Mr. Baby Paint and accidentally discovering a new cellular automata
A blog post describes how the author, while experimenting with simple rules for a cellular automaton simulation, accidentally discovered a new type of cellular automata. Dubbed "Mr. Baby Paint" by the author's child, the algorithm produces complex, paint-like patterns from basic rules. The discovery highlights how playful experimentation can lead to unexpected findings in computational art.
Background
- This is a blog post from a Finnish research residency (Aalto University), describing the author's accidental discovery of a previously undocumented cellular automaton rule, nicknamed "Mr. Baby Paint."
- Cellular automata are grid-based computational models where cells live, die, or change based on simple rules and their neighbors' states — most famously Conway's Game of Life (1970), but many other rules exist.
- The post is written in a personal, narrative style typical of open-research blogging, not a formal paper. The tone mixes creative coding, playful discovery, and reflection.
- The key context for an English-speaking non-expert: the author is a resident at "Tekstien ja marginaalien keskus" (Center for Texts and Margins), which is likely an arts/research space in the School of Arts, Design and Architecture at Aalto University, Finland.
- The content assumes familiarity with how cellular automata work (grids, generations, rule notation), but the core story is a serendipitous find — which is a classic motif in computational art and exploratory programming.