ELI5: Why does metal feel colder than wood?

Imagine you have a tiny, invisible heater inside your body. It's always making heat!

Now, think of metal and wood like two different kinds of sponges.

• Metal is like a super-fast, super-absorbent sponge. It sucks up heat really quickly.
• Wood is like a slow, not-so-absorbent sponge. It sucks up heat much slower.

1. You touch the metal.
2. The metal, being a super-fast sponge, quickly sucks up the heat from your hand.
3. Because the metal is taking heat away from your hand so fast, your hand feels like it's losing heat – it feels cold.

1. You touch the wood.
2. The wood, being a slow sponge, slowly sucks up the heat from your hand.
3. Because the wood isn't taking heat away as quickly, your hand doesn't feel like it's losing heat as much – it feels warmer than the metal, or maybe even just "normal".