New Online Foil Game Points Up Ubiquity of Household Aluminum

It is sometimes said that, in the typical American home, one is never more than 10 feet from something made of aluminum - whether a beverage can, venetian blinds, a picture frame, or an electronic device.

A new online game developed by the European Aluminium Foil Association and promoted by the Aluminum Association's Foil Committee shows how ubiquitous aluminum foil is throughout the home. Players in the game, which can be found at www.alufoil-game.org, choose a room in the house and are asked to click on common household items that they believe contain foil. Points are awarded or subtracted based on whether the player correctly guesses whether or not an object contains foil.

Players are asked to identify items containing foil in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, garage, living room, and pantry.

Although the game is aimed at young people, even adults and aluminum industry professionals may find the game a challenge. As the game developers note in the introductory panel: "Foil is mainly used in combination with other materials like paper and plastic and therefore is not necessarily always visible."