The Domino Effect
A domino is a small rectangular block marked with two groups of spots on one side, and used in a variety of games. When a domino is standing upright, it has potential energy (energy based on its position). When you knock it over, it converts much of its potential energy to kinetic energy, giving each domino in the chain a little extra momentum as they fall. This extra momentum causes the next domino to pick up even more energy, creating an ever-expanding chain of dominoes.
When the chains run out of dominoes to topple, it’s time to stop. This is what physicist Stephen Morris calls the Domino Effect. The domino is a symbol of the dynamic power of energy, and it can teach us a lot about how to build our own dynamic power.
Dominoes are a classic classroom tool for teaching counting and patterns, as well as a great way to promote teamwork and communication. They are also an excellent way to teach children the value of taking turns and being a good sport. They are easy to use, require no special equipment or software, and can be a fun activity for both kids and adults.
The basic principle of domino is that a player must be able to place the final tile before his or her opponent can do so. The players then compete to win the most points by laying all of their remaining tiles, with doubles counting as either one or two, and double-blank tiles counting as 0. The first player to reach a target score wins the game.
Many different games can be played with dominoes, most of them involving matching the ends of a piece. The way the pieces are arranged on the table is also part of the entertainment, as they can be laid down in lines and angular patterns. Depending on the rules of the game, dominoes may be placed square to each other or crossed-ways across each other.
Centralization of execution enables easy scaling: the central server has everything it needs to run on any type of hardware, to distribute multiple jobs across machines, or to schedule automatic recurring tasks. This enables massive speedup of development cycles, and allows teams to collaborate without being constrained by technical hurdles.
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