Domino, the last word on many people’s tongues after a delicious pizza pie, also happens to be the name of an elegant and entertaining game. The domino, or dominoes, are small oblong pieces that are marked with one to six dots (called “pips”) on each side. They’re used to play games in which players try to lay down dominoes in lines and angular patterns. The first player who does so wins. The games can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be.
Dominos can be as simple as a set of double-sided dominoes that you and a friend play with, or they can be as elaborate as the mind-blowing setups made by Hevesh, a YouTube star who creates stunning displays using hundreds of thousands of dominoes. Hevesh’s work has been seen in films, TV shows and events, including the album launch for pop music star Katy Perry.
As a child, Hevesh fell in love with dominoes and spent her childhood building and playing with them. At the age of 10, she started posting videos online, showing off her amazing domino setups. She soon had more than 2 million YouTube subscribers. Hevesh now works with companies and organizations to create domino projects for film, TV, music videos, and even a Guinness World Record attempt that involved 76,017 dominoes.
Hevesh uses a version of the engineering-design process to create her intricate domino arrangements. She starts by considering the theme or purpose of an installation and brainstorming images or words she might want to use in the design. Once she has a basic plan in place, she begins testing different parts of the domino display to make sure they work. She tests each section individually and records the results so she can make precise corrections when something doesn’t work.
When a domino is knocked over, it transforms from potential energy into kinetic energy (energy of motion). Some of this kinetic energy is transferred to the next domino. This gives the domino a push that causes it to fall over, and so on—until all the dominoes in the line have fallen.
The domino effect is a powerful force that can have positive or negative consequences. When writing fiction, you can use the domino effect to show the progression of a scene. For example, if your character does something immoral, you can show how that action causes a series of reactions that ultimately leads to the hero’s downfall.
When you’re playing a domino game, you have to pay attention to what other players are doing. If you’re not careful, your move may affect the game for everyone. Whether you’re sitting around the table with friends or watching a professional domino builder, remember to follow the rules of the game to keep everyone safe.
