A domino is a rectangular block marked with a series of numbers on one side and blank or dotted on the other. Dominoes are like dice or playing cards in that they can be used to play a wide variety of games. The most popular domino game in the West involves placing a piece of the set edge to edge against another so that their adjacent sides are either identical or form some specified total, with the first player to do so scoring points.
When a domino is stood upright, it has potential energy (energy stored based on its position), and when the first domino falls, that energy is converted from potential to kinetic energy. This kinetic energy is transferred to each subsequent domino, propelling it into motion and potentially setting off a chain reaction that sees the whole set topple.
A similar principle applies to the work world, as discussed in the classic book Influence by Robert Cialdini. His key idea is that people are more likely to honor commitments and follow through on them if they perceive the benefit as being in line with their self-image. In a recent article, Forbes writer Daniel Schwab describes how his boss, the CEO of Domino’s Pizza, used this concept to help the company address its biggest problem: employee turnover.
Domino’s strategy was simple: rather than asking employees to do everything, the company asked them to choose their top task for the day and work on that until it was completed. Schwab believed that by making this the priority, and ensuring that it was followed through on, Domino’s would be in a better position to attract and retain the best talent in the industry.
There are many different ways to use a domino set, from simply lining up tiles in straight lines to creating grids that form pictures or 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. You can also create intricate pieces of domino art, combining the shapes and colors of individual dominoes to make patterns or portraits.
While the word domino is most often associated with a particular type of gaming device, it has an even older sense: the term was once used to describe a long hooded cloak worn by a priest over his surplice. This is suggested by the fact that the earliest dominoes were made with black pips on ivory faces, reminiscent of the color scheme of the hooded garment.
The most common domino sets contain 28 tiles, with each piece displaying either a number or a blank side. As the sets have grown larger, it’s become more difficult to distinguish between them by sight alone. This has led to the development of more standardized color schemes and the use of Arabic numerals to make identification easier. Larger sets are available that contain as many as 190 dominoes.