Domino is a gender-neutral name that keeps its bearer always thinking two moves ahead. Its ties to an ancient blocking game encourage a cautious rule, but also reminds the player of the power of cause and effect.
A domino is a flat thumb-sized rectangular block, each side either blank or bearing from one to six pips or dots: 28 such pieces form a complete set. The pips give each domino a unique value that may be used for scoring purposes. Dominoes are often used to play games that involve laying a domino down in lines and angular patterns. They are also used to create three-dimensional structures such as towers and pyramids.
Many games are played with dominoes, most involving blocking and scoring. The most popular is a simple version of Concentration, where players try to match pairs of tiles with the same number on each end (or the same total number of pips). Two dominoes are considered to be “matched” when their ends touch. Once matched, the dominoes are then laid down in a chain that continues until all of the dominoes have been placed on the table.
Dominos also have been used to create a wide variety of art, including 3D structures and complex lines that form pictures when they fall. In recent years, the popularity of domino art has increased, and some artists have gained fame for their creations.
Lily Hevesh, a 20-year-old professional domino artist, has become known for her mind-blowing domino installations. Her YouTube channel has more than 2 million subscribers. She has created domino setups for movies, TV shows, and events, including a performance by pop singer Katy Perry.
Hevesh plans each domino design meticulously. First, she considers the theme or purpose of an installation and brainstorms images or words that might be appropriate. She then starts planning how the pieces will fit together. This involves making test versions of each section of the design. She films the tests in slow motion to make precise corrections. After each section works correctly, Hevesh puts the whole domino art together.
When a domino is standing upright, it has potential energy, which is its stored energy based on its position. When the domino falls, most of this potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, or energy of motion. Some of this kinetic energy is transferred to the next domino in the chain, providing the push needed for it to fall as well. This continues for each domino in the chain until all of the dominoes are positioned on the table.