A domino is a small rectangular block of wood or plastic, bearing one or more dots that resemble those on dice. The word is also used to describe a game played with such blocks, or a chain of such games, in which players alternately play tiles until the entire pile is covered or knocked over.
Dominoes are used to teach counting and math, and many children’s games involve putting the pieces in order or building structures with them. They are also used in a variety of gambling games, such as poker, and to train people for chess and bridge. A set of dominoes consists of twenty-four tiles, each bearing a number on both sides, from zero to six, with a blank or “no-pips” side that is not numbered and cannot be used in scoring. Each domino is normally twice as long as it is wide and may feature a line in the middle to help distinguish the two matching ends. Larger sets of dominoes include extended sets that increase the maximum number of pips on each end, and some have more-readable Arabic numerals instead of pips.
In a game of domino, the first player starts by placing a tile on the table with its matching end touching a tile that has already been placed. Each subsequent player then places a new tile so that its matching end touches another tile that has already been placed. This creates a domino chain that grows in length as more and more tiles are played. The shape of the chain varies according to the whims and limitations of the playing surface.
When the first domino is knocked over, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy, or energy of motion. This energy is then transmitted to the next domino, giving it the push it needs to fall over as well. The energy continues to be transmitted to the next domino and so on, until all the dominoes have fallen.
Similarly, the domino effect can apply to a person’s life, as demonstrated by a high school teacher who was pulled over for speeding and found to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest in connection with a domestic violence incident, which he later denied. The subsequent tumult led to the teacher’s resignation and the firing of more than a dozen staff members.
Domino’s Pizza, which specializes in pizza delivery, has been the subject of a series of episodes on the popular television show Undercover Boss. In these episodes, CEO Don Meij sends the show’s host to work in several of the company’s restaurants and delivery services, where he takes on the role of an employee to see how the business runs and what problems need to be addressed. These shows have helped the company maintain a positive image and continue to thrive in a competitive food industry. However, if the business continues to neglect other aspects of its operations, such as training and quality control, it could suffer the same fate as some failed restaurant chains.