Domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block, typically twice as long as wide, marked with dots or numbers that resemble those on dice. It is used to play a game with the other player or dominoes, in which a single tile falls over and triggers a series of subsequent actions that must be completed within a limited time. Its most common form is a double-sided tile, with the value of each end (either one or two) indicated by its number of spots. A domino is normally laid so that the matching ends are touching, and additional tiles may be added to each side of a double as long as both sides match. The shape of a chain that develops can vary, and rules governing the placement of tiles determine its direction, with doubles usually placed cross-ways in the layout straddling the end it is connected to.
In most games, the number of dominoes is limited to 28. However, larger sets are sometimes used by adding “extended” ends, which increase the number of possible combinations of pips and thus the number of dominoes. The most common extended sets include double-nine, double-twelve and double-nine-plus. The largest known domino set was a double-twelve-plus with 91 pieces, and although other large sets are possible they have never been made in practical use.
Hevesh has worked on projects involving hundreds of thousands of dominoes, and she helped establish a Guinness World Record for the longest Domino chain with an 8-mile (21.3 km) path. When creating her mind-blowing domino setups, she follows a version of the engineering design process: She considers the theme or purpose of the installation, brainstorms images and words she might want to use, and then creates the basic structure.
She then lays dominoes down in a row, and places them around the outside edge of her arrangement to create a frame that will hold the rest of the dominoes. She then fills in the gaps between dominoes with additional tiles, making sure they are level with each other and positioned at the correct height for the chain. Finally, she adds the final tiles to create the final domino pattern.
Once a domino is arranged, the first player begins by choosing one of their tiles. The player draws a hand of seven dominoes, and then places their tiles to the left or right of the first one they played. The first player to place all their tiles wins the round and goes next. If no one is able to place a tile, they must draw from the boneyard until they find a domino with the correct value.
The domino effect occurs when a small change leads to much greater—and often catastrophic—consequences. For example, when Jennifer Dukes Lee began making her bed each day, she started believing she was the type of person who maintained a clean and organized home. This changed her behavior, and eventually her beliefs spread to other areas of her life.