Domino is a small tile-shaped piece of plastic or wood that’s used to play games and create art. It’s usually double the length of its width, and has a line down the center that visually divides it into two squares. Each square is marked with an arrangement of dots, called pips, similar to those on the face of a die. The pips on each domino typically range from 1 to 6, though some are blank or contain no pips at all. Dominoes can be arranged in straight or curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, stacked walls, and 3D structures like towers and pyramids.

The word “domino” can be applied to a variety of things, but it’s most commonly associated with the game and the activity of stacking them in long lines. When one domino is tipped over, it sets off a chain reaction whereby the next domino in the line tips over, and so on. This process can continue until all of the dominoes have fallen. The phenomenon has become known as the Domino Effect. It can be used metaphorically to describe a chain of events that leads to an outcome greater than the original event, and it’s also employed in some scientific studies to describe how one behavior causes shifts in other behaviors, often without any direct instruction from the scientist overseeing the experiment.

While many people use dominoes for entertainment, they can also be a learning tool for children. The process of building and then breaking a line of dominoes helps children develop hand-eye coordination, visual perception, and concentration skills. The fact that the tiles are made of a durable material also makes them perfect for little hands.

There are numerous domino games, but the most popular are blocking and scoring games. The most common set contains 28 pieces, and larger sets exist that allow players to extend a domino chain of any length. To do this, a player places a domino edge-to-edge against another, with each end showing a different number or suit (as described above). Each time a tile is played such that both ends of the chain match, the chain is extended.

In the Domino Data Lab, Domino is a platform for end to end data science. The ability to connect to version control systems, spin up interactive workspaces, and deploy apps and model apis makes it a great option for teams that need a full-fledged data science platform.

The history of dominoes is obscure, but it is known that they were in circulation at least as early as the 18th century. They are a variant of playing cards and may have been invented to circumvent religious prohibitions against the use of gambling devices such as dice.

Today, dominoes can be found in homes around the world, and they are also used to create art and for therapeutic purposes. In fact, domino has recently been employed by the military to help soldiers and veterans with PTSD cope with their symptoms. A growing body of research supports the idea that domino therapy can improve physical and emotional wellness, as well as increase resilience.