More steps in the pattern shown above. Each successive page shows a total of 700 steps. The pattern continues to expand on the left forever, but only the part that fits across each page is shown. For a long time it is not clear how the right-hand part of the pattern will eventually look. But after 2780 steps, a fairly simple repetitive structure emerges. Note that to generate the pictures that follow requires applying the underlying cellular automaton rule for individual cells a total of about 12 million times.
![](/nks/pages/p36--how-do-simple-programs-behave/image-xlarge.png)
![](/nks/pages/p36--how-do-simple-programs-behave/image-large.png)
![](/nks/pages/p36--how-do-simple-programs-behave/image-medium.png)
![](/nks/pages/p36--how-do-simple-programs-behave/image-small.png)