Domino is a small rectangular block of wood or another material that has a line in the middle and is printed with spots resembling those on dice. It is one of the pieces in a set of dominoes, which also includes matching tiles and markers that indicate point values. Each domino is normally twice as long as it is wide. There are many different games that can be played with a domino set. Some of the most popular games include a game called bergen, in which players place a piece edge to edge on an opponent’s piece to form some specified total. Other games are blocking games, such as Mexican train or chicken foot. Some games involve counting pips, while others require the player to identify the number of pips in a given space or area.
Regardless of the specific rules of a domino game, all of them use the same physical principle: As a domino falls, its potential energy converts to kinetic energy, or the energy of motion. This kinetic energy then transfers to the next domino, providing the push it needs to fall as well. Ultimately, this chain reaction continues until the last domino has fallen.
For anyone who has watched a video of a massive domino sculpture or installation, the domino effect is unmistakable. It’s what makes it so satisfying to watch hundreds or thousands of dominoes arranged in carefully crafted sequences, all toppling with the slightest nudge. Domino builders are often invited to demonstrate their skills in a live arena of fans, where they build a mind-blowing display and then knock it over in an instant.
This is the kind of thing that happens in fiction as well, albeit on a much grander scale. When you plot a novel, it’s important to consider how each part of the story will influence the next. In other words, every scene should have its own domino effect.
Domino has its roots in a French word for cape, which earlier denoted a long hooded cloak worn together with a mask at a carnival or masquerade. The name of the company that produces and sells dominoes is also related to this sense, as is the name for the small, circular disk used in the game.
As a brand, Domino’s has struggled in recent years. A new CEO was hired in 2004 to try and turn around the ailing business. He did this by introducing new items, and even attempted to expand into pizza delivery. Despite these attempts, Domino’s was still losing money, and they were in danger of going out of business.
The new CEO knew that something had to change, and that he needed to make it fast. He decided to take a page from the domino theory, and apply it to the way Domino’s did business. He created a “trainer” to help employees learn and practice the new way of doing things, and gave Domino’s a new identity and image in the process.