A domino is a small, thumb-sized rectangle of wood, ivory or other material bearing from one to six pips or dots. 28 such pieces comprise a complete set for the most common form of domino, played as a game. Dominoes can be lined up in straight lines and angular patterns or used to make other shapes, such as circles or hearts. Some people even create intricate domino sculptures.

A young girl named Hevesh grew up building and then toppling her elaborate domino creations. Today, at 20, she is a professional domino artist who has built up a following of more than 2 million on her YouTube channel. Her work includes sets for movies, TV shows and events, including a performance by Katy Perry. Hevesh’s installations require days to prepare and can take several nail-biting minutes for each domino to fall.

Dominoes are fun to play with, but they also teach us about the power of momentum and inertia. A little push can cause a chain reaction that leads to the collapse of an entire line of dominoes. This same principle applies to many learning challenges students face. Children who compensate for weak foundational skills use up their limited working memory capacity. This extra memory impedes their ability to learn.

As children develop compensatory strategies to overcome their learning challenges, they may build a long chain of success until the compensation becomes overwhelming and they reach the tipping point. Just as a single domino can topple the whole row, a child who has reached their limit in a skill will begin to fail at it.

The company that makes Domino’s pizza made a bold decision in 2009 to change its culture and become more self-aware. Led by then CEO JP Doyle, the Domino’s turnaround campaign was centered around a video in which leaders and employees read scathing critiques of the restaurant and its products. It was a bold move that showed an incredible amount of courage.

In addition to the Domino’s Pizza turnaround campaign, the company has continued to implement new initiatives. In 2016, Domino’s announced the launch of a program to help its franchisees better serve their local communities. The Domino’s Community Impact program will provide grants to support neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Although dominoes are usually constructed of polymer or wood, they can be made from other materials as well, including ceramic clay, glass and metal. In general, these sets are more expensive than those made from polymer or wood. In the past, European-style dominoes were often made from silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony, with contrasting black or white pips inlaid or painted on each end. Some sets are also available in a natural stone such as marble or granite, or in a brass or pewter finish. Historically, some dominoes were also made from precious metals such as gold and silver, but these are rare today.