What is the Kardashev Scale And Why Is It Important to Humankind?
A civilization like humankind depends heavily on harnessing energy to meet up with modern technological demands. For years, scientists have been researching on finding the best way to measure the amount of energy harnessed and consumed by humans on Earth.
In 1964, Soviet astronomer and physicist Nikolai Kardashev proposed the concept of the Kardeshev scale as a means of measuring the amount of energy consumption of any civilization. The astronomer named the concept after him.
He published it in his first research paper titled “Transmission of Information by Extraterrestrial Civilizations.” The science paper explained how civilizations can be identified based on their energy consumption over a certain period.
Kardashev used human civilization to develop his initial model. The outcome of his experiment was accepted globally. Now, what is the Kardashev scale and why is it important to us? You are about to find out why the Kardashev scale will greatly benefit humankind in the future.
What is the Kardashev Scale?
Kardashev Scale is an advanced measuring method developed to help a civilization calculate its level of advancement in technology based on its capability to harness and consume a certain amount of energy.
This scale relies heavily on estimating the technological advancement of any civilization based on energy. Nikolai Kardashev, the scientist that developed the model published the first article about it in 1964. In this first paper titled, “Transmission of Information by Extraterrestrial Civilizations,” Kardashev used human civilization as his first model.
Classifications of Civilizations Based on the Kardashev Scale
Nikolai Kardashev developed his initial model by proposing the classifications of civilizations into three types, a Type I civilization, a Type II civilization, and a Type III civilization. He used this model to explain how a civilization would require more energy consumption based on its technological advancement.
A Type I Civilization
Kardashev describes a Type I civilization as a civilization that has advanced enough to access and use the entire energy available on its planet. This implies that a Type I civilization will have the ability to harness and store all energy sources it can find within its planet of birth.
Kardashev used the human civilization as an example to explain this type of civilization. If humans become a Type I civilization, they should be able to control and utilize all-natural disasters on Earth including volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and many others.
Imagine a future where humans terraform some unexplored region on Earth using the vibrations of earthquakes. If humans become a Type I civilization, the loss of lives and properties during any natural events will be a thing of the past.
Currently, humankind is at about 0.7 on the Kardashev Scale. Many futurists like Michio Kaku estimate that humankind will likely become a Type 1 civilization in the next 100 to 200 years.
A Type II civilization
A Type II civilization is an advanced space-faring civilization that can directly consume the entire energy of a Star. Any civilization that will be this powerful should be able to construct a Dyson sphere around its host star.
The Dyson sphere will trap all the solar output coming from a Star. The Type II civilization will then use this energy to power its advanced technologies that would enable them to travel to other star systems and possibly attempt intergalactic journeys.
Kardashev strongly believed that it would take humans around 3200 years to become a type II civilization. Before the next 3000 years, we should expect our kind to build advanced technologies that would move us closer to becoming a powerful civilization that can harness the entire energy of our star.
A Type III Civilization
Nikolai Kardashev believed that humans would likely become a type III civilization in the next 5,800 years to come. As a type III civilization, our kind will be able to harness all the energy emitted by our home galaxy and capture all energy generated by every celestial body within our home galaxy.
This implies that humankind will capture energies from every black hole, star, and other object within the Milky Way Galaxy as a type III civilization. Hence, our descendants will be thinking of intergalactic space flights to Andromeda galaxy and other neighboring galaxies.
They will develop fascinating technologies that will carry them around the universe at a tremendous speed. Even if they have not developed spacecraft that can travel at near speed of light at this point, they will clearly understand how to reduce their space travel time to other galactic worlds.
While Kardashev stopped his scale at Type III civilization, several scientific models have extended civilizations adding Type IV and V to harness more range of power levels. However, as humans advance technologically, we will improve our understanding of the Kardashev scale.
Other Articles About the Kardashev Scale Published By Nikolai Kardashev
After the world accepted the first article, Nikolai Kardashev proceeded to publish the second article titled “Strategies of Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence” in 1980. The futurist discussed the ability of any civilization to have access to energy and probably sustain itself afterward in the second article.
He also explores the idea of the advanced civilization adapting to its thriving society. In 1985, Kardashev published the third article in which he discussed his ideas even further.
In 1997, he published his final article on the advancement of a civilization. Kardashev suggested ways astronomers could detect evidence of advanced supercivilizations in the cosmos.
Most modern astronomers have continued to observe the universe with the hope of finding another intelligent life. However, to date, we have not discovered any evidence of other civilizations out there. But we will still continue to search.
Why is the Kardashev Scale Important to Humans?
The human civilization is growing at a faster pace. However, despite our technological progress, we are still at 0.73 on the Kardashev scale. Hence, the Kardashev scale helps to tell how fast we are advancing technologically as a civilization.
Many futurists like Michio Kaku have already predicted that the human race will become a type 1 civilization in the next 100 to 200 years to come. However, we may build more fascinating technologies that will make us climb the ladder of becoming a type I civilization before 2100.