The Big Book of Science is a collection of writings on general science, written before the Great War.
Reading this book permanently improves the player's Science skill by 1 (by 2 with the Comprehension perk).
| Closest map marker | Location description |
|---|
| Arlington Cemetery North | In Arlington House, on the kitchen table. |
| Arlington Library | In the Arlington Library, upstairs from the lobby to the right, on a desk in an office with two sofas. |
| Bethesda Ruins | In Bethesda Offices West, on the main desk on the ground floor, right next to the terminal. Careful, there's a turret in here. |
| Broadcast Tower KB5 | On highway bridge between Broadcast Tower KB5 and SatCom Array NW-07c, as you approach from the east, the corpse of a Scientist will be blown out of the back of a truck. The book will be on the scientist and is much more easily looted from any body parts that remain on the bridge rather than what has fallen into the river below the bridge. |
| Broadcast Tower LP8 | In the Signal Echo Foxtrot sealed cistern. |
| Chryslus building | On a shelf in the northwestern-most room of the Building Basement. |
| Corvega Factory | In a waste container to the south. You will need to jump in from the cliff above. |
| Corvega Factory | Entrance, up the stairs and to your left. It's sitting on a desk (or on top of filing cabinet adjacent to desk). |
| Fort Bannister | In an Average locked room at the bottom of the concrete stairs in Fort Bannister Main with a Fat Man and a mini nuke. |
| Fort Constantine | Launch Control Bunker from the CO Quarters of Fort Constantine, on a desk in the northeast corner. |
| GNR building plaza | Rec room with Three Dog, on the desk next to the radio with other goodies. Must be stolen. |
| Greener Pastures Disposal Site | In the back end of a truck in the southwest near a dead scientist. |
| Hallowed Moors Cemetery | In the lectern. |
| Jury Street Metro Station | On a desk in the drainage chamber accessed through a manhole north of where you get the radio Signal Oscar Tango, which is in the southern area of Jury Street township. |
| L'Enfant | In between L'Enfant and L'Enfant South, in a Pulowski Preservation shelter |
| Marigold Station | In Queen Ant's Hatchery, in the lair of the Marigold ant queen on a desk next to a terminal. *May have been knocked on the ground next to the desk, check around there if it isn't on the desk. |
| Megaton | One of the rewards of the Wasteland Survival Guide quest. Given by Moira Brown as reward for completion. |
| Nuka-Cola Plant | On the second floor in the office area. |
| Rivet City | In Rivet City Bow, in Pinkerton's room on the lower-level desk. Must be stolen. |
| RobCo factory | Factory floor, by the protectron pod area to northeast, on console. |
| Sewer Waystation | In the County Sewer Mainline, in a big three-floored room next to a computer terminal, behind a locked gate. |
| Shalebridge | On a dead researcher in the egg room. The researcher respawns every 73 hours. |
| Tenpenny Tower | In your suite in Tenpenny Tower, once you purchase the "Scientist" room theme (Nikola Tesla and You appears in the house in Megaton with this theme). |
| Vault-Tec Headquarters | Corporate offices, it's sitting on a wall shelf hanging over open air on the second floor. It is possible to jump and attempt to grab it, but it is much easier to shoot it off with a pistol from the left side of the hole. |
| Warrington Station | On a desk in the room with the door to the Metro Access & Generator. |
- A special version of this book specific to the Wasteland Survival Guide quest exists in the game's code, but is unused. It is identical to the standard Big Book of Science and grants the same bonus when used. It is unclear why this specific version was created.
- It is possible to obtain infinite copies of the book because the Ant Researcher in Shalebridge Tunnels respawns every 73 hours. This resets his inventory and the book can be taken from him multiple times. It may be difficult to find him at times. The Ant Researcher is hostile to both you and the "friendly" ants, but usually will not fight, choosing instead to flee, sometimes glitching into areas of the cave you cannot reach.
- If you intend to pick up all 25 skill books (and not use the above bug), you'll have to buy the Scientist Theme for your Tenpenny Tower suite. Only 24 books are available if you choose not to or if you get the Megaton house.
