I implemented Conways Game of Life and variations into the Grid patch.
The original game of life rules are applied if the second and third green and the third red toggle are selected (rule 23/3).
Click some "cells" in the grid for the start position.
The green toggles set the condition for the living cells.
The red toggles set the condition for the dead cells.
It is possible to change the rules while the game of life is running.
Ofelia2_GridXConway.pd

i implemented the generations family which remembers, in addition to the cellular automata rules, the generation of the cell and changes the color accordingly.
here is some information about the generations: http://www.mirekw.com/ca/rullex_gene.html
Ofelia2_GridXConwayGenerations.pd

I updated the patch for Ofelia v3. I think I would do a lot of things different now, but for now it works like in version 2 minus a few bugs...
ofelia3_gridxconwaygenerations.pd

@Jona Great work ! in a 2D automata it is possible to create Turing machines using complex oscillators. Another very interesting automata is Wireworld. Wireworld is design to create digital circuits using cellular automata. Another interesting automata is John Von Neumann's universal constructor It uses 29 states/cell but you can make machines that replicate other machines. Another more advance automata is Quantum dot cellular automata (QCA). QCA is design in software programs but recently there are physical implementations, this could lead to an entire new design for CMOS technology.Fantastic stuff.

@Boran Robert thanks, that sounds fascinating. I definitely only scratched the surface and do only understand the basics...
What I ask myself (and wonder if there is some literature about it) if there is some relation between conways game of life and niklas luhmanns system theory (especially the terms self-programming art and autopoesis).
By the way, if you set Generations to 1 you have the "normal" game of life rules.

@Jona If you are thinking about a connection between system theory (Conway) and Luhmann's view on the system theory as a societal theory there is no direct connections. But there are ideas of modeling big indoors environments (skyscrapers) evacuation procedures based on cellular automata. In my opinion the social aspect of Conway is reflected not in the rules but in the evolution of the rules. EX : a string rewriting system like Lindenmayer system is very exact in rules. On the other hand it can generate amazing organic structures. Your idea is interesting nonetheless. In terms of self-programming art i can just say that a 1-D reversible cellular automata (RCA) can simulate to some extend a string-rewriting system. EX: RCA->CTS (cyclic-tag system).

Here is Conway talking about his Game of Life:

@Jona Edited so the video is showing, I think it start around 1h06?

@EEight thanks. actually he is talking about the free will theorem(that i did not know before) around 1h06. The set theory starts at m46.

@Jona I am not a teacher, but I really dig the segment when he touch the subject (1h25m).

@EEight What!? It is working... pasting a youtube at a specific time using this form https://youtu.be/cQUAwhhC8cU?t=5100

Numberphile and Computerphile are great channels. They also had a direct interview with John Conway. About a mysterious group called the Monster group.

RIP John Conway. Just read that he passed away at the 11th of april, because of Corona. Sorry for reducing his work to the game of life, it is much more.

@Jona RIP John Conway https://xkcd.com/2293/

i updated the patch for ofelia v4 (should also work with v3). saving patterns does work now.
ofelia4_gridxconwaygenerations_B.pd