Science and Exploration

Science and Exploration is the bottom tree on the Technology Screen.  It contains the majority of colonization technologies, as well as science improvements, curiosities, probes, additional Luxury Resources, and terraforming.  Like the other trees, it contains five technology stages, and a certain number of technologies from each stage must be researched to unlock the next.

The first three stages contain a large network of Facilitating Techs, split between the left and right portions of the tree.  Cold planet colonization techs and support modules are more common on the left side of the tree, whereas hot planet colonization, science improvements, and curiosity detection are found on the right side.

### Note:

* Technologies unique to a faction are written like this: Tendrils of the Church (Vodyani)
* Technologies with a variation for a faction are written like this: Graviton Research (Variation: Sophon)

## Stage One

Players start with this stage already unlocked. The base cost for technologies in this stage is 131 Science.  This stage unlocks three modules: String Gravitics Engine, Basic Colonization and Improved Probes. It also unlocks the Common Curiosities improvement.

* Xenobiology (Variation: Continuum Sculptors, Unfallen)

* Rare Earth Foams (Variation: Continuum Sculptors, Unfallen)

## Stage Two

The second stage is unlocked by researching one technology from Stage One.  It contains four technologies, highly interconnected with Facillitating Techs.  Unlocking this stage provides the player with two support modules: Warp-Drive and Nano-repair Bots.

* Machine Bacteria (Variation: Continuum Sculptors)

* Eukaryotic Sap (Variation: Sophon, Horatio, Riftborn, Unfallen)
* Behemoth Generators (Behemoth)

* Baryonic Shielding (Variation: Continuum Sculptors, Vaulters, Unfallen)

* Pev-scale Accelerators (Variation: Ship Bound, Continuum Sculptors, Unfallen)
* Behemoth Analyzers (Behemoth)

## Stage Three

The third stage is unlocked by researching three technologies from Stage Two. Reaching this stage unlocks Uncommon Curiosities and grants the Hyperium Engine support module

* Vacuum Protection (Variation: Riftborn)
* Wave Function Control (Variation: Continuum Sculptors, Metafolding, Unfallen)
* Compact Warp Methods (Variation: Horatio)
* Graviton Research (Variation: Sophon, Continuum Sculptors)
* Autonomous Materials (Variation: Ship Bound)
* Evaporation Inhibitors (Variation: Ship Bound, Continuum Sculptors, Unfallen)
* Behemoth Basic Climatology (Behemoth)

## Stage Four

The fourth stage is unlocked by researching three technologies from Stage Three.  Unlocking this stage reveals Rare Curiosities and grants the Titanium Colonizers support module. This stage contains a unique technology for two of the Major Factions.

* Adaptive Colonies (Variation: Metafolding, Ship Bound, Unfallen)
* Applied Casimir Effect (Variation: Ship Bound)
* N-Dimensional Topoligies (Variation: Vaulters, Vodyani)
* Climate Engineering (Variation: Continuum Sculptors, Ship Bound)
* Low Kelvin Sciences
* Ultra-Deep Habitats
* Dimensional Folding (Variation: Metafolding, Ship Bound)
* Tendrils of the Church (Variation: Ship Bound)
* Sophonic Noosphere (Variation: Sophons)
* Tachyon Physics (Variation: Continuum Sculptors)
* Behemoth Advanced Climatology (Behemoth)

## Stage Five

The fifth stage is unlocked by researching four technologies from Stage Four.  Reaching this stage unlocks the Anti-Matter Engine support module.

* Quantum Evasion
* Interstellar Wind Shields
* Supralight Aerodynamics
* Anomaly Framework (Variation: The Last Empire)
* Ontological Rev-Eng (Variation: Ship Bound)
* Advanced Non-Baryonics
* Radioactive Essence (Variation: Ship Bound)
* Pious Timekeeping (Variation: Ship Bound)
* Unified Tachyon Theory (Variation: Continuum Sculptors)
* Hyperfolding (Variation: Vaulters)

Researching three Stage Five technologies is a requirement for unlocking Genius Of The Endless and Power Of The Endless for research.