The Game of Life (by John Conway)

The Game of Life, created by mathematician John Conway, is a cellular automaton that simulates the evolution of simple life forms on a grid. Each cell can either be "alive" or "dead." The state of each cell in the next generation is determined by its eight neighbors based on three simple rules: a live cell with two or three live neighbors survives, a dead cell with exactly three live neighbors becomes alive, and all other cells die or remain dead. Despite its simplicity, the Game of Life can produce complex patterns and behaviors, illustrating concepts of emergence and self-organization.