Patterns in Excitable Media: From Chemical Waves to Artificial Life

Patterns in excitable media aren’t just pretty readouts—they are signals, processors, and sometimes agents. From chemical reaction–diffusion waves (Belousov–Zhabotinsky) and cardiac/neuronal pulses to cellular‑automata creatures in Lenia and gliders in Conway’s Game of Life, simple local rules yield complex, information‑bearing dynamics. We explore how these patterns communicate, compute, adapt, and even display lifelike autonomy; how ideas from Beer, Fields, and Levin reframe objects as processes; and how the same principles inspire real systems—from bioelectric control and reservoir computing to media tech. For HastingsNow’s Soundbites, the lens of excitable media clarifies how short, verified, geo‑targeted audio can propagate as high‑value “waves” through a community, amplifying signal while damping noise.