Dominoes are flat, thumb-sized blocks used as gaming pieces. They have either one or six pips (or dots) on each face and are blank on the other. A domino is normally twice as long as it is wide, allowing them to be stacked easily in horizontal rows or columns. Dominoes can be arranged in many different ways, including lines and angular patterns. They can also be laid down to form a matrix, with the values of adjacent ends matching. This allows games to be played where the total value of a tile depends on its location.
Dominos can be made from a variety of materials, including bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, and ebony. They may be painted or inlaid with contrasting black or white dots, or etched with a design to give them a more interesting appearance. Modern sets are often made from plastic, but wood is still the most common material.
Unlike cards or dice, which have a limited number of possible combinations, dominoes can be produced in large numbers. This gives them a great variety of uses, from simple games like block-building and scoring to complex positional games, where a domino is placed in relation to other ones and must match some specified total.
The most common domino sets consist of 28 tiles, with each one having a value of between zero and six pips. However, these can be extended by adding new “ends” with varying numbers of pips; the most common extension is double-nine (55 tiles).
A domino effect occurs when a single event causes a series of related events that result in a change in some other variable. This change is often the opposite of what was originally expected, and it can occur in a wide range of situations. A common example is a domino rally, which refers to a game where participants use their hands as the starting point for a chain reaction.
Another domino effect is when a small group of people act as an amplifier for an idea that starts out small but can grow rapidly. This phenomenon is especially important in the context of the Internet, where the ability to spread a message quickly and broadly can be crucial for success.
In fiction, a scene domino is a single action that can create an impact on the scene ahead of it. For instance, if a character finds an important clue and then the next scene doesn’t raise tension or build toward the resolution of the mystery, something is wrong. Whether you’re a pantser who writes off the cuff or take your time with an outline in Scrivener, considering how to use domino effects in your story can help ensure that each scene is both relevant and effective.
Tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day will be more about a chain reaction than a domino effect, but it will certainly make your stomach growl. Tune in to find out more!