This is a study of patterns generated by totalistic two-dimensional cellular automata. It showcases 8 rules choosen for their variety of patterns. The nith, larger automaton is interactive and allows you to explore new rules and patterns.
The automaton works by updating each cell every frame based on a simple rule. The sum of the cell's color (1=black,0=white) and its eight neighbors determines the color of the cell on the next frame. Each checkbox represents the possible value for the sum, a checked box indicates the cell will be black, unchecked means the cell will be white.   This page is very CPU-intensive, if you experience poor performance, try the stand-alone interactive automaton. Make sure you are running the latest java engine and close other CPU-hungry applications.