Discoveries

Discoveries give passive benefits or unlock certain structures. Discoveries are learned by spending Science, and is one of the only ways to use Science. Each Race starts with one or two Discoveries.

Discoveries can also be learned by opening a survival capsule. For example, opening a capsule with a Space Chicken will grant Intelligence, the Space Chicken starting Discovery. The Discovery is not unlearned if Space Chickens later go extinct.

It is not possible to learn Intelligence this way if Space Chickens are a rival faction, as rival races don't appear in capsules. However, becoming allies with a rival faction will also grant their discoveries as bonus discoveries. Losing ally status will not unlearn their discoveries.

Each Ascension level awards 500 Science and three new Discoveries to buy. Some Discoveries have a level limit, and they cannot be unlocked before a certain Ascension level is reached. If a Discovery is already known before it is unlocked, it will show up in the purchase table at its unlock level.

Unlock
There are 30 Discoveries in the game. Each new Ascension level, starting from level 2, unlocks 3 Discoveries for purchase. At level 11, all Discoveries will be unlocked. The Discoveries unlocked at each level are determined at the beginning of a game.

Most Discoveries can only be unlocked after a certain Ascension level. For example, Optimized Helmet can never be unlocked at level 2. Perhaps because of how Discoveries are shuffled, low-level discoveries have a high chance of appearing at their minimum level, when there are fewer possibilities.

The shuffle mechanics may be more complex than described here.

Cost
The cost depends on how many Discoveries have been bought. Your first Discovery costs 500 Science, and each new Discovery costs twice as much as the previous one. If Pure Science is learned, cost is reduced by 20%. Discoveries granted by a Race do not increase the purchase cost.

With only the free Science from Ascension levels, Discoveries can be learned at levels 2, 4, and 8 (or 2, 4, and 7 with Primarcs, which start with Pure Science). To learn even more Discoveries, you must produce Science in Research Labs or from Monoliths.