Heat & Temperature  Hot or Cold Chimneys  HOT OR COLD CHIMNEYS
demonstrates how the hands adapt to extreme temperatures,
sometimes with strange results. After putting each hand on the
outside columns for a count of fifteen, visitors put both hands
on the center column, and observe the same object feels
differently to different hands. The middle chimney is at room
temperature, but it feels cool to the hand that has been on the
hot chimney and warm to the hand that was on the cold chimney.
Beneath the skin are temperature sensing nerves. These nerves
can tell whether an object is warmer or cooler than body
temperature, but they quickly adapt and the object starts to
feel "normal", neither warm nor cold.