The domino effect is a cascade of small actions that eventually lead to greater consequences. It’s also a metaphor for the way our identities can transform as we make new choices and habits.
Domino is a block-and-draw game for two or more players that uses 28 pieces, usually called bones, cards, tiles, men, stones, spinners, or tickets. The first player (determined by the drawing of lots, or by the heaviest hand) places the first tile on the table.
Before playing, the tiles must be shuffled. This is done to ensure that no one knows where any particular piece of the dominos are located. Once the shuffle is complete, the tiles are then placed on-edge in front of each player so that they can see their own tiles but cannot see any of the other players’ tiles.
Each tile in the set has a number of dots, or pips, on either end. The lower number on the end is referred to as the “heaviest” domino, while the higher number is referred to as the “lightest.”
There are many different games that can be played using dominoes, but they all share a common underlying theme: matching pairs of the same numbers. In addition, some games also involve matching pairs of the same color.
A domino set typically contains 28 pieces and is often referred to as a “boneyard.” These tiles are usually shuffled before each game, so that no one knows where any particular tile is. Once all the tiles have been shuffled, each player draws seven pieces from the stock.
The domino game is a Western game that originated in Italy and France during the mid-18th century. It spread to England, where it is said to have been introduced by French prisoners.
It is commonly played in cafes and restaurants in Europe. The game is also popular in the United States, where it is played by two to four people.
There are many variants of the game, including positional games that require a specific number of pips or faces to form a certain total. Other variations include Five-Up, a popular game in the United States that uses multicolored dominoes and is based on the idea of matching pairs of the same number.
Some variations of the game can be very complex. For example, the All Fives game requires a special set of dominoes that have multiple colors and are shaped like spinners.
Stacking dominoes in long lines is also an interesting phenomenon that can create stunning visual art. If the spacing is right, dominoes will topple over one after another, creating a chain reaction that can be very impressive to watch.
A professor of physics at the University of British Columbia named Lorne Whitehead published an article in 1983 in the American Journal of Physics that illustrated this phenomena, which he called the domino effect. In this article, he explained how one domino could knock down another that was 50% larger than itself.