The Kardashev scale : Imagining the Bold Future of our Civilization

The Kardashev scale speculates the technological advancements, a civilization is capable of according to the degree of energy manipulation.

The scale was hypothesized by the Russian astronomer Nikolai Kardashev in 1946, while he was searching for signals of extraterrestrial life in the cosmos.

There are three types that scale follows of astrophysical structures in our observable universe. The basic calibration is based on the three energy positions, which was further developed to type four and five, corresponding to the ability of a planet to fully manage the energy resources.

These additions draw into account both access to resources and the amount of information that civilizations have access to.

Type 1 of the Kardashev scale 

This status is for civilizations that have achieved the ability to collect, store, and harness the total energy of the planet to meet the rising demands of an increasing population. 

Earth is still level zero civilization as we are still far away to meet the criteria and would need 100,000 times more energy production to acquire the designation.

Harnessing the cumulative energy of Earth and our sun would mean that humans become capable of controlling every natural phenomenon such as weather, volcanos, tectonic activity, geothermal changes

These sorts of feats are impossible to believe, but these are only simple and rudimentary levels of power relative to the development that a higher type of civilization might possess.

Type 2 of the Kardashev scale

Imagine the technological feat of building a spherical device straight out of science fiction, surrounding our sun. Type 2 civilization is all about harnessing and controlling the energy of our planet’s star. The proposed spherical machine that would encompass every single inch of our star is called the Dyson Sphere.

Much of the energy accumulated will be stored and distributed to the earth for later use.

Our capabilities with such expendable energy will make us virtually immune to extinction-level events.

Controlling the star would mean influencing the orbits and courses of all the planets in our solar system and harvesting asteroids at our pleasure.

We would be able to vaporize any asteroid or incoming celestial body even as big as the moon, approaching earth on a collision path, out of existence if humans lasted long enough to achieve this status. Or, if we had time, we might move our world out of the way, dodging it entirely.

Type 3 of the Kardashev scale

Becoming an intergalactic species, with great knowledge and manipulation of energy, a type 3 civilization would span across the entire galaxy colonizing and controlling every solar system encountered.

For humans, after hundreds and thousands of years of evolution, we would become unrecognizable. 

Our Physical bodies will be available for personalized customization, capable of exhibiting superhero-like abilities.

We might even break the cycle of death or at least increase our lifespan 100 times more. We would essentially become a different species capable of interstellar travel like riding on a bus and capable of survival on even the harshest exoplanets.

Humans then would start diverging into different subspecies engaging in intergalactic dominance and battles like in star wars.

Limited time traveling would also become available enabling us to control space-time and influence life-threatening events.

Type 4 of the Kardashev scale

The Kardashev Scale extension of type 3, this form of civilization would transcend our current extension of the imagination. It is hard for us now to comprehend the scope of such a civilization that has conquered, every bit of this observable universe.

Zoltan Galantai has established this civilization would be able to harness the dark matter and possibly travel to other universes. The physical manifestation of such beings might not even be an observable body, but an energy source.

We might not be able to detect the actions of a type 4 civilization as they would in indistinguishable from the natural process of energy propagation. 

Ideas of omnipotence and omnipresence are associated with such a civilization. 

How far are we from type 1 of the Kardashev scale?

Scientists estimate we are only 100-200 years away from achieving this level. One particular indication is our ability to harness nuclear power and our sustained efforts to control nuclear fusion for energy production.

Continued trends of globalizing our cultures, languages, political systems, and even mixing the gene pool in order to create a unified race are all indications of our rapid progress.  

This transition from type 0 to type 1 is considered the most dangerous and hard as we are threatened by extinction-level events.

Weapons of mass destruction and superior intelligence might lead us to engage in wars that might wipe out life entirely. Unchecked climate changes and destruction of natural protective mechanisms of our planet caused by our ignorant behavior might stop us from ever reaching type 1.

Does the prospect of becoming a superspecies, excite, or frightens you? 

Let us know in the comments.

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