jmaibaum Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Hello, I am doing research for a university project involving early software for the simulation of cellular automata, and I came across various citations of Brian Silverman's software "The Phantom Fish Tank", published in 1987 through his company Logo Computer Systems Inc. in Montreal, Canada. If anyone is in possession of the Apple II game and/or the accompanying manual/book referenced as "The Phantom Fish Tank. An Ecology of Mind", I would be very interested in buying your copy. Any help in finding this title is very appreciated! Thank you, Best, Johannes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 In high school biology we used a program called Heredity Dog on the Apple II. It was a genetics teaching tool. I thought that was obscure. The Phantom Fish Tank seems even more obscure! Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaibaum Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 (edited) What, to me until now, seems to be the most obscure about this program is that it (and the accompanying book) is cited in zillions of papers about cellular automata, but no library actually seems to have a copy of it... Edited March 3, 2015 by jmaibaum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david__schmidt Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Is it possible this is a variation on (or simply) Conway's Game of Life? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 (edited) *deleted* Edited March 3, 2015 by JamesD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high voltage Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 I got El-Fish for PC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaibaum Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 It is basically a universal simulation program for cellular automata, comes with predefined rulesets (like Game of Life and Wireworld, the latter rules being invented by Brian Silverman, and published for the first time with the software). Plus, it allows you to define you own "translation tables" for new rules (up to 16 different cell states are possible). I eventually got a reply from Brian directly, so this thread can be considered "solved". Nevertheless, thank you for your help! Best, Johannes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david__schmidt Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Ok, but... can you upload it somewhere so we can take a look? Now you've got our collective curiosity piqued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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