However, these choices decrease your ratings in other areas, so avoid extensively unbalancing your society just to increase these two factors. The Unity pods scattered about the Planet often contain data from the ship's databanks. Recovery of a pod containing this data results in a free technology breakthrough. Unity pods can also generate alien artifacts. You may link an artifact to a network node by moving the artifact into a base containing a node.
Linked artifacts generate a high-level technology for free.
Note that you may only link one artifact to each node, and that linking an artifact may destroy the node. Bases in drone riots have a greater chance of losing a net node when linking to an alien artifact. Trading research with other factions is one of the fastest ways to acquire new tech. You can expect better success when offering to trade techs with a friendly faction, so keep good diplomatic relations with advanced powers. Often, Pact Brothers or Sisters request that you direct your research towards a particular goal, so they can trade an equally valuable technology.