I've been waiting a week to comment on this because I did not want anyone on Belitlli to know I had reached tier 6, but tier 6 is NOT the ticket to gaining entry to the center of the universe. I researched Gravitron physics and my probes still died at the dividing line. I tried several more times while I was running the solar core taps as I researched additional lower tier items, but I never gained entry. I cannot recall the exact numbers of research I had during my last attempt, but I believe it was about 38 skills and 270-ish "skill points", whatever that is (i'm less sure of this last number).

I never believed simply reaching tier 6 was the key anyway. For one, it unfairly favors researchers, who are already at an advantage with win conditions. Further, Tsagoth's explanation did not (in my mind) make any reference to tier 6 research, so I was surprised when people interpreted it that way. Rather it discusses "tech level 6" and in a context that implies that it is something not mentioned in the in-game menus. I have no idea what tech level is and Tsagoth did not explain it, but it appears to be something in the code that we can obtain, but there is no indication how tech level is calculated.