When someone says, “domino effect,” you may think of a lineup of hundreds or thousands of dominoes that are set up in careful sequence—and then, when the first one is tipped ever so slightly, they all fall in a beautiful cascade of rhythmic movement. But the phrase also applies to any sequence of events that follow logically from earlier ones.
Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Juan, who wants to know, “What is a domino effect?”
Dominoes are individual tiles used in a game of chance or skill, commonly known as bones, cards, men, pieces, or stones. The most common type of domino is the double-six, which consists of 28 tiles. Other types of domino include double-nine, double-15, and double-12. Each has its own rules of play, and there are countless games that can be played with them.
The basic rule of most domino games is that you lay down a domino next to another domino so that the number on each end (or blank) matches each other. Then the player to his left plays on the matching ends, and so on. Each player tries to block the other players from making a play, and the player who plays the last domino wins the hand.
Some sets of domino are made from different materials, including bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, and dark hardwoods such as ebony. They have a more substantial feel than polymer sets, and their contrasting colors make them more visually appealing. Some are even carved in intricate patterns.
There are also many domino shows where professional builders build mind-blowing domino setups that are then tipped over by the performers in front of an audience of fans. It’s a fascinating display of both art and science, as the builders calculate precisely how each piece will fall—and then execute it flawlessly. The builders go through a version of an engineering-design process when creating these amazing displays: They start by considering the theme or purpose of the installation, and then brainstorm ideas to express those themes. They might incorporate imagery or words that reflect their thinking, and then they create diagrams to illustrate those ideas. Finally, they develop a prototype that they test in advance.
If the prototype works, the building team will go through the process of modifying it as needed until they are satisfied that it will perform as intended. Then they create a final version of the design. As they do so, they are continually analyzing the performance of each piece and its connections to other parts of the structure. Once they are satisfied that the final product will work as intended, it is ready for production. During production, the team might have to tweak the design in order to meet production deadlines or other requirements. But they always keep the original vision in mind, and they strive to bring that vision to life. If you’re interested in learning more about domino, read the articles in this section, then check out our selection of domino toys and games!