Inventions of the paleotechnic are made by men trying to solve specific problems rather than hunting for general scientific principles; in fact, scientific learning is devalued by men of business. The invention of coal-fired steam powered factories and the installation of capital-intensive machinery leads to a necessarily gigantic round-the-clock scale of production supported by unskilled machine tenders. Labour becomes a commodity, rather than an inalienable set of skills, while the labourer who tended machines, lived in slums, and was paid starvation wages became physically stunted and socially and spiritually stultified.
The paleotechnic era is marked by inventions designed to address specific issues rather than pursuing general scientific principles; this approach often conflicts with the value placed on scientific knowledge within business contexts. The rise of coal-powered steam factories and capital-intensive machinery has led to a massive, continuous production process that relies on unskilled workers who are paid poorly and live in poor conditions. This shift has resulted in the commodification of labor, where skills become less important than simply being able to operate machines, leading to physical and social degradation for those involved.