Domino is a game in which players place domino pieces, edge to edge, on a table and then knock them down. The dominoes may be arranged in a line or in a circle and the goal is to get all the dominoes to fall before your opponent does. A domino is also a symbol of cause and effect, since one action can trigger an event that has a ripple effect on the world around us. Today’s WONDER is inspired by Juan, who wonders, “What is the Domino Effect?”

You might have heard of someone referring to a domino set as a “set of cards.” In fact, a domino set contains 28 individual pieces that are referred to as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular shape and is usually black and white in color. You can use a domino set to play many different games. You can also create artistic designs by lining up the dominoes in long rows.

In the US, we tend to think of domino as a card game, but there are many other types of games that you can play with a domino set. In addition to the traditional blocking and scoring games, there are many variations on solitaire and trick-taking games that were once played with dominoes to circumvent religious prohibitions against playing cards.

The word domino is derived from the Latin verb domini, meaning “to rule.” A domino is an all-or-nothing event that starts with a single domino, and then, like a nerve impulse in your body, the pulse travels down the line without losing energy or changing direction.

When you write a story, each scene acts as a domino in that it influences the next scene just as a single domino can influence a chain of events. To make sure that your story flows logically from one scene to the next, take time to examine each scene. Think about what happens in each scene and how it relates to the scenes that follow.

For example, if your character has an emotional shift in one scene, check the scene that follows to see if it is an appropriate reaction to the shift. If you’re writing a crime drama, the murders that occur in one scene should lead naturally to the climactic scene that occurs afterwards.

Dominoes are made of various materials, including bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, and a dark hardwood such as ebony with contrasting black or white pips. Some sets are even made from frosted glass and crystal.

Hevesh is a professional domino artist who creates stunning domino setups for movies, TV shows, and events. Her largest setups can contain hundreds of thousands of dominoes, and it takes her several nail-biting minutes to complete them! Hevesh has a YouTube channel where she posts videos of her impressive work. She has been able to attract a large following because of her ability to amaze viewers with her spectacular domino art.