Domino is an asymmetric, tile-based table game of chance played with one or more players. Each domino has a single end that either bears a number or is blank. The player places a domino on the table and then, in turn, adds another domino to the ends of the first domino to create a chain that continues to grow in length.
As the chain grows, each new domino must touch both matching ends of the preceding one in order to remain stable. The resulting shape of the chain varies according to the rules of the game, but it is always a snake-line of dominos. The first player to place a domino that touches both matching ends of the previous domino in the proper way wins the game.
The term “domino” also refers to a system of organization or process, or the sequence of events that leads to a particular outcome. For example, the domino effect in healthcare is when a patient comes into a hospital with one infection but leaves with a different or worse infection. This type of infection is known as a nosocomial infection and can be caused by medical professionals who do not properly wash their hands.
Domino’s success as a pizza chain is often attributed to their strategic decision to set up stores near college campuses, allowing the company to attract customers who wanted quick delivery of a product that had been made locally. This strategy has been credited with helping Domino’s become the largest pizza retailer in the world.
Lily Hevesh grew up playing with dominoes, starting with the classic 28-piece set her grandparents gave her when she was 9. She quickly moved on to creating more elaborate setups and videos of them online. Now, Hevesh is a professional domino artist who works with companies and individuals to plan out 3-D tracks that fall in spectacular ways, including tracks that form images or letters, as well as straight and curved lines.
To ensure that her creations work as planned, Hevesh starts by making a test version of each section of the track in a small area. She then films each section in slow motion so she can see if any changes are necessary. She will make those changes before moving on to adding the final sections and ultimately the entire installation.
The physics behind how dominoes fall is fascinating. Though they appear to stand firmly in place until a small outside force is applied, the fact is that each domino has inertia that resists movement. When the first domino is pushed, it pushes back against the next domino in line until the chain of unmoving pieces snaps and falls. The energy that was initially stored in the first domino is converted into friction and heat, causing the other dominoes to fall as well.