Domino is a set of 28 small, oblong pieces with 0-6 pips on each end that players use to play games by laying them edge-to-edge to form a line. Also known as bones, cards, men, tiles or spinners, they’re used for everything from blocking games to scoring and duplicate card games like Mexican train. Today’s WONDER of the DAY was inspired by Juan’s curiosity about how dominoes fall.
When you start with a single domino, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy as it moves forward and hits the next piece, which in turn gives a push to the next one—and so on until the entire arrangement falls over. In the case of the large, complex setups Hevesh creates for movies, TV shows and events, it can take several nail-biting minutes for the dominoes to fall as they’re built up in a circular arrangement.
Aside from their entertainment value, dominoes can teach kids about the laws of physics, such as how the force of gravity causes each successive piece to fall in a row. They’re also an excellent way to develop math and counting skills. Some children have even developed their own domino games, from simple blocking and scoring to complex ones that involve building a pyramid and then knocking it over.
Although they’re made of a durable material, many of the individual dominoes can be broken if the player isn’t careful or if the arrangement is unstable. In the early days, people created sets out of clay and papier-mache, but now dominoes are commonly made of polymer such as plastic or cardboard. They’re also available in a wide range of styles and colors, from traditional to contemporary.
For the most popular domino games, a double-six set is usually used. Each player begins with a set of 28 dominoes and shuffles them together. Then they arrange them in rows or lines, with each domino positioned so its pips match those of the other dominoes. The first player lays down a domino, and each other player then tries to lay down a domino of a matching value before their opponent can do so.
Some of the most popular dominoes are painted in bright, vibrant colors and feature cute animals or other designs, while others are made of more elegant materials like bone or silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl). They can even be made out of woods like ebony or oak. The advantage of these more expensive, natural-material sets is that they feel more substantial in your hand and are typically a bit heavier. They’re also more visually interesting than standard polymer dominoes. Regardless of the type of domino you choose, the most important aspect of any game is having fun!