Dominoes are a classic toy that children love to play with. They can be arranged in long lines to create a fascinating design. When the first domino is tipped over, it sets off a chain reaction that can take some time for all the pieces to fall.
This is the basic principle behind many of the games that can be played with dominoes. Each domino has a ridged face with an arrangement of dots or pips (like the spots on a six-sided die) or a blank face. One side of each domino is a different color than the other. There are two main types of domino games, positional and scoring. In positional games, each player places a domino edge to edge against another domino such that the ends of the two match or form some specified total.
A domino that has a number showing on both ends belongs to the suit of that number; there are suits of threes, fours, fives, and sixes. Each suit has 28 unique dominoes. Other shapes and colors of dominoes are also available.
The most basic Western domino set has seven tiles with pips from one to six. The pips are arranged in the same way as on dice, so that there is a unique piece for each possible combination of two ends with zero to six spots. There are also extended domino sets, which add more tiles by introducing ends with higher numbers of pips and thereby increasing the number of unique pieces.
Lily Hevesh began playing with dominoes as a child and loved the thrill of flicking a first domino and watching it cascade down a line or an angular pattern. She now works as a professional domino artist, creating impressive setups for movies and events. Hevesh says that while there are many factors involved in a great domino project, one of the most important is science. “Gravity is key,” she explains. “It takes several nail-biting minutes for my largest installations to fall.”
When writing a story, the domino effect is an important concept to keep in mind. It is the idea that one small trigger can lead to a sequence of larger events that run counter to what most readers would find logical.
For example, if your hero does something immoral, you must provide enough logic that allows readers to either forgive the behavior or at least tolerate it. Otherwise, you risk alienating the reader and losing their interest.
When applied to the workplace, the domino effect suggests that a small change in an employee’s behavior can trigger a chain reaction that leads to changes in other employees’ behaviors. A good manager can facilitate this effect by observing employees and offering encouragement and recognition when appropriate. The effect can be a powerful motivating tool for employees. It can help to increase employee satisfaction and productivity, and reduce absenteeism and turnover rates. It is also a useful technique for managers to employ when trying to achieve organizational goals.