Research

Research is an extremely important mechanic in Frackin' Universe. It allows you to learn ("unlock") the recipes of "how to craft ". You can do so via the Research Tree in your Tricorder.

Existing research trees
There are several trees:
 * Agriculture tree (craft seeds, breed bees/animals, make lights, hunting/fishing/survival tools, wells, growing trays, etc.)
 * Armor and Weapons tree
 * Chemistry tree (synthesize medicine, fuel, liquids, plastics, high-tech substances, etc.)
 * Craftsmanship tree (cook, brew, make fabrics and clothes, furniture and blocks, summon crew/tenants, etc.)
 * Electronics tree (automation: pumps/quarries, solar panels, reactors, sifters, centrifuges, Item Transference Devices, etc.)
 * Engineering tree (extractors, tools like Mining Laser, EPP augments, your mech/ship/vehicles, teleporters/terraformers, high-tech crafting materials)
 * Geology tree (start here! Allows to smelt ores)
 * Metaphysics tree (see below)

You can see them all in-game in your Tricorder.

Cost to unlock
To unlock the Research Node (e.g. ""), you spend a special currency called "Research". You get 1 research every 2 seconds (more when exploring higher-tier worlds, up to tier 6). Passive research gain slows and eventually stops if you are inactive.

Most nodes will also require that you possess some relevant materials (e.g. you need Iron Ore to research ). These materials are NOT consumed.

How to get more research?
You can gain the Research currency by:
 * Passive research from exploration, which accumulates faster when you are exploring higher-tier worlds (note that tier 6 is the maximum - if you explore a tier 10 world, the rate will be the same as for tier 6 world). This increase starts 5 minutes after arriving on a world.
 * Doing quests in your Tricorder, S.A.I.L. and in the Science Outpost (some of them give research as a part of their rewards).
 * Studying artifacts, geodes, etc. in Microscopes.
 * Successfully gathering fossils has a chance to yield some research (when you see the bones of some prehistoric animal in the background wall, approach them and use a Fossil Brush on them).
 * The more unspent Madness you have, the faster will the Research accumulate.
 * The Researcher Crew member gives a small bonus to passive research gain, and will reapply it whenever you enter combat.
 * Some exploration-themed armor sets (like Researcher and Geologist) increase the passive research gain.
 * If you have tenants and a Colony Core, you can get additional research via Hidden Camera Network. The output from only 1 tenant will be negligible, but it's a nice bonus if you have a whole town.
 * The high-tech plant Neuropod can be eaten to increase research gain for 2 minutes.
 * Placing items into computers (Basic Computer, Personal Computer, Advanced Computer or Research Server, Precursor Data Box or Research Mainframe). This gives you Research based on the price and rarity of item. The item is consumed.

Madness research
Nodes of Metaphysics (Madness) tree require Madness currency (which is consumed when unlocking them) in addition to Research currency. You can speak to Kevin in the Science Outpost if you don't have any Madness - he will gladly share his Madness with you (if you assist him with his crazy quests).

Technologies in this tree are somewhat crazy (like extracting brains and using their Brain Power for electricity), but studying them can lead to some scientific breakthoughs (if you are mad enough to go there).

Note that Metaphysics research nodes are partially hidden: more of them will be revealed after you research the nodes you can see.

Disks
In multiplayer, you can give some of your Research to your friends by crafting Research Microdisc (500 research), Research Holodisc (1000) or Research Megadisc (5000). Disk is a usable item (when you use Research Holodisk, it disappears and gives you 1000 research).

In singleplayer you normally don't need them, except for situations when these disks are an ingredient of techs like Physics Field.

Differences from unmodded Starbound
In Starbound without Frackin' Universe, players could unlock the crafting recipes by picking up some item. For example, picking up Titanium Bar tought you how to craft Titanium Broadsword. This caused three serious problems:
 * 1) Progression skipping: players would immediately go to max-tier world, get the best possible ore, and then will be bored at "game over" state in a couple of hours. While doing so, they would also miss amazing low-tier weapons (with unique projectile mechanics, special abilities, etc.), powerful low-tier mech components like Lunari Mech Arm, and also some useful low-tier buildings (e.g. Liquid Collector is much less advanced than Atmospheric Condenser, but generates significantly more liquid - but a player who skipped tiers would just build the Condenser and wouldn't even try the Collector, assuming it to be inferior). Because all armor/weapons in Frackin' Universe is upgradeable (up to tier 10), many low-tier armors gain extremely good stats at tiers 6-8. When skipping tiers, most players would just walk in tier 6 armor without noticing how cool low-tier armors can be.
 * 2) Extreme lag / performance issues: each time you picked up a Titanium Bar, the game would check "do we need to unlock anything from these 100 items that are unlocked by Titanium Bar"? That was sometimes really slow even on high-end machines.
 * 3) Not knowing about future items:  without the Research Tree, a player wouldn't even know that crafting Mining Cannon (which is relatively weak and seems unworthy to craft, looking at the numbers alone) would unlock Mining Cannon II, and then Mining Cannon III (which is absolutely amazing). The only players who found those high-tier items are those who (for some reason) crafted a low-tier one. With the Research Tree, you can always see which technologies can be unlocked in the future, and what are the requirements.