaks the script; IE 5 fixed the error).

• General cellular automata
  If you don't know what cellular automata is, then let's just leave the explanation at "Cellular automata are computer simulations that try to emulate the laws of nature". If you want a more precise answer, visit the "Frequently Asked Questions About Cellular Automata" page (and be prepared to put on your thinking cap :) ).
  
  • Single-species cellular automata with aging and cell immigration.
    My wife made her own graphics for this simulation (which are substantially cuter than my orb graphics :) )...
    • Japanese beetles
    • Lady bugs
    • Spiders
    • Inch worms
    • Bacteria
• Conway's game of life
  The game of life is an especially simple set of cellular automata rules (and not what most people would consider a "game"). While the rules are simple, the results can be very complex; visit Paul Callahan's web site for some remarkable examples.
  • Using images to represent the cells
  • Using checkboxes to represent the cells; this is less visually appealing than the previous example, but runs much faster.

These pages, and the scripts in them are all copyright Kelly Yancey, 1999. However, the scripts are provided with a BSD-style copyright permitting redistribution for free, so long was you give me a little credit and a mention to this page; you can see the scripts for details.