Another fun game to play is to see who can use their fingers to turn the bulbs ON using only hand touch, because not everyone can. To turn the rechargeable light bulb ON, the screw-in hook device works by shorting the two metal contacts on the base of the bulb. You can also accomplish this with a metal paper clip, a piece of aluminum foil, or even a wet tissue. A wet tissue works because water is conductive, even though the dry tissue isn’t. The same is true for human skin because it contains water and that makes it conductive. However, as people age, the skin’s ability to retain water decreases. Lower water content in the skin makes it a poorer conductor of electricity. The skin of older adults generally becomes less conductive over time, primarily due to decreased skin hydration, which increases its electrical resistance.
To play the game, first practice turning the bulb ON using your hand touch then ask one one of your grandparents to do the same. You will find that most grandparents are unable to turn the bulbs ON by touch because of reduced hydration (water content) in their skin.
