When my tech straegy is to buy technology, I have been accustomed to setting the science slider to 10% so that I would at least get one advance every 32 turns. It turns out that having a single scientist is just as good. The scientist can even be in a totally corrupt city.
This suggests a strategy of alternating the science slider between 0% and 100% rather than leaving it at 50%. That way you get the average of the 32-turn rate and the maximum rate.
This suggests a strategy of alternating the science slider between 0% and 100% rather than leaving it at 50%. That way you get the average of the 32-turn rate and the maximum rate.