If you have ever watched a domino effect or reaction, you have witnessed the power of potential energy being converted into kinetic energy. This energy travels from one domino to the next, eventually causing them all to fall over. This is a powerful demonstration of the law of momentum and the fact that what goes up must come down.
Dominoes are small, rectangular blocks used as gaming objects. They can be made of rigid material such as wood, bone, or plastic and are variously referred to as bones, pieces, men, or cards. The most familiar version of a domino features a square in the center to divide it visually into two equal ends, each bearing a number of dots or pips from one side to the other. Each domino is normally twice as long as wide, and the values on each end range from six pips to none or blank.
The first player to get rid of all his or her tiles wins the hand. The remaining tiles form a pile known as the stock or boneyard, and each player draws seven tiles from this pool in turn. Whether you are playing with a traditional 28-piece set or a smaller variant, there are many different games that can be played with it. The most basic set contains seven doubles (the same value on both sides, from a double blank to a double six) and 21 singles (one or more numbers on either end, or a number and a blank).
Some sets are constructed from natural materials such as silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), bone, ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony with contrasting black or white pips inlaid or painted on them. These types of dominoes are typically more expensive than those made from polymer, but have a unique look and feel.
Hevesh, a 20-year-old from the UK who has amassed more than 2 million YouTube subscribers, creates spectacular domino setups in a variety of shapes and sizes. Her largest creations may take several nail-biting minutes to fall and can include hundreds of thousands of dominoes. She follows a process much like an engineering-design project when creating her mind-blowing arrangements.
Domino’s CEO Patrick Doyle knows how to use the power of the domino to address customer concerns. He called out a few critics on national television, visited restaurants to see for himself what the problem was, and talked directly to staff members. He even took part in the pizza-making process, working day in and day out for three years to try every combination to make a better pizza. In the end, his effort paid off: Domino’s pizzas are now among the best in the country. That’s the kind of leadership that will make a real difference in your organization.