Dominoes are a type of game piece with spots or pips on each end. They can be lined up in long lines and tipped over to create very complex designs. Some people use dominoes to play games that involve blocking or scoring points, while others use them to make artistic structures. Today’s Wonder of the Day, inspired by Juan, asks, “What is the Domino Effect?”
Dominoes come in many different shapes and sizes, but they all have the same basic structure: a square base with pips on each side. A set of dominoes typically contains 28 pieces, although they can be more or less than that number. Depending on the rules of a particular game, dominoes can be used to make straight or curved lines, grids that form pictures, stacked walls, or even 3-D structures such as towers and pyramids.
The earliest domino sets were made of wood or bone, but the modern plastic variety became popular around the 1950s. They’re also available in electronic versions that allow people to compete with one another over the Internet. Regardless of the type, dominoes are a fun and educational way to spend time with friends or family.
A domino is normally twice as long as it is wide, making it easy to stack and re-stack them. The square bases are numbered with dots or pips, usually from 1 to 12, though some are blank. Each domino has a value that indicates its rank or weight, which is calculated as the sum of the numbers on the two exposed ends (the other sides may be blank). The higher the ranking, the more valuable the domino is.
Hevesh’s mind-blowing creations require a great deal of skill and planning. To begin a project, she starts by considering the theme or purpose of her installation. Then she brainstorms images or words that might be appropriate to it. Finally, she uses a version of the engineering-design process to develop an overall design and calculates how many dominoes she will need.
The next step is to lay down a foundation by placing the first domino in line with the previous ones. Each adjacent domino must match in size and shape to its predecessor, and the touching ends must match as well (i.e., one’s touch two’s). If the exposed pips total any multiple of five, the player scores that number of points.
The final step is to place the remaining dominoes in their places and complete the layout. The player then adds to their score based on the number of dots left in their opponents’ hands. The player with the most points wins. Currently, Domino’s is working hard to keep up with the demands for its delivery service, which is having an impact on their growth, due to a labor shortage that is limiting their ability to hire and train enough drivers. In the short term, the company is focusing on its digital capabilities to drive customer engagement and reduce costs.