From lining them up to create interesting shapes to knocking them over, domino is an ancient toy that continues to delight kids and adults alike. Today’s Wonder of the Day takes a closer look at how these little rectangular blocks work together to make amazing chain reactions.
Dominoes are a cousin of playing cards and one of the oldest tools for game play, offering a wide range of games that require skill and patience to set up and then play. They’re also a fun way to experiment with the laws of physics.
These small, rectangular blocks are often referred to as bones, cards, pieces, men, or tiles and can be found in many different shapes and sizes. The most common domino sets contain 28 tiles and are usually twice as long as they are wide. Each domino features a line in the center that divides it visually into two squares, each bearing an arrangement of dots, called pips, similar to those on a die. Normally, each domino belongs to only one suit of numbers (such as threes or sevens) and is blank or unmarked on the other side.
Each domino also has a ridge or mark that makes it easy to tell which side is up, allowing players to stack them up easily. The pips are arranged in groups of six, with each suit representing a particular number. A single domino may feature both the number and a blank or unmarked face.
There are two main categories of domino games, blocking games and scoring games. Blocking games involve placing a domino in the center of the board and arranging other dominoes around it. A player then tries to place dominoes of the same value in a line that connects to the starting domino. Each turn, a player adds a new domino to the line until it is complete. Then, the player scores points based on the total value of the dominoes in the line.
The most basic Western domino games are block-and-draw games for two to four players. Each player draws the number of dominoes required for the game from a stack that’s shuffled and placed face down on the table, known as the stock or boneyard. The first player to win the most dominoes wins the game.
In addition to being a fun family activity, domino can be an excellent educational tool for children of all ages. The simplest dominoes are great for teaching children about simple counting and addition. As children progress, they can begin to learn about multiplication and subtraction. They can also explore how the pips on each domino contribute to its value.
Hevesh creates mind-blowing domino displays for movies, TV shows, and events—including the album launch for pop star Katy Perry. Her larger installations can take several nail-biting minutes to fall, but they all start with that first domino. When that first domino falls, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy—the energy of motion—and then gets transmitted to the next domino. Soon the whole row is toppling.