How Does Licking Fingers Increase Friction?

[skywolf]

how does licking your fingers increase friction when you want to turn a page?

and why is it different than when you want to climb a cliff and you dry your hands instead?

 

[Mk]

Licking your fingers doesn't increase friction with the page. The only reason I could imagine why people do that is because of polar action. The spit sticks to the paper, and it sticks to your finger, and it sticks to itself, so it acts like glue.

You really want dry hands if you want to increase friction, gymnasts dust their hands (feet sometimes) in chalk before doing their thing. Bowlers too, but I think they use something else. With silicon dioxide in it?