Domino is a game that involves stacking pieces of wood on end in long lines. When a domino is tipped over, it causes the next domino in line to tip over and so on until all the dominoes are down. Some people make very complicated designs by stacking dominoes in this way.

Dominos are also used to build art, like curved lines and grids that form pictures when they fall. People can use their creativity to create domino art that is shaped like animals, buildings and other objects. Some people even create three-dimensional structures such as towers and pyramids out of dominoes.

One of the most fascinating things about domino is that the effect of one piece on the next can be so powerful that a single piece can knock over an object nearly the size of itself. Scientists have been able to demonstrate this by placing a small domino on the edge of a table and then pushing another domino onto it. The first domino falls over without much effort, but the second requires a lot of force to knock it over. This shows that the effect of the domino is more powerful than many people realize.

The most common way people play domino is to take turns putting dominoes edge to edge against each other in such a manner that their adjacent sides are identical or form some specified total. Then they try to be the first to finish a specified pattern, for example a five-by-five square. Other games involve forming chains of dominoes or playing against an opponent.

Normally a domino has a mark on one side to indicate its identity and blank or identically patterned on the other. The mark on a domino is called a pip. There are a variety of types and colors of dominoes. Some dominoes have a line in the center to divide them visually into two squares, with each square marked by an arrangement of pips.

Dominoes have been around for a long time, and people continue to find new ways to play with them. One of the most popular uses is as a tool for learning about the concept of cause and effect, since each domino has the potential to lead to other events.

For example, the behavior of someone who takes a drink of alcohol might have an impact on that person’s driving, leading to consequences that could affect others in a chain reaction. Another important lesson is to focus on the process, rather than the results. It’s important to keep trying new behaviors and not to get discouraged when they don’t immediately have the desired effect. Eventually, the right domino will drop.

Domino’s Pizza has stayed on top by embracing innovation, including allowing customers to order their pizzas via text messages and voice-activated devices such as Amazon Echo. The company has been so successful that it has become a model for other companies.