Domino, a game of lining up a set of small black and white rectangles, is a favorite pastime among children. It is also played as a competitive sport.
A domino is a flat, thumbsized, rectangular block of rigid material, commonly made of wood or bone. It has a line in the middle to divide it visually into two squares, called ends, each bearing from one to six pips or dots.
Many people play with dominoes as a fun way to pass the time and build social connections. They can be stacked up in long rows and knocked over or laid down in a variety of geometric patterns, including lines and angular shapes.
These games have their origins in ancient China. There, they are known as pupai, which translates to “domino.” The Chinese domino set was originally designed to represent each possible face of thrown dice; however, it later evolved into a different type of game.
When you push a domino to fall, the force of gravity pulls it toward Earth, sending it crashing into the next domino in the stack and setting off a domino effect.
This phenomenon has been observed for thousands of years, and scientists still study it today. In fact, it’s the primary reason a domino artist like Hevesh is able to create so many intricate designs.
She has used a scientific approach to create incredible displays that tumble according to the laws of physics.
Hevesh has worked on team projects involving 300,000 dominoes and helped set a Guinness World Record for the most dominoes toppled in a circular arrangement: 76,017.
When she sets up a new installation, Hevesh considers several factors, including the amount of space available and the size of the dominoes. She also works with other team members to ensure each domino is placed at the perfect spot for it to tumble.
She also uses a lot of scientific data to plan her creations. She makes sure each domino is angled so it will tumble at a specific rate, and she counts how much energy the dominoes use up as they slide against each other.
These numbers, she says, are important to know because they help her predict when a domino will tumble. She can then make adjustments to the design so it’s ready to fall when it’s time.
In her work, Hevesh has created a wide range of dominoes–from tiny to gigantic–and she’s built intricate displays that take several nail-biting minutes to fall.
But even the most elaborate of her designs can be ruined by something as simple as a mistake. A domino that doesn’t fall in its proper spot can be a safety hazard.
That’s why Hevesh works with a team of scientists to test every one of her designs. They measure how much energy each domino uses up when it falls and compare that data to the amount of force needed to knock a domino over.
This process allows her to create amazing installations, including a domino that is shaped like a volcano and a dominoes-shaped tower that rises into the sky. She’s used her scientific knowledge to create these complex creations and is able to create them with a fraction of the energy required for a traditional domino display.