Humanity’s Evolutionary Journey on the Kardashev Scale
Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is one among billions of galaxies, each harboring billions of stars, and potentially billions of planets. When we look at these numbers it begs the question, could we be the only intelligent civilization in existence, or is there a possibility of other advanced civilizations scattered across the cosmos? If so, why haven’t we detected any signs of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations yet? This notion gives rise to a perplexing question that challenges our understanding of the universe and our place within it.
We have to assume that not all civilizations start at the same level. They might be millions of years apart from each other and develop in different directions and, the rate at which they develop is different as well. We are not only trying to look for civilizations hundreds of thousands of light years away from us but also looking for civilizations ranging from being simple to really advanced.
We know that humans started with nothing. Slowly, we began to develop tools and, with our innate nature of being curious , greedy and competitive, we successfully started expanding our civilization so we can assume that other alien species out there who are as intelligent as us or eve more so started the same way by progressively extracting energy from our environment and how we used it to do a variety of things. As our energy consumption grew exponentially from starting a fire to building machines and using fossil fuel for energy, our civilization expanded rapidly as well. The global primary energy consumption increased from 600 TWh to 160,000 TWh from 1800 to 2022.
Based on the ability to utilize and harness energy, the Soviet astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev came up with the idea of the Kardashev Scale. This scale has become a popular framework for understanding the potential evolution of civilizations. By examining the energy consumption and capabilities of a civilization, the Kardashev Scale allows us to envision the possibilities that lie ahead for humanity. The scale has been expanded and refined over decades but in general civilizations are classified into three types based on their energy usage and capabilities. These types are defined by the scale of energy they are able to harness and utilize.
Type 1 civilization: Harnessing the power of the planet
A Type 1 civilization is capable of harnessing and utilizing all the energy available on its home planet. This includes the full utilization of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal power. A Type 1 civilization can also control natural disasters and manipulate the climate to its advantage. Although humanity is not yet a Type 1 civilization, we are rapidly progressing towards this level of technological advancement. Right now according to some interpretations it has been estimated that our civilization is around 0.72 on the Kardashev Scale. Achieving Type 1 status would require significant advancements in energy production, resource management, and sustainability on a global scale. It involves harnessing and utilizing the full energy potential of our planet. One potential avenue for advancing toward a Type 1 civilization on the Kardashev Scale is transitioning to Space Based Solar Power (SBSP). Looking at the rate at which we are advancing we will become a Type 1 civilization withing the next 100 years.
Type 2 civilization: Harnessing the power of the stars
A Type 2 civilization has the ability to harness and utilize the energy emitted by its home star. This level of civilization is capable of constructing mega structures known as Dyson spheres or Dyson swarms around their star to capture and utilize its energy. With the power of the stars at their disposal, Type 2 civilizations can accomplish feats that are currently beyond our imagination.
Type 3 civilization: Harnessing the power of the galaxy
A Type 3 civilization is the pinnacle of technological advancement in the Kardashev Scale. These civilizations have the ability to harness and utilize the energy of an entire galaxy. They can tap into the immense power of black holes, control the movements of stars, and even manipulate space-time itself. Type 3 civilizations are truly masters of the universe.
These levels differ by orders of magnitude. There are several intriguing pieces of evidence that suggest the existence of advanced civilizations in prehistory. Ancient structures like the pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge in England exhibit remarkable architectural and engineering expertise that could only be achieved by a highly advanced civilization. Additionally, ancient texts and myths from various cultures around the world contain references to advanced technologies and interactions with otherworldly beings. While these pieces of evidence are often debated, they provide tantalizing clues that there might be more to our prehistory than meets the eye.
The Kardashev Scale offers a fascinating framework for understanding the potential evolution of civilizations, both on Earth and beyond. For now all we really know is we haven't seen anybody yet. But, we've only just started looking. The search continues to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos.
