The Game of Life - Lauren Ipsum: A Story About Computer Science and Other Improbable Things - page 59

Chapter 13. The Game of Life
The Doppelganger sailed out of Probability Bay and far away from Laurie's troubles. She
risked a peek over the side of the boat and caught a beautiful surprise.
“Winsome! Look at that!”
In the wake of the boat, glowing sparkles lit up the water. Blue and green curlicues danced
behind them as the waves fanned out.
“Oh, yeah. Those are called gliders. Pretty, aren't they?”
“They're beautiful! What makes them glow?” Laurie asked.
“When you stir up the water, they glow and form patterns. You can only see them on a dark
night like this.”
“Wow! I've never seen anything like this!”
“Want to see something really cool?” Winsome dipped a shallow pan into the water and set it
on a bench. After it settled down, she traced a little figure in the water.
The glowing dots came alive and wiggled around the pan a few times before fading away.
“How do they move like that?” Laurie asked. “Are they really alive?”
“I don't think so. It's just a pattern that looks alive. There are supposed to be some rules
about how the glow moves around, but I never paid attention. Maybe you can figure it out.”