Domino, from the Latin dominus or master, is a powerful name that suggests someone who understands the gravity of every action and thinks two moves ahead. The word’s ties to dominoes, an ancient blocking game, also encourage a cautious attitude. A person named Domino will be quick to take advantage of advantageous opportunities while remaining conscious of the effect that any action might have on others.
A domino is a small rectangular wooden or plastic block with one side blank and the other sides marked with dots resembling those on dice. A set of dominoes is used for playing a variety of games. The term is also used to refer to the process by which a domino falls, or the chain reaction that occurs when one domino causes the next to fall.
The physics of the domino effect is much more complicated than most people realize, and Hevesh makes a point to test the individual sections of her installations before putting them together. During this time, she is able to make precise corrections before the final setup goes live for the public. Even so, the process is not without its challenges. As a result, it’s important to be patient when working with such delicate materials.
Before the first domino falls, it holds its place upright thanks to a form of energy called potential energy. This energy is based on the domino’s position, and it is stored until the first nudge knocks it over. When that happens, most of the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, which propels the domino forward. The energy that is left behind is enough to push on the next domino in the chain, causing it to fall and start the whole thing over again.
While some of the energy left behind by the fallen domino is inertia—the tendency of unmoved objects to resist motion—most of it is transferred from the unmoving domino to the next domino. This is what gives a domino its power to create a chain reaction.
Domino is also a powerful business strategy. When a company struggles, it can rely on its values and principles to guide the way forward. For Domino’s, that meant listening to customers and implementing new policies to address their complaints. This approach helped the company turn around its fortunes and was a key factor in earning it recognition as a top workplace.
When Hevesh sets up a domino installation, she begins with the largest 3-D pieces and works her way down to the smaller ones. Once she has these firmly in place, she adds the flat arrangements and finally the lines of dominoes that connect all the sections together. It’s a complex, painstaking process that takes hours to complete. She often films the process in slow motion to catch any errors as they occur. As a final step, she goes back through the video and corrects any imperfections before she uploads it to YouTube. In the end, her dedication to the perfect domino effect pays off in the end when she’s able to impress viewers with a mind-blowing display of skill and patience.