eigenrobot cites cleaner fish stations to argue markets emerge naturally without humans
eigenrobot · x · 2026-11-16
eigenrobot pushes back on the claim that markets require a human substrate, arguing markets are a natural emergent phenomenon and pointing to coral-reef cleaning stations as an example.
An attached LLM writeup frames cleaner stations as barter service markets: parasites are payment, mucus-eating is a price markup, waiting time is a queueing cost, and fin-stroking is an add-on service. Market features abound — mobile "visitor" clients get priority due to better outside options, exit and punishment substitute for each other, predatory clients are cheated far less, reputation disciplines suppliers, and cleaners even run deceptive advertising.
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