SYSTEM NOTE
Local limit, sudden chain.
A visual criticality model inspired by sandpile avalanches. Not a physics simulator.
OBSERVATION CHAMBER / MVP
Critical Sandpile Chamber
A visual criticality model for observing grains build, topple, cascade, and leave traces near a local threshold.
critical
Prototype
CRITICAL FIELD
Drop grains, start rain, or draw on the table. Bright cells are toppling now; pale traces show where previous cascades passed.
First observation
Press DROP GRAIN or draw on the table. A quiet pile may suddenly break into a chain.
GRAIN / HEIGHT / TOPPLE / TRACE
grains 0 / avalanche 0
OBS-000 / HEIGHT / 00:00
OPERATION GUIDE
Build the threshold.
- DROP GRAIN adds pressure at the center.
- RANDOM RAIN spreads grains across the table.
- SHAKE moves small instabilities sideways.
- TRACE keeps a faint memory of previous cascades.
OBSERVATION POINTS
Watch where the chain releases.
- Point Pile grows from one quiet center.
- Ridge and Fault Line reveal how shape redirects collapse.
- AVALANCHE and STABILITY lenses separate active topples from stored tension.
OBSERVATION GUIDE
Touchpoints for Observation
Observe local height crossing a threshold, toppling, cascading, and leaving avalanche traces.
- Drop grains, start random rain, shake the field, and compare Height, Avalanche, Stability, and Trace.
- Quiet buildup matters because the next grain can trigger a wide cascade.
- Trace view keeps the memory of recent collapses visible.
This is a visual criticality model inspired by sandpile avalanches, not a physics simulator.
Runs inside the browser with no upload and no registration.
SYSTEM NOTE
height(x, y) >= threshold -> topple -> neighbors + trace. A visual criticality model inspired by sandpile avalanches. Not a physics simulator.
OBSERVATION POLICY
This lab runs in your browser. No image, pointer trace, or input is uploaded by this prototype.
OBSERVATION LOG
Observation logging will be connected with moderation in a later build.