Domino is the term for a small rectangular tile with a line down its center that divides it visually into two square-shaped ends, each bearing an arrangement of dots or “pips,” like those on a die. The other side of each domino is blank or identically patterned. Dominoes are commonly made of bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony. They are normally twice as long as they are wide, making them easy to stack on top of each other and re-stack after use.
The most popular type of domino play involves layout games, in which the players place dominoes edge to edge on a board in such a way that their adjacent faces form either a specified total or some combination of numbers, with the goal of building a chain reaction that causes all the tiles in the other player’s hand to fall down. There are also many other games using dominoes, such as scoring or blocking games.
In the early 18th century, dominoes became a popular game in Italy and France, where it gained the name domino. The word may have derived from the Latin for mask, or from the French word for masquerade or hooded garment, or from crude woodcuts of such costumes that were popular among French peasants.
A domino is a small rectangular piece of cardboard that represents the roll of a dice or the set of rules for a card game. The earliest dominoes were wooden pieces, but the modern, plastic versions are lightweight and durable. Often, dominoes are printed with the names of different games, but they can also be customized with different illustrations and themes.
Physicist Stephen Morris explains that when a domino is stood upright, it stores potential energy based on its position. When a domino is knocked over, much of this potential energy converts to kinetic energy, which is what causes the rest of the tiles to fall over. This principle is known as the Domino Effect.
Like the dominoes you play, good habits can have a ripple effect. When you pick one good habit to change, it can help you break bad habits and develop new ones. The process of creating a financial plan, for example, could be broken down into several good dominoes that will contribute to your overall goal: setting up automatic payments, creating a budget, and creating a savings account.
When you have a good domino, it’s important to stick with it. For example, if you’ve decided to spend less time watching television and eating fat foods, it’s critical that you stick with it. Otherwise, you might find yourself back at old, unhealthy habits before you know it. This can be a vicious cycle that leads to failure. However, if you make your new goal a priority and stick to it, you can successfully break the domino effect. You’ll be happier and healthier in no time!