Supply-demand Memes

Medieval alchemists were basically the original supply-and-demand flunkies! Spent centuries mixing weird stuff in cauldrons trying to turn lead into gold, not realizing that if everyone could make gold in their basement, it would become as valuable as dirt. The entire field of economics just sitting there like "umm... should we tell them?" Gold's value comes from its rarity—if you could manufacture it like plastic straws, you'd be paying for your coffee with a wheelbarrow full of gold coins. Those poor alchemists with their philosopher's stones and elixirs never took Econ 101!