I remember programming Conways's game of life on a BBC micro in the early 80s. I was fascinated by the way the patterns defined by only a few simple rules could have such, well, life in them! Here is a web based version of the game that let's you set up patterns and watch them evolve. It also lets you play with the rules and see how that effects the game. Enjoy! http://www.ibiblio.org/lifepatterns/