The market for gustatory pain is surprisingly competitive. Zachary Crockett feels the burn. SOURCES:Ed Currie, founder and president of the PuckerButt Pepper Company.Stephanie Walker, associate professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist at New Mexico State University RESOURCES:"Pepper X Dethrones Carolina Reaper as World’s Hottest Chili Pepper," by Sanj Atwal (Guinness World Records, 2023)."The Shocking, Stupendous Rise of Superhot Chillies: ‘The Stomach Cramps Can Last for 14 Hours,’" by Tim Dowling (The Guardian, 2023)."14-Year-Old Dies After Trying The Paqui ‘One Chip Challenge,’" by Bruce Y. Lee (Forbes, 2023)."Beyond Neuronal Heat Sensing: Diversity of TRPV1 Heat-Capsaicin Receptor-Channel Functions," by Yaroslav M. Shuba (Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 2021)."Training Your Tongue to Love Spicy Food Benefits More Than Your Taste Buds," by Maddie Oatman (Mother Jones, 2019)."Fire-Eaters," by Lauren Collins (The New Yorker, 2013)."The Arms Race to Grow World's Hottest Pepper Goes Nuclear," by Spencer Jakab (The Wall Street Journal, 2013). EXRAS:"Why Do People Love Horror Movies?" by No Stupid Questions (2022).Hot Ones, YouTube talk show.