Question

And that gives us enough elements to try our new world. Imagine the following map as a grassy valley with a herd of herbivores in it, some boulders, and lush plant life everywhere.

var valley = new LifelikeWorld(
  ["############################",
   "#####                 ######",
   "##   ***                **##",
   "#   *##**         **  O  *##",
   "#    ***     O    ##**    *#",
   "#       O         ##***    #",
   "#                 ##**     #",
   "#   O       #*             #",
   "#*          #**       O    #",
   "#***        ##**    O    **#",
   "##****     ###***       *###",
   "############################"],
  {"#": Wall,
   "O": PlantEater,
   "*": Plant}
);

Let’s see what happens if we run this. These snapshots illustrate a typical run of this world.

############################  ############################
#####                 ######  ##### **              ######
##   ***   O             *##  ##  ** *            O     ##
#   *##*          **     *##  #  **##                   ##
#    **           ##*     *#  #  **  O          ##O      #
#                 ##*      #  #   *O      * *   ##       #
#                 ##  O    #  #            ***  ##     O #
#           #*      O      #  #**         #***           #
#*          #**  O         #  #**      O  #****          #
#*   O    O ##*          **#  #***        ##***     O    #
##*        ###*          ###  ##**       ###**    O    ###
############################  ############################

############################  ############################
#####O O              ######  #####  O              ######
##                        ##  ##                        ##
#    ##O                  ##  #    ##            O      ##
#           O  O *##       #  #                 ##       #
#  O    O    O  **##    O  #  #                 ##       #
#               **##     O #  #               O ## *     #
#           #   *** *      #  #           #  O           #
#           # O*****  O    #  #        O  #   O          #
#           ##******       #  #           ##    O     O  #
##         ###******     ###  ##         ### O         ###
############################  ############################

############################  ############################
#####                 ######  #####                 ######
##                        ##  ##                 **  *  ##
#    ##                   ##  #    ##            *****  ##
#                 ##       #  #                 ##****   #
#                 ##* *    #  #                 ##*****  #
#              O  ## *     #  #                 ##****** #
#           #              #  #           #       ** **  #
#           #              #  #           #              #
#           ##             #  #           ##             #
##         ###           ###  ##         ###           ###
############################  ############################

Most of the time, the plants multiply and expand quite quickly, but then the abundance of food causes a population explosion of the herbivores, who proceed to wipe out all or nearly all of the plants, resulting in a mass starvation of the critters. Sometimes, the ecosystem recovers and another cycle starts. At other times, one of the species dies out completely. If it’s the herbivores, the whole space will fill with plants. If it’s the plants, the remaining critters starve, and the valley becomes a desolate wasteland. Ah, the cruelty of nature.

This is a book about getting computers to do what you want them to do. Computers are about as common as screwdrivers today, but they contain a lot more hidden complexity and thus are harder to operate and understand. To many, they remain alien, slightly threatening things.