Domino is a game where players try to build up long chains of dominoes, which are then knocked over by the opposing player. The first player to score a certain number of points wins the round. Points can be awarded for pips on the dominoes, blanks (which may be assigned any value) and double-blanks. Depending on the rules of the game, each end of the domino may be counted as one or two (a 6-6 counts as six or twelve, for example).

While the name “domino” comes from Italian and French, the game itself has ancient roots. The earliest recorded usage dates back to the mid-18th century in Italy and France, where it was a popular fad. The word appears in the French dictionary Dictionnaire de Trevoux in 1771.

In a game of domino, each player begins by placing a tile on the table, positioning it so that one end is touching another existing tile with its matching pips. The resulting chain gradually increases in length, and the players take turns playing tiles onto the chain until it is finished. The first player to reach a specified number of points (typically 100, 200 or whatever is agreed upon by the players) wins the round.

Lily Hevesh has been building dominoes since she was 9 years old. She was fascinated by the way a line of dominoes would fall into place, one tile after another. She started posting videos of her work on YouTube, and soon had a large following. She has now become a professional domino artist, and creates amazing setups for movies and events.

Dominoes are made from rectangular pieces of wood or a polymer material. The identity-bearing side of each piece is marked with an arrangement of spots, or pips, which can range from a single spot to seven or more, as in the most common set (double-six). Each end of a domino is also marked with a different pattern, and some ends are blank. The pips on each domino are usually arranged in one of four ways: two stacked atop each other, two straddled across a single, and one at either end, with the other side being blank or identical to the patterned side.

When a domino is standing upright, it has potential energy, which is its stored positional energy. When a domino falls, much of this energy is converted to kinetic energy, which causes the next domino to topple as well. This is a good example of the Domino Effect, where a change in one behavior causes a shift in related behaviors. For instance, a 2012 study showed that when people reduced their amount of sedentary leisure time, they were also more likely to eat less fat. Similarly, a Domino Effect can occur in business environments where an employee’s positive attitude inspires others to follow suit. This type of culture can increase morale, which is important in the long term as it leads to greater success and profitability for a company.