The Domino Effect
Domino is a game that has fascinated people for centuries. The word itself comes from the Latin dominum, meaning “heavy” or “powerful.” It’s also a metaphor for a series of events that lead to much larger and sometimes catastrophic consequences. For example, a domino effect could be an accident in one manufacturing plant that damages a piece of equipment. This damage may in turn cause more accidents, leading to a chain reaction that eventually causes the entire operation to shut down.
Dominoes are small squares of wood, plastic or other material that are used to form straight or curved lines. They are most often stacked on end in long lines. When the first domino is tipped over, it sets off a chain reaction that causes every other domino in the line to fall as well. Dominoes can be arranged to create complex designs, and they can even be used as art.
The individual dominoes have an identifying pattern on one side and are blank or identically patterned on the other. They are identified by a row of spots, called pips, that look similar to those on a die. The number of pips on each domino is used to determine its identity, but some large domino sets use more readable Arabic numerals to avoid confusion with duplicate tiles.
Many children enjoy playing games with dominoes. The basic set typically consists of 28 dominoes, and the pieces can be matched together to form different shapes. There are a number of different games that can be played with dominoes, but the most common involves drawing seven tiles from the stock or boneyard and placing them on their ends to form a line. Each player then flips a tile over that has the same value as the first. The first player to complete the line wins.
Some people use dominoes to create impressive artistic displays, such as towers of dominoes that resemble a wedding cake. A YouTube video of a man named Nick Hevesh creating such a display has become popular, with millions of views. Hevesh began creating domino art as a child with her grandparents’ classic 28-piece set.
In business, the domino effect is a principle that emphasizes the importance of starting with the most important task and working on it until it’s completed. This allows other tasks to move forward, and ultimately leads to success. Hevesh used the domino concept when developing her career as a professional artist. She ranked her daily tasks in order of their importance, and focused on the most important task until it was finished. As a result, her work has been featured in prestigious galleries and museums.