Domino Award

The Domino Award is given annually to Computer Science students at the University of Colorado for an outstanding essay honoring the impact that other computer scientists have made on modern society. Essays were judged for their ability to clearly communicate how the honoree’s work set in motion a “series of dominos” that changed the world.

The full details regarding this year's event can be found in the Domino Theory blog. You can also visit the official Topple page on this site to see the dominos in motion.

Register Your Domino

Many dominoes have been handed out in hopes of building the Domino Award into a long-standing tradition for computer science students at CU. If you received a domino please register it here.

2008 Winning Essays

Domino Theory: A Tribute to Raymond Kurzweil
By: John French

The Domino Theory, that one human accomplishment sets in motion the beginnings of other accomplishments, is an inherently optimistic idea. One can imagine dominos toppling more dominos, with each successive generation of ‘topples’ representing compounding human achievements leading to a brighter future. Raymond Kurzweil is a well known champion of a similar idea known as the technological singularity. As a futurist, inventor and computer scientist, Raymond Kurzweil has inspired others to topple dominos toward an optimistic future. More...

Grace Hopper: Dominos Two-Fold
By: Kelly Anne K. Shuster

Of all the great computer scientists that could be honored with a “Domino Award,” I believe that Grace Hopper is the most worthy recipient. In 1952 Grace Hopper developed “Flow-Matic,” the first English-language data-processing compiler. Not only did she set in motion a chain of “technical dominos” with her invention of this compiler, she also began a toppling of “social dominos” by setting a new precedent for women’s capabilities in the industry of technology. More...

Daniel Bricklin: Not just a Software Developer
By Alan Versteeg

Daniel Bricklin is most likely not a well-known name among many contemporary computer scientists. However, the impact that he had in the field of computers can be felt worldwide in personal, educational, and business settings. Daniel Bricklin is most famous for his invention of the first electronic spreadsheet program called Visicalc, which helped him earn the title of “The Father of the Spreadsheet.” More...