Domino is a game in which a line of dominoes, or tiles, is set up to fall over, one by one. It’s a popular pastime, and there are even domino-themed restaurants. It’s also a great way to build teamwork, since everyone has to work together to create the chain. It’s a simple game, but the satisfaction of watching it all fall is mesmerizing. The word and the game both come from France, where they first appeared in the late 18th century. The name may have been influenced by an earlier sense of the word, which denoted a long hooded cloak worn with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade. It also may have evoked the image of a black domino piece contrasting with a priest’s white surplice.
A domino (also called a bone, card, men, or pieces) is a rectangular tile with two identically patterned faces and one blank face. Its identity-bearing side is divided by a ridge or line into squares, with the value of each end indicated by the number of dots on the corresponding sides (or “pips”). The most common domino set has 28 tiles that form a stock or boneyard, from which each player draws seven to play with. There are many games of domino, but they all involve placing one or more dominos edge to edge in order to block and score points. Other games are positional, in which each player sets up a domino so that it will have a specific effect on the opponent’s placements.
Many people are surprised to learn that a single domino can knock over an object one-and-a-half times its size. This is demonstrated in a famous 1983 video by University of British Columbia physicist Lorne Whitehead, in which he sets up 13 dominoes, the first being only five millimeters tall and 1 millimeter thick. It takes only a slight nudging of the finger to cause it to collapse into the next domino in the row, which is three feet tall and 100 pounds!
While this is an amazing example, it’s important to remember that success is more than just the end result. It’s the process of building momentum and consistency that is most crucial. It’s also important to not be afraid to ask for help and to be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses. If you are not good at something, try to find a way to compensate for it so that you can get where you want to be.
As a mutant, Domino has the ability to generate a psionic aura that alters the laws of probability, which she can use to give herself lucky breaks, or impose unfortunate ones on her enemies. She also possesses an expert level knowledge of weapons, is a superb athlete and martial artist, and has trained as a linguist. Her psionic powers can also be used to manipulate emotions. She is a founding member of X-Force and has served as the love interest of Cable, but after her brainwashing by the villainous Flag-Smasher and his anti-mutant ULTIMATUM group, she broke up with him and returned to her mercenary ways.