Domino is a small rectangular block used in a game of chance and skill. It features anywhere from 0 to 6 dots on each side. A domino can be stood up in a line and when it falls, it sets off a chain reaction that can continue for hundreds and even thousands of blocks. This is the domino effect, and it is a fundamental principle of human behavior explained in a famous book on influence and persuasion by Robert Cialdini.
Dominos are popular in a variety of games, both for children and adults. They can be matched to form patterns, or they can be knocked over to create impressive displays. The most popular games use a set of 28 dominoes, known as a double-six set, and are typically played between two people. Each player has a separate set of seven tiles that they draw from to start the game; the remainder are left in the boneyard (also called the stock). The first player plays the highest-valued domino, which is determined by the value of the dominoes in their hand and in their opponent’s hand. The players then play alternately until one player is unable to play any of their tiles, or the game ends.
Aside from being a fun way to pass the time, Dominoes have also been used as a tool for learning and team building. Domino’s CEO, JP Doyle, has incorporated the game into several of his company’s core values, including listening to employees and championing customers. He has also created an open dialogue with his staff, encouraging them to bring suggestions for improvement. This has led to many new innovations, such as Domino’s Pizza Tracker, which allows consumers to see how long it will be before they get their order.
Lily Hevesh has been a fan of dominoes since she was 9 years old, when her grandparents gave her a classic 28-pack. She loved setting them up in straight or curved lines and flicking them to watch them fall. Now, Hevesh is a professional domino artist with more than 2 million YouTube subscribers who watch her create stunning designs for movies, TV shows, and events. Her largest creations take several nail-biting minutes to fall.
Although Hevesh relies on her creativity and skill to create her masterpieces, she says one physical phenomenon is crucial to creating a great domino setup: gravity. “When a domino is standing upright, it’s lifting against the pull of gravity,” she explains. This energy is converted into kinetic energy when the domino falls, which in turn causes other dominoes to fall as it moves toward Earth.
The Domino Effect is also a key component of storytelling, and aspiring authors should be sure to consider the concept when plotting their novels. Whether you compose your manuscript off the cuff or take your time with a careful outline, thinking about dominoes can help you plan how a story will progress and how characters will react to each other.