Simple rules, complex patterns

The Game of Life was invented by mathematician John Conway in 1970. The board is full of squares that are alive or dead, and every generation each square follows the same three rules: survive with 2 or 3 neighbours, die of loneliness or crowding, and be born with exactly 3 neighbours. From rules that simple come patterns that blink, stay still, or even walk like the glider. Scientists use the same idea to study bacteria growth, forest fires, and animal skin patterns.