How Does Licking Fingers Increase Friction?

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Licking fingers can create a temporary adhesive effect due to saliva's polar properties, allowing fingers to grip pages better. This moisture helps the saliva stick to both the paper and the fingers, enhancing the ability to turn pages. In contrast, dry hands are preferred for activities like climbing, where increased friction is crucial for grip. Gymnasts and bowlers often use chalk or similar substances to improve grip by absorbing moisture and increasing friction. Ultimately, the effectiveness of moisture versus dryness in enhancing grip varies based on the activity.
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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?
 
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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?
 

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