In the Kitchen Theater, we have fun playing with the science of capsaicin, the alkaloid that causes the heat sensation. Capsaicin behaves much like an oil, and is found mostly in the placental tissues that hold the pepper seeds. We cut the pepper in half lengthwise, clean out the seeds of one half, and cut the pepper into pieces. People compare the heat of a piece without the placenta and seeds to a piece containing them. The chemical formula for capsaicin.
Audience members get to choose between water, crackers, milk, or ice cream.
In this, the results vary. Even when they pick water first, they say it doesn't work. It's a toss up among the other items. People sometimes pick the crackers or the milk. I remember one woman was jumping around because none of the first three worked at all, until we brought her ice cream.