A simple structural algorithm holds the computational power to generate whatever could happen within perceived visual reality. Explore the possibilities of computing and permutations to visualize every single point in space and time.
All possible Images = Cartesian product of participating pixels.
// A small piece of code is powerful
function generateAll3x3() {
const pixels = 9;
const colors = 7;
const totalImages = Math.pow(colors, pixels);
for(let i = 0; i < totalImages; i++) {
renderImage(i.toString(colors).padStart(pixels, '0'));
}
}The core idea behind this project is basically the fact that everything we see—our memories, landscapes, whatever—is really just a bunch of colored dots. Instead of looking at an image as just a picture, we're treating it as a mathematical grid, which basically turns visual reality into something you can search through. We basically built a simulation where a blank canvas acts like a physical space that contains every possible combination of light and color.
The scale of this digital world is actually insane when you look at the math. For the simulation, we're using a 100x100 pixel matrix. Since there are 3 color channels (RGB) for every pixel, that means the canvas has 30,000 individual color values. To keep things focused, we compressed the color depth to just 8 shades per channel (0–7), which makes the total number of possible visual variations 8^30,000.
To navigate this void, the code just gives every frame its own BigInt index number. It basically just counts up from a starting point we call the GENESIS_EPOCH (June 29, 2026). Then, the engine uses a base-8 loop to break that time-index down into a bunch of color values and splashes them onto the canvas at a steady frame rate.
While our simulation successfully builds a bridge to this universal library, it also highlights the miraculous nature of structure. Because meaningful shapes—like a human face, a green forest, or a starry sky—require highly organized, non-random pixel placement, they are statistically precious needles in a cosmic desert. As you watch this simulator run, the vast majority of what passes before your eyes will be pure, chaotic white noise.
— Inspired by Adrian Cooney