In Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Dr. Shcherba's request for help initiates the side quest "In the Name of Science," a multi-part mission involving mutant electronic collars. This guide details the quest's progression and critical choices.

Collecting the Electronic Collars:

The quest begins by locating five electronic collars scattered across the game world. These locations are typically marked on your map. If some are missing, you may have already collected them during other missions. Here's a breakdown:

After gathering all five collars, return to Shcherba at the Roofed Warehouse in the Chemical Plant. If you encounter bugs (e.g., inability to collect a collar), use the console command "XEndQuestNodeBySID E08_SQ01_S2_SetJournal_WaitForSherbaCall_Finish_Pin_0" to advance.

Jammer Decision:

Shcherba discovers a signal jamming the collars. He sends you to the Storage on the Hill (west of the Roofed Warehouse) to investigate. Inside, you'll face poltergeists, zombified soldiers, and rodents before reaching the jamming device. You have two choices:

• Destroy/Disable the Jammer (Recommended): This progresses the quest, yielding coupons from Shcherba and leading to a bloodsucker encounter and another crucial decision.
• Recalibrate the Jammer: This ends the quest, rewarding you with coupons from Dvupalov.

Confrontation with Shcherba:

Disabling the jammer leads to a call from Shcherba, followed by a wait (or use of the console command "XStartQuestNodeBySID E08_SQ01_S3_Technical_SherbaInvitedToLab" if necessary). Upon returning to Shcherba's lab, you receive Magic Vodka from Dvupalov. This vodka is crucial; you'll encounter three bloodsuckers and a trapped room with PSI radiation. The vodka mitigates the radiation's effects.

You'll then confront Shcherba, who has a gun trained on Dvupalov. The choice to kill or spare Shcherba results in the same rewards (a Gauss Gun and the "On a Leash" trophy). However, sparing Shcherba maintains positive relations with the scientists.