Domino is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces. Each domino consists of a rectangular tile divided by an invisible line into two square ends by one square end, with either of its ends marked by spots or blank (and in some cases both), making its back indistinguishable from its front (or, sometimes identical). Depending on the game played dominoes may be linked at right angles or at intersections and placed multiple ways into lines and patterns to form various layouts and lines.
Dominoes can be used in many different games, as well as being an invaluable way of teaching children cause and effect. Each piece falls down with great force when one falls, setting off a chain reaction which causes more pieces to topple over.
There are various domino games, each requiring its own unique set of rules and strategies to succeed. Some are straightforward while others can become complex – all require careful preparation and strategy in order to succeed.
Some of the most popular domino games involve placing tiles in a line so they all connect at one end, then topping each domino with another tile, which pushes it over and creates a chain reaction that can continue for as long as players want to play; some even include time limits to make things more challenging!
Domino enthusiasts take great pleasure in watching their meticulously planned setup topple over, offering them the thrill of the surprise when all of the tiles collapse in an exciting display. That is why people compete in domino shows – builders arrange hundreds or even thousands of dominoes that they aim at tipping over at an impressive show to an attentive live audience.
Hevesh excels at crafting intricate domino setups. She attributes their success to a combination of factors; however, one physical phenomenon in particular plays an integral part: gravity. “Gravity is what allows me to set up these incredible things,” Hevesh notes in her video about her work. When designing dominoes she considers their appearance and potential impacts before beginning construction.
Once she has her tiles laid out in carefully planned configurations, she begins placing them. Some larger domino sets require several agonizing minutes of assembly before simply letting gravity take its course and let the tiles tumble to their inevitable fates.
Stephen Morris, a physicist from the University of Toronto, agrees that gravity makes dominoes so captivating to watch. He once assembled 13 dominoes that were 1.5 times bigger than one another – starting out small at just 5 millimeters tall and 1 millimeter thick with each successive domino needing to be set up with a tweezer while reaching over three feet tall and 100 pounds. Each domino had potential energy in its position but as each fell, that potential energy converted to kinetic energy; giving each subsequent domino enough push needed for it to topple over.
