# GOL-013: Second Thought

Every cell first proposes an ordinary Life transition, then forecasts the ordinary futures of its eight neighbors: projected collapse can protect a life, while projected expansion can suppress a birth.

[Open simulation](https://100gol.com/experiments/013) · [Directory](https://100gol.com/experiments)

## What to explore

Ordinary Life should remain recognizable and active while local projected
volatility can protect a scheduled death or suppress a scheduled birth. Both
secondary pathways must remain consequential over long runs without freezing a
dense field or turning the Step into a fixed-point search.

## Rules, update order and replay

Pass one computes a complete configurable Life proposal from one frozen square
Moore board. For each focal cell, pass two counts current and proposed occupancy
among its same eight neighbors. Each neighbor's ordinary proposal used its own
Moore count, so the forecast incorporates the sixteen-cell second ring without
recursing. A projected loss strictly greater than contraction tolerance may veto
only an ordinary death. A projected gain strictly greater than expansion
tolerance may veto only an ordinary birth. Equality is allowed; stable ordinary
proposals cannot be changed by the secondary rule. Pass three commits all final
states and evidence synchronously. Replay requires occupancy, ordinary/veto
evidence, generation, configuration, topology, profile, and start. Reset,
Clear, and manual edits clear transient evidence.

## Reading the simulation

The renderer distinguishes ordinary accepted births/deaths from contraction and
expansion vetoes. Inspection marks projected-alive and projected-dead first-ring
subjects, distinguishes their sixteen second-ring inputs, and reports current
count, ordinary proposal, projected count, signed delta, exact veto reason, and
final state. Context and legend name every outcome so the forecast remains
understandable without relying on color.

## Reproduce a starting configuration

[Download example JSON](https://100gol.com/api/experiments/013/configuration). Import it using Share & reproduce in the simulation controls. It starts paused at Step zero. Files contain rules and initial conditions, not evolved boards or manual edits. See [format, limitations and automated access](https://100gol.com/agents).