Cellular automata (CA) are abstract mathematical machines inspired by the question "Can a machine build a copy of itself?"

Defined by very simple rules, CA can produce a considerable variety of behaviors, including some that appear organic, and also many that are fractal.

Some have claimed that not only are CA powerful tools for simulating natural systems, but also that the whole universe IS a CA.

The Paradox of Self-Replicating Machines Can a machine make a copy of itself? Before the mechanism for the replication of DNA was discovered, some thought self-reproduction could not be explained mechanically. Von Neumann's resolution of this problem led to the field of Artificial Life. Cellular Automata Basics What are CA? How do they work? How do we build a simple universe in a computer? Here we study some examples of cellular automata patterns.