A domino is a small rectangular block used for playing games. It has one side bearing an arrangement of dots resembling those on dice and the other blank or marked by an identical pattern. A complete set of dominoes consists of 28 such pieces. The term is also used for a game played with these blocks, usually by matching the ends of pairs of pieces and laying them down in lines and angular patterns. In the past, dominoes were made of ivory, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl), bone, ebony, or other dark hardwood; more recently, they have been made with plastic or polymer materials.
Dominoes are not merely toys; they have important educational value, especially for children. They help develop spatial reasoning and hand-eye coordination, as well as logical thinking and motor skills. In addition, they teach counting and sequencing. In fact, some children who struggle with math might benefit from using dominoes as a method of learning to count.
The term domino has also been used metaphorically in political contexts, to refer to a chain reaction or the effect of one event on another. For example, in a speech in 1977, Richard Nixon justified the United States’ destabilization of the Allende regime in Chile by claiming that it would create a “red sandwich” of Communism in Latin America that could be easily contained by U.S.-backed dictators in Cuba and Brazil. This theory became known as the Domino Theory.
In physics, a domino is a symbol of potential energy. When it is standing upright, it stores energy in the shape and positioning of its surfaces, and when it falls, most of that energy is converted to kinetic energy, as the pieces of the domino set collide with each other and move forward. This is how a domino can topple other dominoes.
This same principle can apply to other kinds of chain reactions, such as the Domino Effect. This is the concept that if you make a change to one behavior, it will cause a shift in related behaviors, like eating less fat or exercising more. For example, when someone decreases their amount of sedentary leisure time each day, they might end up eating less fat as a natural side effect.
The Domino Effect is also an idea behind many of Domino’s innovative projects. For example, Domino’s is currently working on a pizza-delivery vehicle that can drive itself and deliver pies to customers at the press of a button. The company is also experimenting with delivery by drones and other ways to automate the process of ordering a pizza. Domino’s leadership has emphasized the importance of listening to its customers and employees. This has helped the company achieve its goal of becoming one of the best workplaces in the country, according to a recent Detroit Free Press ranking.