Domino’s has become known for its innovative use of technology to make it easier and more convenient to order pizza. It also uses technology to help employees perform their jobs more effectively and efficiently. For example, Domino’s recently created a mobile app that allows customers to place orders by texting an emoji and is piloting a program that lets drivers deliver pizzas via autonomous vehicles. But how did the company come up with these ideas in the first place? And what do these developments mean for Domino’s business in the future?

A domino is a small rectangular block, thumb-sized, with one side blank or marked by an arrangement of dots resembling those on dice. A complete set of dominoes contains 28 pieces. The word is also used to describe a game played with such blocks and a variety of rules for laying them down in lines or angular patterns.

Most domino games involve blocking opponents’ play and scoring points by arranging the dominoes so that their exposed ends match (i.e., one’s touch two’s or three’s touch four’s). Some games duplicate card games and were popular in areas with religious restrictions on playing cards.

One of the most exciting domino activities involves a chain reaction, in which the tipping of one domino sets off a sequence of others that continue to topple over until all are fallen. This has led to the coining of the phrase “domino effect,” describing a series of events that start with one small action but have much greater-and sometimes catastrophic-consequences.

Physicist Stephen Morris, who studies the physical dynamics of dominoes at the University of Toronto, explains that when a domino is standing upright, it has potential energy because it is resisting the pull of gravity. But when the domino is tipped over, this energy is converted to kinetic energy. This change of form, along with the fact that the remaining dominoes are still stacked on top of each other, causes them to continue to fall.

Dominos are also interesting for writers to study because they are a good example of a system that is self-organizing, with each piece interacting with the others in an orderly way that results in the desired outcome. This is an ideal model for how a story should work. The key is to provide each scene with an interesting element or conflict that raises tension and draws the reader in. If a scene is just filler or not relevant to the plot, it should be removed from the story. As a result, the story will run smoother and readers will be more engaged. That’s why many writers prefer to use outlines or software like Scrivener to help them plan their stories in advance. But even if you are a pantser, these tools can help you weed out scenes that don’t fit in with the overall plot of your book. For example, if your heroine uncovers an important clue in one scene but the opposing character isn’t given enough motivation to act on it in the next scene, that scene likely doesn’t serve the narrative and should be removed.