Domino is a popular game that involves stacking small blocks of wood or plastic on top of each other in long lines. When one is tipped over, it triggers the others to tip over as well. The result is a chain reaction that can be as simple or as complex as the player wishes. The name of the game has also given rise to the term “domino effect,” referring to a series of events that begin with a single action and have larger-than-expected consequences.
The first domino set was probably created in Italy or France in the mid-18th century, but it gained wide popularity in England during the 19th century. Since then, a great variety of different games have been devised for the domino, which can be played by one or more players.
Some of the more complex domino games involve building positional chains of tiles. These require careful planning to make sure that each domino has a clear path to its target, and the chain should end with a tile touching a double or a double touched by a tile with a number on it. This type of domino game helps players develop strategy, and it can be fun even for children.
A player can use his or her own dominoes to play a domino game, or he or she can purchase them from a toy store or online. Commercial sets of dominoes typically include 28 large double-sided square tiles, with pips (markers) in two colors, black or white. Some sets also include smaller square tiles of a different color or of the same color as the pips on the larger ones.
Many people enjoy playing domino games with friends and family members as a social activity. There are also domino tournaments and domino leagues where players compete to win games or to reach specific goals in a certain number of weeks.
The most common dominoes are made of polymer, which is a durable material that can withstand some abuse. However, more luxurious and elegant dominoes are often made of ivory, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell, bone, or a dark hardwood such as ebony. Such sets have a more classic appearance and are heavier than the polymer versions.
Dominoes can be used for a variety of purposes, from teaching basic counting and addition to encouraging motor skills. They can also be used to build patterns and structures, such as trains, castles, or cities. A special type of domino, called a duplex, has two matching faces and is used for creating very complex structures.
Hevesh has worked on team projects that involved as many as 300,000 dominoes, and her largest arrangements take several nail-biting minutes to fall. But she credits one physical phenomenon with making her work possible: gravity.
When Hevesh works on a new project, she makes test versions of each section in order to ensure that they are accurate. After that, she assembles them into an integrated whole. This process is reminiscent of the way a chain of events can be predicted by analyzing what has already happened and what will happen next.