Domino is a popular family game in which players place dominoes in a row on the table. Each domino has a number showing on one end and on the other. Each player must play a domino so that it touches either the end of another domino or an empty spot on the table. The first player to do so wins the game.
Domino has become a symbol of innovation, and the company continues to innovate in the way it delivers pizzas and other foods. In addition to experimenting with delivery by drones, the company has developed apps for mobile phones and other devices that allow customers to order pizza by texting an emoji or using their voice. The company also is working to add new ways for people to pick up orders, including at gas stations.
In her mind-blowing domino installations, Hevesh creates arrangements that involve thousands of unmoving dominoes. Each requires hours to set up, and the time it takes for them to fall is nerve-wracking. Yet Hevesh says that the main force at work is one physical phenomenon: gravity. She explains that the dominoes’ inertia keeps them standing upright, even when no outside force is pushing or pulling on them. But a tiny nudge is enough to overcome that inertia and send a domino falling. As it falls, it pushes on the next domino and sets off a chain reaction that continues until all the dominoes have fallen.
Hevesh’s designs aren’t just impressive; they illustrate basic principles of physics and mathematics. For example, her creations use a simple version of the engineering-design process. She starts with a theme or purpose, and then she brainstorms images or words that might be appropriate. She also considers the shape of each domino. A domino with a round top is better suited for curved chains than one with a rectangular shape.
As Hevesh works, she follows another engineering-design principle: divide the problem into subproblems and solve them one at a time. In the case of her dominoes, each domino has a unique layout that can be analyzed and understood.
For instance, each domino is part of a suit that corresponds to a particular number. Each suit contains four tiles, and two of the same numbers are considered to match if the total sum of their spots is equal. If a domino is in more than one suit, it’s known as a composite domino.
The most common domino sets sold today contain double six and double nine tiles. Other sets exist, but these are mostly used for games involving several players. There are two main types of domino games: blocking games and scoring games. Blocking games require a player to place a domino so that it blocks an opponent’s movement, while scoring games let each player score points by putting down a tile. In both cases, a player must wait until every other player has played their dominoes before starting to place her own.