Touchscreen Typing Hack

[moriah]

I carry horseradish bc of health reasons. I was wearing gloves and dipped my fingers into the powdered horseradish. Then I began typing with my middle finger on my smartphone. And that’s when I realized that I could never type with that finger before while wearing gloves bc only the thumb and middle finger parts are embedded with metal thread. Incidentally just yesterday, I was learning about how most metals/elements are negatively charged. So I’m betting that it’s the sulfur that naturally occurs inside horseradish that allowed the heat from my finger to radiate into the touchscreen. AND IT WORKS REALLY WELL; EVEN BETTER THAN THE METAL THREAD.

 

[renormalize]

So I’m betting that it’s the sulfur that naturally occurs inside horseradish that allowed the heat from my finger to radiate into the touchscreen. AND IT WORKS REALLY WELL; EVEN BETTER THAN THE METAL THREAD.

Can you explain how getting more heat from your finger renders the touchscreen more sensitive to touch? My understanding is that touchscreens are capacitive and sense finger conductivity, not heat.

 

[berkeman]

Thread closed for Moderation.

 

[berkeman]

Thread is reopened provisionally.

@moriah -- Please post links to the reading you've been doing to try to explain what you are observing. That would help us try to help you.

 

[moriah]

Thread closed for Moderation.

I have been assuming all these years that touchscreens work through thermal conductivity. Upon Googling it, I see that it works through electrical conductivity, not thermal. Thanks for the guidance.

 

[moriah]

Also, upon researching sulfur, it seems that it’s a very, poor, electrical, conductor. So I’m guessing it’s the potassium which is quite abundant within horseradish that acted as the conductor.

 

[berkeman]

Upon Googling it, I see that it works through electrical conductivity, not thermal.

More like capacitance, IIRC. I can find some references; give me a minute...

 

[berkeman]

More like capacitance, IIRC.

Yep:
https://www.allpcb.com/allelectrohub/how-smartphone-touchscreens-work

 

[Borek]

Speaking of isolated elements as of a source of differences is completely off, they are present in compounds and compounds have properties completely different from their building blocks. HS example is sodium - highly reactive, capable of producing explosions on contact with water, and chlorine - irritating, toxic, again highly reactive. Yet NaCl, their compound is just a kitchen salt - stable, quite safe, nonreactive.

If anything I would look into how the glucosinolates present in the horseradish (or products of their decomposition) change the blood supply in the skin, as that's what will change skin electrical properties.