Chemical Burn
1.0
Freeware
Author's description: ChemicalBurn is a screensaver that simulates a transportation network. Packages are generated with a destination, and attempt to find the fastest way there. Frequently used routes get faster, making them more popular. The result is a beautiful self-organizing network colorfully displayed on your screen.
Nodes are randomly generated on the screen. Initially, all connections are equally slow. Packages are generated randomly as the screensaver runs. Each package is generated at a random node, and has another random node set as its destination.
As packages flow through a connection, the connection is strengthened and becomes faster. A disused connection gradually weakens. This is analogous to real-life computer and transportation networks, where the connections with the most traffic get more infrastructure investment and become even faster.
The result is a self-organizing network with complex structure, as popular routes are reinforced with even more traffic, and hubs, rings, and other structures form spontaneously from the simple rules.
If enabled, nodes will be created and destroyed at random during the simulation. When a node is destroyed, it is not immediately removed from the network. Instead the node and its connections turns red, packages are forbidden from using that node in their routes and packages with the destroyed node as their destination are re-routed elsewhere. Once all packages are clear of the destroyed node, it is removed from the screen.
Nodes are randomly generated on the screen. Initially, all connections are equally slow. Packages are generated randomly as the screensaver runs. Each package is generated at a random node, and has another random node set as its destination.
As packages flow through a connection, the connection is strengthened and becomes faster. A disused connection gradually weakens. This is analogous to real-life computer and transportation networks, where the connections with the most traffic get more infrastructure investment and become even faster.
The result is a self-organizing network with complex structure, as popular routes are reinforced with even more traffic, and hubs, rings, and other structures form spontaneously from the simple rules.
If enabled, nodes will be created and destroyed at random during the simulation. When a node is destroyed, it is not immediately removed from the network. Instead the node and its connections turns red, packages are forbidden from using that node in their routes and packages with the destroyed node as their destination are re-routed elsewhere. Once all packages are clear of the destroyed node, it is removed from the screen.
Our verdict: A very unusual scientific screensaver, Chemical Burn starts out as a screenfull of randomly moving pixels but slowly coalesces into the above-mentioned transportation network. Highly reminiscent of road traffic in Sim City, this module is easy to get sucked into, especially considering the comparitively simple graphics.
ourrating
