A Turing Machine, Stepped Through

The Prompt

Select one of the known Busy Beaver champion machines — the BB(4) champion (13 ones in 107 steps) or the BB(5) champion (47,176,870 ones) — and step through its execution by hand or with a simulator for at least 50 steps. Record the tape contents at key moments. Attend to the pattern: does the machine's behaviour look purposeful, random, or something in between? Note the moment when you first sensed what the machine was "trying to do."

Completion Criteria

The machine selected (state table specified), tape contents at three or more checkpoints, and a brief account of the moment when the machine's behaviour began to feel legible.

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