Manipulation

There is a article that says germs in our gut manipulate us.Manipulate is a pejorative word, and not really true in this case. When your guts feel better it makes a genuine difference. We have a very important nerve from the gut to the brain, the Vagus nerve and it connects the intestines, the heart, and the brain. A set of organisms that makes your gut feel better sends that signal along to vital regions and we feel better as a whole. We have to make friends with these bacteria since they provide vital services to us as we do for them. Let's just call it a fair deal for both sides.

Commodification and Profit

Commodification helps refine prices, but conversely the defined prices bring an end to the days when you could make easy money. I am sure that 15 years ago when someone came across an old item they just put it out on a table at their next garage sale. Or, like my buddy Sean, find an old guy advertising in some local paper no one reads and then offer him 5% of what its worth. This more subtly devious form of lowballing has come to an end after so many years of the Antiques Road Show - most people check eBay first to make sure they're asking a fair price. Only the most obscure items require a real appraisal. The point is that you have to know what the item is worth to you and how far away it is from being worth a lot to someone else. People collect weird stuff and to get a good deal you have to be one of them.