These are inventory items that provide a temporary boost to your technological expertise based on your Intelligence .
If you are playing Arcanum today—perhaps via GOG or a remaster—do yourself a favor. Find a PDF of the original manual. Print it out, if you can. Pour a cup of tea, put on some instrumental jazz, and read it. arcanum manual
It offers advice on how to speak to Elves (don't mention trees), how to address a Dwarf (never compliment his beard unless you want a fight), and the intricacies of Orcish social standing. These are inventory items that provide a temporary
In 2001, reading this felt like homework. Today, it feels like a lost art. It forced the player to respect the NPCs not as loot piñatas, but as members of functioning societies. If you went into the game treating the "Orcs" as generic baddies, the manual was there to scold you for your prejudice, informing you that Orcish labor unions were a powerful political force in the city of Tarant. Print it out, if you can