Dominoes are a popular game of chance in which players attempt to knock over a set of tiles called dominoes by stacking them end to end. The number of pips on each side of each domino determines its rank or weight.
There are several different variants of dominoes with varying numbers of pips. In the most common variant (double-six) each of the two squares on one end of a domino has six pips, while each of the other ends of the same domino has four. There are also sets with fewer pips or blank pieces.
A domino is usually a rectangular piece of wood, but can be made of many different types of material. Some are plastic or metal, while others are more traditional woods like ebony or ivory. Some are carved into geometric patterns, while others are painted with contrasting colors to make them more interesting.
The first thing Hevesh does when she starts building a domino installation is brainstorm what kind of designs she’ll use to get the effect she wants. These can include grids of dominoes that form pictures when they fall, stacked domino walls, or 3-D structures like domino towers or pyramids.
She then calculates how many dominoes she’ll need for the design. She can either count tens of thousands of individual dominoes, or she can weigh them and use a formula to ensure she has enough.
Once she has a rough idea of what she’ll be doing, she plans out the actual designs of her dominoes, which will vary by size and material. She then draws arrows to show how she’ll create the effect she wants.
When she’s done, she can place her dominoes on the floor, and start playing the game. She doesn’t have to wait for the first domino to fall to start the game, though; a tiny nudge is all it takes to get the first domino to move.
The potential energy stored in a domino isn’t lost when it falls, as physics experts say; it continues to travel from domino to domino. It is transmitted to the next domino, converting some of it into kinetic energy–the energy of motion–and triggering the chain reaction that eventually knocks over the last domino.
This process of converting potential energy into kinetic energy and then back to potential energy is the essence of the domino effect. It’s a great example of the principle of amplification, which makes it easy to understand why a domino can knock down an entire floor in a game of dominoes.
But the real magic of the domino effect is that it’s not about the results; it’s about progress and momentum. Whenever you begin a new behavior, it’s important to focus on the small steps that will eventually lead to the bigger change you desire.
By breaking down your big goals into smaller, more manageable steps and taking small actions each day to make them happen, you can build the momentum you need to turn those ideas into habits that will continue to cascade throughout your life. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, start a new business, or change your career, the domino effect is a powerful tool for creating long-lasting change.