Dominoes are small square or rectangular tiles with a line of pips (indicators of numbers) on each end. They are stacked on top of each other in long lines, and when the first domino is tipped, it causes the rest to tip over. This process continues until all the dominoes have fallen. People play all sorts of games with them, and some even make elaborate arrangements of them to create beautiful art. This concept inspired a popular phrase: the domino effect, which means that one small action can cause many larger consequences.
In addition to its recreational use, domino is also a tool for teaching math and language skills. Children can practice counting as they place a domino in a row, or use the pips to form simple sums like three plus two. They can also use the pips to write letters and words.
A domino set consists of twenty-eight tiles, with each tile having either one or six pips. The number of pips on each end determines what type of game can be played. The dominoes are arranged in two suits: the ace suit has four pips on each end and is used to mark a winner, while the seven-of-eight suit has only three pips on each end and is used for scoring the least points. The most common sets are double-twelve (91 tiles) and double-nine (55 tiles). A few larger ones, such as double-18 (136 tiles), exist but are rare.
The earliest known dominoes are believed to have been invented in China, although they were not introduced to Europe until the late 18th century. By that time, dominoes were already a fad in Italy and France. In the early 18th century, a puzzle domino called domine was produced in which players placed a series of tiles based on their arithmetic properties: if a single-sided tile matched another in length or shape, the player could continue placing tiles until a particular total was reached.
In addition to games, dominoes are popular as toys for children because they can be stacked on each other in long rows. They can also be laid flat to create intricate designs and are sometimes painted in bright colors or adorned with stickers. Hevesh, a domino artist who has created many impressive layouts and holds a Guinness World Record for a circular arrangement of dominoes, began collecting dominoes when she was just 10. She has now turned her hobby into a professional career.
Hevesh carefully tests each section of her domino setups before putting them together. She makes sure all the pieces are positioned properly and that they will fall as intended, and then she films them in slow motion to check for any problems. The largest installations can take several nail-biting minutes to fall.
Hevesh says that a large part of her job is to keep up with the latest trends in the industry. She also talks to customers and employees to find out what they want from the company. These strategies, along with other changes, have helped Domino’s increase sales and profits.
