Well, I would say that this tutorial is the most in-depth explanation you can get, but I'll try to explain more clearer.

The science system consists of two main resources - Science Points and Labs. You gain Science Points with Science Points Income, which give you a certain amount of Science Points every in-game month. Different nations, depending on their techonlogical level, will get different starting Science Points and Science Point Income. Tribals get 5 income and 25 points, settlers get 10 income and 50 points while scientific get nations get 20 income and 100 points. Science points can be spend on tech advancing from tribal to civilization, getting different buffs, money and research slots (7 is the limit) from various decisions. As a tribe, if you want to become civilized, you'd have to build temples and increase your science points income until you get 1000 of them and ascend . Science system for civilized and scientific nations pretty much works the same, but you can't get access to the last levels of Ascensions if you're not a scientific nation, which you can become by using one of the decisions if you're already civilized, but it will require labs.

Labs is the most important part of the science system, as only with them you can progress. To get a functioning lab, you must first build one or two or three. You can choose to pay in civilian factories or money. But then you also need to get personnel for them, this option appears if you have atleast 1 empty lab. You can pay for scientists in PP or research time. After all that, you get a fully functional lab. Each lab increases your research speed by 2% and certain amount of them unlock some new interesting stuff. (also you can spend functioning labs to increase science points income by 5 for one lab)

Now the fun part: Ascensions. There are 3 Ascensions in this submod: Thinking Metal, Threads Of Life and Nuclear Mastery. Every one each of them requires labs, 5 of them on the first level. Ascensions consist of a series (3) of decisions, in which every next decision will require more labs. Every last decision in these Ascensions will require you to be Scientific, also you can only choose two of them, the third one will be hidden after you've made your choice. Every decision will launch an event, which will give you options of buffs you can get. Now more about the Ascensions themselves, but I'll hide potential spoilers.

Thinking Metal: Research an perfect AI. Every choice matters. You can get huge buffs to robot divisions by only choosing militaristic choices in events, to industry by doing the opposite or political buffs by choosing both
Threads Of Life: Splits in two other Sub-Ascensions, Human Superiority and Life Around Us. Human Superiority will allow you to genetically improve humans (or, well, humanoids). Life Around Us will allow you to understand and tame life around us, including animals and atmosphere. That's pretty much it.
Nuclear Mastery: Research the power of nuclear energy. Nukes included.

I think that about does it. I tried to explain everything as in-depth as I could, but feel free to ask if something will still be unclear.

Originally posted by Paralich12:

Well, I would say that this tutorial is the most in-depth explanation you can get, but I'll try to explain more clearer.

The science system consists of two main resources - Science Points and Labs. You gain Science Points with Science Points Income, which give you a certain amount of Science Points every in-game month. Different nations, depending on their techonlogical level, will get different starting Science Points and Science Point Income. Tribals get 5 income and 25 points, settlers get 10 income and 50 points while scientific get nations get 20 income and 100 points. Science points can be spend on tech advancing from tribal to civilization, getting different buffs, money and research slots (7 is the limit) from various decisions. As a tribe, if you want to become civilized, you'd have to build temples and increase your science points income until you get 1000 of them and ascend . Science system for civilized and scientific nations pretty much works the same, but you can't get access to the last levels of Ascensions if you're not a scientific nation, which you can become by using one of the decisions if you're already civilized, but it will require labs.

Labs is the most important part of the science system, as only with them you can progress. To get a functioning lab, you must first build one or two or three. You can choose to pay in civilian factories or money. But then you also need to get personnel for them, this option appears if you have atleast 1 empty lab. You can pay for scientists in PP or research time. After all that, you get a fully functional lab. Each lab increases your research speed by 2% and certain amount of them unlock some new interesting stuff. (also you can spend functioning labs to increase science points income by 5 for one lab)

Now the fun part: Ascensions. There are 3 Ascensions in this submod: Thinking Metal, Threads Of Life and Nuclear Mastery. Every one each of them requires labs, 5 of them on the first level. Ascensions consist of a series (3) of decisions, in which every next decision will require more labs. Every last decision in these Ascensions will require you to be Scientific, also you can only choose two of them, the third one will be hidden after you've made your choice. Every decision will launch an event, which will give you options of buffs you can get. Now more about the Ascensions themselves, but I'll hide potential spoilers.

Thinking Metal: Research an perfect AI. Every choice matters. You can get huge buffs to robot divisions by only choosing militaristic choices in events, to industry by doing the opposite or political buffs by choosing both
Threads Of Life: Splits in two other Sub-Ascensions, Human Superiority and Life Around Us. Human Superiority will allow you to genetically improve humans (or, well, humanoids). Life Around Us will allow you to understand and tame life around us, including animals and atmosphere. That's pretty much it.
Nuclear Mastery: Research the power of nuclear energy. Nukes included.

I think that about does it. I tried to explain everything as in-depth as I could, but feel free to ask if something will still be unclear.

Oh, okay. When you said "Ascension" I thought you were referring to getting the "Scientific" technologies like for electronics and aviation and stuff.