Domino is a tile-based game with multiple play formats. It can be played for scoring, blocking or simply occupying spaces. It can also be used to mimic card games, making it popular in areas with religious proscriptions against playing cards. Dominos are also a fun way to learn math skills and numbers, especially for children.
When people talk about the domino effect, they usually refer to an event that has an impact on many other events or people. For example, if one person cuts someone else off in traffic, then that driver may cut another person off, and so on.
A domino effect can also apply to business or personal relationships. For example, if a company introduces new services or products, it can cause other companies to follow suit, and this can affect the industry overall. The term can also be used to describe a chain reaction that occurs when several people do something together, such as taking an anti-gay stance on social media.
In fiction, domino effect can refer to the way that a character’s actions have an impact on other characters and the plot. For example, if a main character isn’t a model citizen, then his or her bad behavior can have consequences that affect the whole story. This concept can also be applied to nonfiction by describing the way that an event influences a larger group or community.
The Domino’s chain of pizza restaurants was founded in Ypsilanti, Michigan by Peter Monaghan in 1960. His key to success was putting stores in strategic locations near college campuses, which attracted young people looking for pizza and fast service. The chain grew rapidly and had over 200 locations by 1978. In the 1980s, Monaghan’s son Jim became CEO, and he focused on improving customer satisfaction. This included introducing new ways to order and pay for pizza, including via texting and voice-controlled devices like Amazon Echo.
Lily Hevesh has been fascinated with dominoes since she was 9 years old, when her grandparents gave her a classic 28-piece set. She began creating her own elaborate domino arrangements and posting videos of them online, where she has more than 2 million YouTube subscribers. Her largest domino setups involve hundreds of thousands of tiles and can take several nail-biting minutes for the entire line to fall.
In addition to traditional clay, domino sets have been made from a variety of natural materials, including stone (e.g., marble, granite or soapstone); other woods (e.g., elm, oak or redwood); metals (e.g., brass or pewter); ceramic clay; and even frosted glass or crystal. Some sets are decorated with hand-inlaid pips in black or white. These sets are usually more expensive than those made of polymer. In recent years, domino sets have also been made from recycled plastics and from other synthetic materials. They can be used on both outdoor and indoor surfaces. A modern incarnation of the game features electronic sensors that detect when a player touches a piece, allowing players to control the movement of their pieces remotely.