Domino is a set of tiles, often rectangular in shape and twice as long as wide, which can be stacked together in a variety of ways to play a number of games. The tiles are typically marked with numbers or dots, called pips, that range from six pips to none or blank. Known by many other names such as bones, cards, or men, dominoes are one of the oldest gaming tools in history and can be used to teach math skills.
The word domino is derived from the Latin verb “dominare,” which means to dominate or control. The game is so popular that a term has been coined to describe the effect of a small action causing something much larger to happen, the “domino effect.” For example, if one person decides to take a stand on a social issue or political topic, this can inspire others to join them in their cause and start a movement that eventually leads to a major change in society.
While the word domino has many meanings, the game itself is simple enough that anyone can learn how to play it. Dominoes are a great toy for children, who will enjoy stacking the pieces on end in lines and watching them fall. Some children will even build complex designs using dominoes. While the dominoes might seem fragile, they are actually very durable and can be used for years.
Domino is also a name of a magazine published by Conde Nast and the title of a book written by the magazine’s founder, Martha Stewart. The online edition of the magazine has a strong social media presence and features articles on design, food, and travel. The magazine is the third-largest consumer publication in the United States and has a loyal readership.
In comic books, Domino (Neena Thurman) was the product of an illicit government weapons program that intended to harness her mutant shapeshifting powers as a weapon. She escaped and became a mercenary before joining X-Force. She was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Danielle Moonstar to help prevent the depraved director of Weapon X, Malcolm Colcord, from exposing the mutants’ true nature in his clandestine Operation Zero Tolerance project.
Domino’s physics is quite interesting. Because the dominoes are stacked so tightly together, they have a large amount of inertia. This is why they don’t move until a domino is knocked over. Once a domino is pushed over, it releases the potential energy that has been stored within it. This energy is then used to push over other dominoes, forming a chain reaction. Hevesh, the domino artist featured in the documentary Domino: The Art of the Thrill, plans out her design before she begins building. She may plan for straight or curved lines, grids that form pictures, stacked walls, or 3-D structures like towers and pyramids. She will calculate how many dominoes of each color she will need before beginning her creation. She will also mark arrows on her paper to indicate the direction the dominoes will fall.