Domino is a game in which players place dominoes edge to edge against one another, each showing a number on either end. They then try to build a chain of dominoes without letting the other player knock over their own dominoes. The first to succeed is the winner.
The word “domino” and the game itself were first recorded in France in 1750. The word may have derived from the French for cape, which might suggest that the original shape of the domino, with its black and white surfaces, resembled the long hooded cloak worn by priests over their surplices.
Many people have played dominoes as children by lining them up in long rows and then knocking them over. Others play more sophisticated games with these rectangular pieces of wood. Some even create mind-blowing setups to show off their skills. For example, Hevesh, a 20-year-old who has amassed more than 2 million YouTube subscribers, creates intricate domino projects that require hours of careful planning to bring to life.
Whether you’re an expert or an amateur, the Domino Effect can be used to inspire new behaviors and achieve goals. For instance, when Jennifer Dukes Lee decided to make her bed four days in a row, she set in motion a series of small actions that influenced how she managed other parts of her home. This is called the Domino Effect because once you set in motion a new behavior, it tends to spread like a virus.
The science behind a domino effect is fascinating. A domino is a rectangular piece of wood with two square ends, each bearing a number from 1 to 6. When you touch a domino, the top of the middle section slides over the bottom of the other end and creates friction. As a result, the potential energy stored in each domino converts to kinetic energy, or the energy of motion (see How Does a Domino Fall?). Then, some of that energy is transmitted to the next domino, which causes it to push on its adjacent edges. And so on, until the last domino falls.
Hevesh’s impressive designs depend on a variety of physical principles, but she says one phenomenon is crucial: gravity. A domino has inertia, or a tendency to resist movement, when no outside force is acting on it. But once it begins to fall, its inertia is overpowered by the pull of Earth.
The same is true for a domino chain. Once a domino starts falling, it’s impossible for it to stop until the last domino has fallen. This is why it’s so difficult to predict when a domino will fall. It’s also why the best domino builders are able to create spectacular sequences in front of crowds at domino shows. Unlike a typical pizza delivery vehicle, a domino is an all-or-nothing event: Once the domino begins to move, it can’t stop until its final destination is reached.