Terrific post Jerry,
Both you and Ken got me thinking that this sounds like a capacitance
effect!the closer that you bring the plates of a cap together the
greater the capacity.How about this, the casmir effect brings the plates
closer together at some point the resistance of the silicone to further
compression exceedes the potiential force of thecasmir effect, then the
plates are discharged momentarily relieving the force permitting
resetting of the potiential.
The Key seems to be the ability to discharge the effect as electrical
potiential.
Marc