Dominoes are small, rectangular blocks of rigid material used as gaming objects. They can be made of bone, ivory, wood or polymer and may have a carved or inlaid design of dots, pips, lines or figures. The most common dominoes are made from wood or plastic and have one to six pips on each end. Other varieties have two or more pips on each end and are known as doubles or sevens. A specialized set called a double-six set has 28 unique tiles, which are usually arranged to represent the spots on a die or the results of throwing a pair of dice. The term “domino” also refers to the game itself, where players place a tile in front of them on the playing surface and then draw and play pieces on the ends of those tiles to form chains of dominoes that eventually fall over.
The game can be played alone or in teams. The first player to complete a line of dominoes wins the game. The most common domino games are blocking and scoring, but other types are played as well. For example, the domino game Five-Up uses a double-six set but has a different point system than the standard version.
In the past, domino sets were often made of expensive natural materials, such as silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl), bone or ivory with a dark hardwood, such as ebony, inlaid with black or white pips. Such sets are now less common and more often made from wood or polymer materials. In addition, a number of other materials are used to make dominoes: marble, granite and soapstone; various kinds of stone, including limestone, sandstone and soapstone; metals; and even ceramic clay and frosted glass.
Hevesh has created many intricate domino installations, some of which have taken her team a year to complete. She tests each section of a display before it is assembled, using the laws of physics to ensure that the dominoes will fall in the right way. Some of her largest displays take several nail-biting minutes to fall.
Dominoes can be a metaphor for the concept of momentum, the idea that focusing on one activity will generate energy to push other activities forward. This can be a powerful business strategy because it allows individuals to tackle daunting tasks that might otherwise overwhelm them by breaking them into smaller parts, or dominoes.
The Domino Effect
When a domino falls over, it causes a chain reaction in the surrounding pieces. This phenomenon is known as the Domino Effect, and it has numerous applications in personal and professional life. For example, the process of writing an essay can be broken down into a series of good dominoes that will result in a well-written finished product. In addition, the concept of momentum can be applied to goal setting. By focusing on one aspect of a goal, an individual can generate enough momentum to bring about other positive changes in his or her lifestyle.