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The Kardashev scale is a general method of classifying how technologically advanced a civilization is, first proposed in 1964 by the Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev. The scale has three designated categories, types, based on the amount of usable energy a civilization has at its disposal, quantified in units of power (watts) and plotted on an increasing logarithmic scale:

• Type I — A civilization that is able to harness all of the power available on a single planet, approximately 10 or 10 W . The actual figure is quite variable; Earth specifically has an available power of 1.74 ×10 W (174 petawatts). (See Earth's energy budget.) Kardashev's original definition was 4 ×10 W. (Kardashev had originally defined Type I as a "technological level close to the level presently attained on earth", "presently" meaning 1964.)
• Type II — A civilization that is able to harness all of the power available from a single star, approximately 4 ×10 W. Again, this figure is variable; the Sun outputs approximately 3.86 ×10 W. Kardashev's original definition was also 4 ×10 W.
• Type III — A civilization that is able to harness all of the power available from a single galaxy, approximately 4 ×10 W. This figure is extremely variable, since galaxies vary widely in size; the stated figure is the approximate power output of the Milky Way. Kardashev's original definition was also 4 ×10 W..

Using our nuclear explosion tests as a perspective, Tsar Bomba, the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated, produced an estimated 57 megaton yield and was originally designed with a yield of 100 megatons; a Type I civilization with Earth-level power reception produces roughly 40 megatons a second.

All such civilizations are purely hypothetical at this point. However, the Kardashev scale is of use to SETI researchers, science fiction authors, and futurists as a theoretical framework.

Current status of human civilization

Human civilization is currently somewhere below Type I, as it is able to harness only a portion of the energy that is available on Earth. The current state of human civilization has thus been named Type 0. Although intermediate values were not discussed in Kardashev's original proposal, Carl Sagan argued that they could easily be defined by interpolating and extrapolating the values given above. In 1973, he calculated humanity's civilization type to be 0.7, in relationship to Kardashev's model for Types 0 and I.

He used the formula:

${\displaystyle K={\frac {\log _{10}{W}-6}{10}}}$

Value K is a civilization's Kardashev rating and W is its power output in watts. Carl Sagan used 10TW as value W, which was considerably higher than present data suggests. Sagan's overestimation makes little difference in regards to human civilizations K rating, effecting only a difference of 1% in the value of K (See Table Below). He further suggested that a letter be suffixed to indicate the amount of information at the civilization's disposal, making 1973 Earth a 0.7H civilization (the H indicates access to 10 bits of information).

International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook (2005) and section 7 of Key World Energy Statistics project values for planetary power production yielding these corresponding Kardashev scale estimates:

Energy development

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Methods by which a civilization could feasibly advance to Type I:

• Anti-matter production is still beyond our civilization's ability to utilize as a power source, but any civilization with the technological ability to produce anti-matter in large quantities cheaply, would have a mechanism to produce power on a scale several factors above our current level of technology. In antimatter-matter collisions, the entire rest mass of the particles is converted to kinetic energy. The energy per unit mass is about 10 orders of magnitude greater than chemical energy (compared to TNT), about 4 orders of magnitude greater than the energy that humans can liberated today using nuclear fission, and about 2 orders of magnitude greater than the best possible from fusion. The reaction of 1 kg of anti-matter with 1 kg of matter would produce 1.8×10 J (180 petajoules) of energy (by the mass-energy equivalence formula E = mc²), or roughly the equivalent of 47 megatons of TNT. For energy comparisons see anti-matter as a fuel source

• Geothermal energy collected from the a planets core is insufficient to power a civilization to type I by definition of the scale. However, the collection of ambient solar heat and direct light may push energy collection to the threshold.

• Ocean thermal energy conversion, and wind turbines convert mechanical heat energy absorbed by the planets ocean and atmosphere from a planets Sun. Currently, there is no known way for human civilization to successfully utilize the full potential of Earth's energy production without complete coating of the surface with man made structures. We are already "harnessing" much of Earth's available production through in our dependence upon ecosystem services, which may prove more efficient and sustainable in the future.

• Solar energy
  • Solar cells are devices that convert light energy into electrical energy by utilizing the photovoltaic effect. A simpler and far less intrusive method would be to place solar collectors with sufficient surface area into orbit.

• Synthetic biology
  • Transhumanism is a proposition where humans purposefully change the nature of their physical selves. If any species were to choose to fully substitute their nature's services for synthetics, they still might be able to achieve a Type I civilization by assuring that their planets ecosystem was maximally functional.

Type II civilizations might employ:

• A Dyson sphere or Dyson swarm and similar constructs are hypothetical megastructures originally described by Freeman Dyson as a system of orbiting solar power satellites meant to completely encompass a star and capture most or it's entire energy output.
• Perhaps a more exotic means to generate usable energy would be to feed a stellar mass into a black hole, and collect photons emitted by the accretion disc.Alternatively, it may occupy a large number of solar systems, absorbing a small but significant fraction of the output of each individual star.

Type III civilizations might use the same techniques employed by a Type II civilization, but applied to all of the stars of one or more galaxies individually, perhaps using other power mechanisms not yet proposed.

Civilization implications

There are many historical examples of civilizations undergoing large-scale transitions, such as the Industrial Revolution. The transition between Kardashev scale levels could potentially represent similarly dramatic periods of social upheaval, since they entail surpassing the hard limits of the resources available in a civilization's existing territory. A common speculation suggests that the transition from Type 0 to Type I might carry a strong risk of self-destruction since there would no longer be room for further expansion on the civilization's home planet, similar to a Malthusian catastrophe.

Extensions to the original scale

The sub-Type I state that human civilization currently occupies was not originally included in the Kardashev scale but is now commonly referred to as "Type 0".

