Dominoes are small, flat, rectangular blocks used as gaming objects. They are often called bones, pieces, men, or stones and can be made from a variety of materials including wood, bone, plastic, or metal.
There are several different types of domino sets, and they range from very simple to highly elaborate. Some sets are designed to be played for scoring, while others are geared towards positional games. In positional games each player places a domino edge to edge against another in such a way that the adjacent faces are either identical (e.g., 5 to 5) or form some specified total.
In many countries, including the United States and Canada, dominoes are still a common gaming object. Some of these games are quite simple, such as “5s-and-3s,” a British pub game where players place a domino edge to edge against another so that two tiles on each end are divisible by five or three.
Other dominoes, such as Chinese “dotted cards” are used for trick-taking games. These sets typically have no blank faces and are made to represent each possible throw of two dice, unlike Western dominoes, which are designed to be used for positional games.
One of the most fascinating aspects of dominoes is their ability to create a chain reaction. Physicist Stephen Morris, who teaches the science of dominoes at the University of Toronto, describes it as the “domino effect.”
The first domino falls, and it has stored potential energy. Standing a domino upright, it gives it some energy because it’s lifting against the pull of gravity, says Morris. Then, as it falls, much of that stored potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. That energy travels to the next domino, giving it a push, and so on, until the last domino falls.
Creating the domino effect isn’t hard, but it requires an intense focus on just a few simple things. It’s about breaking down the process into smaller steps that can be taken in sequence and focusing on each step until it’s complete.
As you begin to make changes in your life, it’s important to think about the way that dominoes work. When you pick the right dominoes for your goals, they’ll help you accomplish them more effectively.
Start by choosing the best ones that will give you the most impact and keep the momentum going. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with too many tasks or choose too few, because if you do, the dominoes won’t fall properly.
You’ll also need to keep in mind that not all dominoes have the same impact on your goals. You may have to pick some that are a little more difficult or challenging, so that you’ll be able to maintain the momentum needed to get them done.
To ensure your new habits are sustainable and can be maintained over time, it’s important to set aside some time each day to do something that will get you closer to your goal. Whether it’s reading an interesting book, exercising, or working on a project that will contribute to a larger goal, making a habit out of completing these activities is a great way to establish momentum for the rest of your life.