Day: December 26, 2023

A small rectangular wood or plastic block, usually twice as long as it is wide, with a line across its face to divide it visually into two squares, each marked with an arrangement of spots (or “pips”) that resemble those on a die. Each end of the domino is marked with a value, typically one to six in the most popular variant, but in some sets they may have no pips at all, or they may have double-blank ends. The total value of a domino, indicated by the number of pips on both ends, may be used to determine scoring in certain games.

We’ve all seen impressive domino constructions where, after the first piece is tipped ever-so-slightly, all the others fall in an orderly cascade of rhythmic motion. It’s a wonderful demonstration of the “domino effect,” in which a single simple action can result in a series of much greater, and sometimes catastrophic, consequences.

It’s a lesson that can be useful in our daily lives as well. Whether you’re a business leader trying to motivate your team, or a novelist striving to keep your readers engaged, a knowledge of the domino effect can help you plan and execute your ideas.

Physicist Stephen Morris explains the concept of the domino effect in a straightforward way: “When you stand up a domino upright against gravity, it has potential energy — it’s stored based on its position.” When you knock that domino over, much of its potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, or the energy of motion. When it hits the next domino, that momentum causes it to topple over too, and so on.

As the domino tumbles, it leaves behind a trail of smaller blocks that continue to build upon each other. This is the essence of a chain reaction, and it’s what makes it so spectacular to watch in domino shows, where builders create elaborate, intricate, and imaginative layouts before a live audience of fans.

The same principle applies to story writing. In a written scene, each word, sentence, and paragraph should serve as a domino that triggers a subsequent scene. It’s in the careful planning of these dominoes that a writer can build a compelling narrative.

When you play a game of domino, each player in turn places a domino on the table positioning it so that its exposed ends touch each other. This begins a line of dominoes that gradually increases in length. Each domino in a row must be played to an adjacent, matching end unless it’s a double, which may be played anywhere on the end of the line. The player who scores the highest, or the player who reaches a target score in a given number of rounds wins.

Like a domino effect, a story works best when the author plans out each scene in advance, then lets those scenes play out in a natural progression that advances the plot. It’s an approach that’s often used by screenwriters, and it can be effective in any genre of fiction or nonfiction.

A horse race is a competition in which a horse is pitted against another to determine the winner. The horse race can be in many different forms, including a game of tug-of-war or a contest where one person pulls on the reins while another pulls on the whip to make the horse move faster. The horse race is a popular sport for both amateurs and professionals alike.

A new analysis of horse racing by mathematicians at EHESS, a Paris university, suggests that jockeys should let horses run as hard as they can at the start of a race and then ease up later on to conserve energy for the finish. This approach, they found, maximizes the output of muscles reliant on two pathways: powerful aerobic ones that use oxygen (which can be in short supply during a long race) and anaerobic ones that don’t need oxygen but build up waste products that lead to fatigue.

The EHESS study also provides evidence to support the theory that a strong early start leads to more rapid recovery from exercise, and it supports the practice of racing horses at shorter distances than the standard 2-mile heat. The researchers say their model could be used by trainers to customize racing strategies for individual horses, from pacing recommendations to ideal racing distances. It’s also possible that a smartphone app could be developed, in which trainers plug in parameters like each horse’s unique aerobic capacities to get customized advice on how best to train them for a race.

Despite the largely ceremonial nature of racing, technological advances have significantly impacted the industry. The latest innovations include thermal imaging cameras that can identify when a horse has overheated post-race, MRI scanners that spot many minor or major health problems before they become severe and 3D printing to produce casts, splints, and even prosthetic limbs for injured horses.

While some governance experts are wary of the “horse race” approach to CEO succession, which involves an overt competition for the top job among several candidates within a set timeframe, proponents argue that it can serve a number of important purposes. Aside from ensuring that high-performing executives will receive the right amount of challenge in their roles, it can signal to employees that they have a clear path to senior management and that the board is confident in its talent development processes.

The election cycle has felt more like a horse race than most past cycles, thanks to the proliferation of quick polls conducted by journalists and bloggers in key swing states. These polls are often based on very small samples and can be misleading, but they have made it easier for voters to compare the candidates’ positions and for media outlets to frame the race as a competitive game with the most positive attention given to frontrunners and underdogs gaining ground. However, a more accurate and reliable way to assess electoral strength may be just around the corner.