With age, the touch sensors in the pads of the fingers deteriorate, producing a loss of sensitivity. We fumble with things. Arthritis makes it painful to move our fingers and toes. As Atul Gawande writes, “Loss of motor neurons in the cortex leads to losses of dexterity. Handwriting degrades. Hand speed and vibration sense decline. Using a standard mobile phone, with its tiny buttons and touch screen display, becomes increasingly unmanageable.”
