Maintain for the time being your lone scientist and 0% science slider. Use the funds to rapidly build infrastructure in your core especially
marketplaces to increase cash and happiness
libraries initially for culture 'glue' but eventually for the beakers
courthouses for corruption where appropriate
banks to increase cash
cathedrals for happiness and more 'glue'
universities for eventual beakers (probably have enough 'glue')
aqueducts when needed for growth
order is variant. The really close in cities may not need those courthouses at all and the edge of core cities will probably want courthouses first. Generally, you will have preference for cash multipliers over beaker multipliers except for that first bit of 'glue'
Make worker farms out of your hopelessly corrupt non core cities and do some serious tile improvements.
agressively tech trade
agressively gather luxuries
every time you start a new tech tabulate the slider turn table.
as long as the 100% sci rate exceeds what the apparent AI turns per tech value implied from your tech trading results continue as above
Once your break even sci rate gets close to or achieves tech turn rate parity, you can consider doing your own research while you continue to pile on the infrastructure. From here on you will have preference for beaker multipliers over cash multipliers.
enjoy the ride!
roadcage