Scientific Pursuits

 is a Fallout 3 quest. It is also a Xbox 360/PC achievement and a PlayStation 3 Trophy.

Objectives and walkthrough
This Quest can be started by talking to Madison Li in the Rivet City Science Lab, without completing the Galaxy News Radio quest. It can also be started by picking up the notes in Jefferson Memorial regarding Project Purity.

Gain entrance to Rivet City
It is highly likely that you have already visited Rivet City, likely as part of The Wasteland Survival Guide or in the course of visiting the southern Metro Stations to reach areas like Museum of American History or the National Archives. In this case, reaching Dr. Li is trivial.

The easiest - as in, quickest and no or almost no combat - way to get to Rivet City is to go back via the Map Marker in your Pip-Boy 3000 to Super-Duper Mart.
 * From there, follow the river (Potomac) south on the west bank, passing Wilhelms Wharf, down to the Arlington Memorial Bridge at the Citadel.
 * You can either avoid a few Super Mutants by swimming over at the Jefferson Memorial, or you can cross the Arlington Memorial Bridge and head south after a brief battle.
 * When you have the Jefferson Memorial in sight, head east. Near the Anacostia Crossing metro entrance you will notice a metal construct next to the aircraft carrier ; climb it and use the intercom to get the bridge connected.

You can also cross the D.C. urban area, dodging in and out of metro stations, or follow the east bank of Potomac, and it will lead you to a lot or at least some more combat.

Depending on your earlier missions - The Power of Atom in particular - you may run into Talon Company or Regulators.

Talk to Doctor Li about Dad and Project Purity
Dr. Li knows your father, James. She offers details on Project Purity and tells you where your father James ran off to: the Jefferson Memorial. If you've been to this location and visited the underground tunnel, the game will allow you to tell her that he isn't there; she will instead insist that you go back as his notes were left there.

Look for Dad in Project Purity's Control Room
Enter the memorial through the metal door labeled Gift Shop. Be warned that there are a number of Super Mutants inside. Make your way to the Rotunda by following the signs.

Once in the Rotunda, walk up to the auxiliary filtration unit near the entry way and pick up the log tapes resting here. One of the tapes, #10, will indicate that your father has left for Vault 112 already. The location will be added to your map; there are several other points of interest in the area, which makes it relatively simple to fast travel to.

Gain access to Vault 112
Walk or fast travel to Smith Casey's Garage. Once inside progress past the front desk and into the back room, killing the radroaches and mole rats. You will find a switch located on the wall to your left that operates a large hole in the floor. Activate the switch and the door will open. Proceed down the stairway, down the next set of stairs and to the bottom. You cannot miss the Vault 112 doorway. Activate the door using the panel and you can walk right in. Next walk down into the tranquility lab and find the single only operational tranquility lounger where you will complete the quest.

Rumors
It is rumored that it is possible to skip this quest by managing to get into Braun's office without ever sitting in a Tranquility Lounger. This is not true; there is nothing in that office which will end the simulation and release James. The only way to end the quest is to enter Tranquility Lane via a Tranquility Lounger.

It is also possible to complete the quest without gaining the achievement. Through over exploring, and failing to use the intercom for the Rivet City bridge, it's possible to bypass the Rivet City section completely, as you can stumble across the journals in the Jefferson Memorial (Project Purity HQ) without ever having met Madison Li... since not all of the objectives have been completed in order, this disqualifies you from receiving the achievement.

Also, you can just head straight to Vault 112 as soon as you receive the quest and it will update the quest to that point, although the dialogue will be the same and therefore not joined well to the plot your character will have followed.

Getting the Achievement
To successfully get the achievement for this quest, you must speak with Three Dog in the Galaxy News Radio quest, and have him give you the quest, as opposed to going to Rivet City and getting the quest from Dr. Li. Receiving the quest from Dr. Li disqualifies you from getting the achievement, as the first objective in the quest is to find Rivet City, and completing objectives out of order or before getting the quest can disqualify you from certain quest-based achievements (Yes, it WILL disqualify you if you don't get the objectives in order. It will skip all the Rivet City and Doctor Li Stuff). It is also possible to skip to the mission "Gain Access to Vault 112" if you have already travelled to Jefferson Memorial (on your own, not as part of the mission), and found the holotapes. After this, Three Dog and Doctor Li will not give you any information about your dads whereabouts whatsoever. Also, if you have already visited Smith Casey's Garage before you acquire the holotapes, then there is a chance that you will not get the achievement upon completion of the quest.

1/28/2009

Received Scientific Pursuits quest from Dr Li, and Following in His Footsteps was automatically complete without an achievement. Went to visit Three Dog (for the first time), had a dialogue about my dads whereabouts and immediately received the Following in His Footsteps achievement. After, I finished Galaxy News Radio quest and received achievement. Proceeded to do the Scientific Pursuits quest, after completing, I immediately received the achievement.

Possible fix with the patch?

Please note that the Jefferson Memorial was NOT explored prior to getting the Scientific Pursuits quest. This achievement bug could still exist by exploring Jefferson Memorial beforehand. It seems like receiving the quest from Dr Li will not bug the achievement.

2/14/09

Having just tested this, you do NOT need to see Three Dog to get the achievement for 'Scientific Pursuits', you simply need to have never been in the Jeffersonian Memorial and/or gotten the Project Purity Notes or gone into the Rotunda. I'm not sure quite which one it is, but either way stay clear of there until you've spoken to Three Dog or Doctor Li.

2/15/09 On a previous play through I discovered the Jefferson Memorial (but did not go just beyond the first door (didn't even kill any of the super mutants)) and failed to get the achievement. Testing play through, went directly to Rivet city (skipping Three dog), avoided the Memorial. Did Scientific Pursuits... achievement unlocked. DO NOT even discover Jefferson Memorial before starting (and definitely do not go inside)

Bugs

 * Sometimes the quest fails to update when you enter Vault 112. If this happens, you will not receive Vault112 jumpsuit from robobrains, nor find any in the vault itself and will be unable to continue with the main quest. This can be fixed by adding item with console command "player.additem 000340EF"

YouTube Videos
Scientific Pursuits Part 1Scientific Pursuits Part 1

Scientific Pursuits Part 2Scientific Pursuits Part 2