4 ms·

Aside from chest hair thickening macho demonstrations, practical jokes or new rectal enhanced interrogation techniques does it has any practical uses?

flybrand 3y ago
Torture, bear mace.
TeMPOraL 3y ago
Better logistics? This stuff is like fentanyl of spices, isn't it? Turn it into liquid or powder, and a kitchen can use minuscule amounts of it to spice a hot meal up to the required levels. Easy to transport in bulk and then divide into arbitrarily small portion - reducing costs of shipping and storage all across the supply chain!
- sidewndr46 3y ago
  For smuggling into all those countries where hot sauce is banned?
- twic 3y ago
  But requiring much more accurate equipment to measure out. I have some tiny measuring spoons, down to tenths of a millilitre, but i think you'd need a micropipette to dose this stuff.
inciampati 3y ago
The capsaicin is addictive. It causes the sensation of extreme damage without the actual damage (or just effects on nerves). The body responds with euphoria inducing hormones commensurate with an actual burn. On balance you get high.
- wink 3y ago
  I've only had Ghost Pepper (once, not keen on repeating) but the pain wasn't really so bad because it was a complete endorphin (or adrenaline?) rush with just sitting there for a bit (and crying). Interesting experience.
  - dackerlunghack 3y ago
    [dead]
- simpaticoder 3y ago
  >It causes the sensation of extreme damage without the actual damage This is almost precisely how the "nerve induction box" in Dune is described. The one that is used to test Paul with the gom jabbar. Imagine if Gaius Helen Mohiam instead of saying "Stick your hand in the box" said, "Stick this pepper in your mouth, chew and swallow." In the book scenario Paul had to trust Mohiam that his hand was not actually being burned away, and also once the test ended she could end the pain at once. With the pepper he'd not have to trust her because he'd know about capsaicin, and she could not end the pain (unless we posit a capsaicin antidote).
mrguyorama 3y ago
So, if you repeatedly subject your pain receptors to capsaicin, they become desensitized to it over time. You have to keep upping your dosage to get the same response. That's actually why it's not a "Chest hair thickening macho demonstration", because Ed Currie is not some amazing monk, suppressing immense pain by sheer force of will, but rather a trained athlete who is simply in less physical pain. Through the same vein, the entire country of India or Thailand is not magically more pain tolerant than the parts of the world with less hot peppers in their food. Their nerves have just adjusted their thresholds.

flybrand 3y ago

Torture, bear mace.

TeMPOraL 3y ago

Better logistics? This stuff is like fentanyl of spices, isn't it? Turn it into liquid or powder, and a kitchen can use minuscule amounts of it to spice a hot meal up to the required levels. Easy to transport in bulk and then divide into arbitrarily small portion - reducing costs of shipping and storage all across the supply chain!

sidewndr46 3y ago
For smuggling into all those countries where hot sauce is banned?
twic 3y ago
But requiring much more accurate equipment to measure out. I have some tiny measuring spoons, down to tenths of a millilitre, but i think you'd need a micropipette to dose this stuff.

inciampati 3y ago

The capsaicin is addictive. It causes the sensation of extreme damage without the actual damage (or just effects on nerves). The body responds with euphoria inducing hormones commensurate with an actual burn. On balance you get high.

wink 3y ago
I've only had Ghost Pepper (once, not keen on repeating) but the pain wasn't really so bad because it was a complete endorphin (or adrenaline?) rush with just sitting there for a bit (and crying). Interesting experience.
- dackerlunghack 3y ago
  [dead]
simpaticoder 3y ago
>It causes the sensation of extreme damage without the actual damage This is almost precisely how the "nerve induction box" in Dune is described. The one that is used to test Paul with the gom jabbar. Imagine if Gaius Helen Mohiam instead of saying "Stick your hand in the box" said, "Stick this pepper in your mouth, chew and swallow." In the book scenario Paul had to trust Mohiam that his hand was not actually being burned away, and also once the test ended she could end the pain at once. With the pepper he'd not have to trust her because he'd know about capsaicin, and she could not end the pain (unless we posit a capsaicin antidote).

mrguyorama 3y ago

So, if you repeatedly subject your pain receptors to capsaicin, they become desensitized to it over time. You have to keep upping your dosage to get the same response. That's actually why it's not a "Chest hair thickening macho demonstration", because Ed Currie is not some amazing monk, suppressing immense pain by sheer force of will, but rather a trained athlete who is simply in less physical pain. Through the same vein, the entire country of India or Thailand is not magically more pain tolerant than the parts of the world with less hot peppers in their food. Their nerves have just adjusted their thresholds.