Domino, a game in which players place dominoes side by side and then knock them over. The pieces can be arranged in many ways, including straight lines and curves, grids that form pictures, stacked walls, and 3D structures like pyramids. You can also design your own tracks for dominoes to fall on, which can be fun and challenging.
A domino is a flat, thumb-sized rectangular block, with one face bearing an arrangement of dots or spots (known as pips) and the other blank or identically patterned. The number of pips on a domino corresponds to its rank in a set, which is normally numbered from 1 to 28.
In the United States, dominoes are primarily used for playing positional games such as bergen and muggins, in which players try to empty their opponents’ hands by blocking them or scoring points. Most domino games are adapted from card games, and some are designed to help teach number recognition and counting. Some are played in groups, while others are solo activities. In the United Kingdom, dominoes are also popular in clubs and pubs, where they are commonly referred to as dominoes or dominoes.
When a domino falls, it converts potential energy to kinetic energy (energy of motion). Some of this energy is transmitted to the next domino in line, providing the push needed to knock it over as well. Continuing in this way, the energy of each domino is transferred to the next until the whole set has fallen.
Hevesh, a domino artist with more than 2 million YouTube subscribers, creates mind-blowing domino setups that take several nail-biting minutes to complete. She works on projects ranging from movie premieres to album launches for Katy Perry, and she has helped set a Guinness World Record for the most dominoes toppled in a circular arrangement.
In addition to the physics of her setups, Hevesh considers aesthetics and timing when designing her displays. She tests each section of a project and films the results to check for precision and correct any errors. In her most complex setups, these tests can span several hours.
Like the pips on a domino, story elements can be added to a story in many different ways. In fiction, these “scene dominoes” can be arranged to advance the plot or illustrate an argument. Nonfiction writers can use them to make a point or add visual appeal.
In a business context, the term domino is often used to refer to a company that possesses a powerful brand. For example, in a famous episode of the TV show Undercover Boss, CEO Don Meij visits a Domino’s restaurant to find out why its delivery service is so successful. He finds that the company’s domino effect extends to its marketing and branding.