The Many Uses of Domino
Domino is a game where players place domino pieces on end in long lines, then knock them over. When the first one falls, it triggers a chain reaction that causes every domino in line to topple over. These chains can form very elaborate patterns. Eventually, the last domino falls and everything comes crashing down! This type of domino effect is often used in movies to show that a single event can have far-reaching consequences.
In more serious applications, domino can refer to a system that is designed to control multiple aspects of business operations. This is sometimes called a “domino database,” and it allows organizations to track and manage their data in a way that facilitates analytics, automation, and security. For example, a company may have several databases that store customer information, employee records, and financial transactions. A domino database could help them visualize these records in a way that helps them identify trends and make more informed decisions.
The word domino is derived from the Latin domina, which means “female ruler.” In this sense of the word, it refers to a person or thing that has a powerful influence over others. The word also refers to a large group of people that have been gathered together for a common purpose. The first recorded use of the term in the English language was in a 1689 book that described the game as being popular at a cafe.
Although domino is a fun game to play with family and friends, it can also be used to create complex art. A renowned domino artist, Sheila Hevesh, has created incredible displays that involve thousands of dominoes. Her installations can include curved lines, grids that form pictures, and 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. Hevesh uses the laws of physics to guide her work, and she carefully tests each section before putting it all together.
Hevesh relies on one physical phenomenon in particular when constructing her intricate domino arrangements: gravity. When a domino is standing upright, it has potential energy (the amount of energy it can store based on its position). But when you knock it over, that energy is converted to kinetic energy, which is then used to push the next domino. Each domino in a chain will then use that energy to cause the next domino to fall.
Another reason that Sheila Hevesh’s domino arrangements are so successful is that each one is carefully crafted to work with the specific materials she has chosen. Many domino sets are made of bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), or ivory with contrasting black or white pips. Alternatively, some sets are made from natural materials such as marble, granite, or soapstone; metals like brass and pewter; and ceramic clay.
Similarly, tools that facilitate data science best practices need to be constructed from the ground up. As more analytical teams adopt best practices from software engineering, the tools they use must be able to handle these new workflows. Otherwise, they risk being unable to keep up with their peers.