Thus, when you touch the can and the cup, the heat from your skin is transferred to them. But because the metal can is a better conductor, the heat from your skin flows into the metal can and is carried to other parts of the can at a faster rate than in the Styrofoam cup. Since the metal surface being touched does not warm quickly, heat continues to be lost from your skin and the metal can feels cooler to the touch than the Styrofoam. In time the can would be heated and would no longer feel cold. You have tiny thermometers in your skin.
Heat is a form of energy that always flows from a hotter surface to a colder surface.
If you touch an object that is warmer than your skin, heat is transferred from the object to your skin. Your skin sensors send a message to your brain that your skin is receiving heat. Depending on the amount of heat you receive, your brain can determine whether an object is hot or cold. If an object is colder than your skin, heat is transferred from your skin to the object. Your skin loses heat, and your brain determines that the object is cold.