Im new at playing all the civ games but i really enjoy them can some one help me by telling me a good way to tech fast or tech really easily thanks

Reaper, you can pull up the tech-tree while in-game with the Back button, to help you visually plan your tech-ing strategy. To tech fast, the most basic way will be to focus your cities production on Science (beakers), but also trades with other civs, certain wonders, certain relics, and certain types of "Great People" can give you boosts as well.

Use the mega-city strategy to tech fast. Build a few cities besides your capital and have them just pump out settlers until your capital has a huge, sprawling population. Get a library up fast and switch to gold for a few turns if you need to rush buildings, but basically just focus on growing a single massive city if you want to tech fast early on.

Key to the mega city strategy is that you must be in Republic at the time

thanks for all the help if any one else has anymore strategies or wants to add on to what anybody said id really appritiate it

Rush u closer enemy and take his capital, that is another huge boost.

This is probably obvious:

Great Scientist unit can immediately finish research of current technology, so make sure you switch to the most expensive tech (on PS3, the option is under Select button) you can research before activating its power. :)

at the risk of sounding stupid here could someone please explain in more detail the mega-city concept. that's one i' haven't tried.

never mind, i got it now.

see duh, i told you it was stupid.