Traits connected to player action through selective advance

a. Technology could be dependent on a queue of certain game factors. So, for instance, Mysticism gained when enough incense is gathered, Feudalism gained when a certain number of horsemen units are created, or city walls, etc.
b. This would tie the development of the culture of each civilization both to geographic starting locations (hey, its Marx's theory of production), and to player actions during the course of the game. So a civilization which focused on building/gathering that lead to military techs would develop militarily, etc.
c. Or, Alternatively, the civilization would gain its traits (expansionist, militaristic, etc) through in game actions like this. So if you meet a certain amount of production, you get a bonus; if you win a lot of battles, you get a battle bonus, etc. What traits a civilization has at the moment would be available on the diplomacy screen.

As many people know I have been advocating for new, better ways of researching which are both more realistic and provide more gameplay emersion than just picking a tech and waiting. Brianshapiro's ideas may need to be tweaked and balanced a bit but it is definetely on the way to something better than what we have now.

ok your idea certian amount luxury NO!
im all for new reserch ideas but not that

Research should be based on probability, not a set amount of money. The number of test tubes per turn toward a tech should determine the probability of your getting that tech that turn. On average, techs would take the same amount of time, but there would be Eureka moments as well as unplanned cost runovers. Among other things, this would allow you to also hop around from tech to tech, try Iron Working this turn, then try Mysticism next turn, etc...It wouldn't change the game mechanics much, but it would just feel more realistic, though of course it would vastly increase cheating by save.