Domino, also known as bones, pieces, men, or cards, is a small rectangular block used for gaming. The most popular domino set has 28 tiles, each with a line down the center that produces numbers on either end (the open ends). A single domino is usually twice as long as wide and can be stacked on top of one another, or arranged in a flat layout on a tabletop.
In games of domino, players take turns placing a domino tile and then adding more to form a chain. The last person to add a tile wins the round. The number of points a player earns depends on the rules of the game, but in general, the more dominoes in a row, the higher the score.
Dominoes can be played in many ways, including straight and curved lines, grids that make pictures when they fall, 3D structures, and more. There are many different types of games, and each comes with its own set of rules and regulations.
Lily Hevesh first started playing with dominoes as a child, when her grandparents gave her their classic 28-pack. She loved setting them up in a straight or curved line, flicking the first one, and watching the whole chain fall. Now, at 20, Hevesh is a professional domino artist who creates mind-blowing setups for movies, TV shows, and even events like the album release of pop star Katy Perry.
Hevesh’s creations require a lot of planning and attention to detail. She considers the theme and purpose of her installations before she begins. She then brainstorms images or words that might relate to the theme. Once she has her idea in mind, she starts by laying out the foundational pieces.
Then, she tests each individual section of the design to ensure it works as planned. She also records each test in slow motion, so she can tweak the configuration if needed. Finally, Hevesh brings it all together. The largest 3-D arrangements can take several nail-biting minutes to fall, but once they do, they’re stunning.
Hevesh credits a physical phenomenon for her domino art’s success: gravity. When a domino falls, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy and moves the next domino toward it. This continues for the rest of the chain, until every piece has fallen.
The domino effect is also a metaphor for personal goals and achievements. Oftentimes, we have many goals or ideas for ourselves in our minds. But it’s important to find the one goal that can help move the other ones forward. That’s the same concept Ivy Lee taught Charles Schwab years ago, when she instructed him to choose the most important task for each day and then give it full focus until completion. By concentrating on that “main domino,” Schwab was able to propel his company to unprecedented heights.