Paleotechnique: Water-and-Wood Industrial Revolution

This lecture explores the transition from eotechnic to paleotechnic eras in the industrial revolution, focusing on the shift from water-and-wood-based technologies to coal-and-iron and electricity-and-steel. It delves into the environmental and climatic concerns arising from deforestation, the development of paleotechnic products like steam engines and early railways, and the economic implications of the market system. The instructor discusses the impact of fossil fuels on industrial and urban societies, the principles of thermodynamics, and the historical evolution of capital and slavery in the United States and Europe.