Dominoes are one of those toys that have stood the test of time. They are fun to play with, and you can line them up in many different ways, forming shapes like towers and pyramids. They can also be used to create interesting patterns, and they are often used in art projects. Dominoes are also a great tool for teaching children about simple physics concepts, such as gravity and force.
Most domino sets feature both a set of numbered tiles (the dominoes) and a set of blank or 0 tiles. The number of pips on a domino can vary from set to set, but most large domino sets use Arabic numerals on their pips. The most popular types of domino games fall into two categories: blocking games and scoring games. The first category involves placing tiles side-to-side so that the numbers match: a domino with a single number touches another, requiring the other to have a matching number on its exposed end. When all of the dominoes are matched up, the chain becomes a row of numbers that can be scored with one or more dice.
The second category of domino games involves arranging dominoes into a grid, with certain spaces left empty or “blank.” The goal of this type of game is to place additional dominoes in a way that increases the number of matches. The winner is the player who completes the grid with a number greater than all of his or her opponents. Dominos can be placed in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal grid.
Hevesh is able to create her mind-blowing domino setups by using simple physics. When a domino falls, it has potential energy that can be converted into kinetic energy, which can then be transmitted to the next domino and knock it over as well. Hevesh says that the biggest domino setups take several nail-biting minutes to fall.
When Hevesh is creating an intricate domino art piece, she usually starts by sketching out a plan on paper before she begins construction. This allows her to make precise adjustments if something doesn’t work out as planned. She also tests each section of a layout, filming it in slow motion, to ensure that the entire system works as intended.
She’s been working on her current project for a year, and it will take another year before she can complete it. But she doesn’t want to stop there—she has plans for even more ambitious creations. She wants to build a domino set that’s a replica of the Taj Mahal, for example, and she’s also interested in developing a domino set that can be used in science classrooms to help students understand complex issues such as climate change.