Mint feels cool, chili feels hot, and wasabi shoots straight up your nose — yet none of them actually change your temperature. They all work the same trick: a family of nerve sensors called TRP channels that report 'hot,' 'cold,' or 'sharp' when the right molecule fits. This short course uses that one idea to explain menthol, capsaicin, and wasabi, and to show why 'spicy' isn't a taste at all.
Mint feels cool, chili feels hot, and wasabi shoots straight up your nose — yet none of them actually change your temperature. They all work the same trick: a family of nerve sensors called TRP channels that report 'hot,' 'cold,' or 'sharp' when the right molecule fits. This short course uses that one idea to explain menthol, capsaicin, and wasabi, and to show why 'spicy' isn't a taste at all.
