The Many Uses of Dominoes

A domino is a small rectangular block, typically twice as long as it is wide, that is used as a gaming object. It has an identity-bearing face with a pattern of spots or markings that resemble those on dice, and a blank face. The spots on a domino are called pips and the number of pips on one end determines its value, which can range from six to zero. The total of the values on both ends is referred to as its rank or weight.

A person who creates an elaborate arrangement of dominoes and then lets them fall according to the laws of physics is known as a domino artist. This sort of art can take many forms, from straight lines to curved ones, grids that form pictures, or even 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. The most important thing to remember when creating this kind of art is that it relies on the physical phenomenon of gravity to fall in the correct order. Hevesh says that this is the key factor that makes her designs work, as it ensures that each piece will be pulled downward toward Earth by the force of gravity and then fall on top of the next piece in line.

Dominoes have also been used to play positional games in which each player plays a domino edge-to-edge against another, trying to make the exposed ends of the two dominoes match (i.e., a pair of one’s touching each other, or a pair of two’s touching each other). When all the dominoes are played, the first player wins the game.

The popularity of dominoes among adults and children, along with their relatively low price, has led to the development of a variety of games using them. Some of the most popular include:

In the simplest domino games, players simply arrange the dominoes in long lines on the table. When the first domino is tipped over, it falls onto the next one in the line, which then tips over, and so on until all of the dominoes are tipped over. The resulting chain reaction is what gives dominoes their name and has led to the common phrase, the “domino effect,” to describe events that begin with just one action but have much greater–and sometimes catastrophic–consequences.

The current labor shortage is impacting Domino’s delivery service, but this isn’t going to slow the company down in the long term. By focusing on its digital channel and leveraging its carryout business, Domino’s will be able to address these challenges while still growing its overall sales. As a result, I expect Domino’s to continue its strong growth and profitability in the years ahead.