ruins

yes they work. i don´t know how the mechanism behind the ruins works, but maybe the one you found would have given a tech that you already had so you gained nothing from it.

you can also gain reserch points in a random tech you could be reserching but arnt at the moment.

If u were informed of a new research area in the news, all u have to do is put research points in that area. Check this out, because sometimes new tech areas appear between the old tech areas and u dont even see them if u scroll fast (happened to me a couple of times)

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Learn to overcome the crass demands of flesh and bone, for they warp the matrix through which we perceive the world. Extend your awareness outward, beyond the self of body, to embrace the self of group and the self of humanity. The goals of the group and the greater race are transcendent, and to embrace them is to achieve enlightenment.

* Chairman Sheng-ji Yang, "Essays on Mind and Matter"

It may be that you need more than one set of ruins to unlock any techs. I'm pretty sure it works like that in IRM, at least.

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"No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his friend. Not for millions, not for glory, not for fame... for one person. In the dark. Where no one will ever know or see"

Jack.

This happened to me once when I was playing a large quad and my empire had picked up quite a few ruins and I got the message that you have found a ruin but no tech was given with said ruin...so I'd go along with Prankowski...if you are sure it didn't give you anything...though I could simply be a very very minor bug!