The Twilight's PeakTRAVELLER
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Imperial Research

The worlds of the Imperium manifest a wide range of technological levels. The Third Imperium has always allowed its member worlds a wide degree of latitude, and it meddles very little in local affairs. With communication limited to the same speed as transportation, a single offworld query can involve weeks, months, or even years before a reply is received. ln addition, the cost of offworld transportation (both in time and money) tends to limit the interchange of information, the shipment of experimental prototypes and other such activities that are basic to the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Most worlds have found that simply purchasing advanced technology from a neighboring world is impractical. Not only is such high technology expensive, putting it to any cost effective use requires that the technology be understood. Consider: as useful as Tech Level 8 solid-state chip circuits are, they cannot be used on a large scale without the knowledge of electronics or the ability to provide supporting circuits (power circuits, circuit boards, and so on), which further implies knowledge of photoprocessing, and even crystal culture. In the final analysis, attempting to jump to a higher Tech Level without passing through any of the intervening Tech Levels just doesn't work; one must pass through the lower stages of technological development on the way to the higher Tech Level. Regardless of what the individual member worlds do, there are also certain large-scale interests in the Imperium which back research projects. Such research is generally privately backed (such as under contract by multiworld corporations), or it is sometimes performed in established Imperial Research Stations.