Zoltan Galantai has defined a further extrapolation of the scale, a Type IV level which controls the energy output of the visible universe; this is within a few orders of magnitude of 10 W. Such a civilization approaches or surpasses the limits of speculation based on current scientific understanding, and may not be possible. Frank J. Tipler's Omega point would presumably occupy this level, as would the Biocosm hypothesis. Galantai has argued that such a civilization could not be detected, as its activities would be indistinguishable from the workings of nature (there being nothing to compare them to).

However, Milan M. Ćirković has argued that "Type IV" should instead be used to refer to a civilization that has harnessed the power of its supercluster, or "the largest gravitationally bound structure it originated in". For the Local Supercluster, this would be approximately 10 W.

Kaku has discussed a type IV civilization, which could harness "extragalactic" energy sources such as dark energy. See p.317 of Parallel Worlds.

Classifying fictional civilizations

These categorizations are not firm, and are neither complete nor absolute. Most science fiction space opera writers do not specifically write their works with Kardashev classification in mind. Isaac Asimov's short story The Last Question covers many of the same themes as Kardashev's papers, in its descriptions of the future use of energy and entropy by human civilization; however it does not mention the scale, as it was written in 1956.

• Type I
  • The Pierson's Puppeteer's from Larry Niven's Known Space books. Their society consumes so much power from Total conversion that surface temperatures are maintained, by waste heat, even after the planet is moved 1/10th of a light year away from its star. Power production must therefore be equivalent to the previous insolation. See Fleet of Worlds.

• Type II
  • The United Federation of Planets of Star Trek
  • The People of the Worldsphere of Doctor Who first seen in The Also People.
  • The territory of Eelong in the Pendragon Series by D. J. MacHale utilizes all power from a belt of suns known as the Skaa.

• Type III
  • The Galactic Empire of The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov is a galaxy-spanning civilization which possesses the technology necessary to harness energy on a planetary and stellar level.
  • The Galactic Republic of Star Wars by George Lucas is a galaxy-spanning society. It has constructed planet-destroying space platforms which expend energy consistent with a Type III civilization.
  • The Borg Collective of Star Trek
  • The Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon. The stellar energy output of the whole galaxy is utilized by the Galactic Community of Worlds.
  • Manifold: Time, by Stephen Baxter - in the distant future, descendants of humanity maintain vast Dyson nets around the supermassive black hole remnants of galaxies until they evaporate via Hawking radiation, accessing the energy equivalent of multiple galaxies

• Type IV and above
  • The Q Continuum and its individual members in the Star Trek mythos
  • The Time Lords of Doctor Who - in the story The Gallifrey Chronicles the Time Lord Marnal claims "The Time Lords were the Type 4 civilization. We had no equals. We controlled the fundamental forces of the entire universe. Nothing could communicate with us on our level. Most races pray to lesser beings than the Time Lords"
  • The Dancers at the End of Time by Michael Moorcock - a past civilization is described which consumed all the energy in all the stars in the universe (saving Earth's own sun) in order to fuel an existence where the inheritors of the Earth lived as nigh-omnipotent gods.

Connections with sociology and anthropology

Kardashev's theory can be viewed as the expansion of some social theories, especially from social evolutionism. It is close to the theory of Leslie White, author of The Evolution of Culture: The Development of Civilization to the Fall of Rome (1959). White attempted to create a theory explaining the entire history of humanity. The most important factor in his theory is technology: Social systems are determined by technological systems, wrote White in his book, echoing the earlier theory of Lewis Henry Morgan. As measure of society advancement he proposed the measure energy consumption of a given society (thus his theory is known as the energy theory of cultural evolution). He differentiates between five stages of human development. In the first stage, people use energy of their own muscles. In the second stage, they use energy of domesticated animals. In the third stage, they use the energy of plants (which White refers to as agricultural revolution). In the fourth stage, they learn to use the energy of natural resources - such as coal, oil and gas. Finally, in the fifth stage, they harness nuclear energy. White introduced a formula P=E×T, where P measures the advancement of the culture, E is a measure of energy consumed, and T is the measure of efficiency of technical factors utilizing the energy.

Criticism

It has been argued that, because we cannot understand advanced civilizations, we cannot predict their behavior; thus, Kardashev's visualization may not reflect what will actually occur for an advanced civilization. This central argument is found within the book Evolving the Alien: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life.

Another discussion of this possibility, and of the possibility that advanced civilizations cannot be distinguished from Nature, can be found at "Exotic Civilizations: Beyond Kardaschev". Future Hi. April 15 2004. Retrieved 2006-04-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link).

References

1. ^ Detectability of Extraterrestrial Technological Activities by Guillermo A. Lemarchand
2. ^ Kardashev, Nikolai (1964). "Transmission of Information by Extraterrestrial Civilizations" (PDF). Soviet Astronomy. 8: 217.
3. Sagan, Carl (2000) . Jerome Agel (ed.). Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective. Freeman J. Dyson, David Morrison. Cambridge Press. ISBN 05-21-7830-38. Retrieved 2008-01-01. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear=, |origmonth=, |accessmonth=, |chapterurl=, |origdate=, and |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
4. ^
5. "Key World Energy Statistics" (PDF). International Energy Agency. 2004. Retrieved 2006-08-10.
6. Quads: 1 quadrillion BTU
7. mtoes: million tonnes (metric tons) of oil equivalents
8. Landua, Rolf; ; CERN (2005-09-01). "Anti-matter is the ultimate energy source.... Is this true?" (Interview). Retrieved 2008-01-29. {{cite interview}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |subjectlink2= and |url2= (help); Unknown parameter |subjectlink2= ignored (|subject-link2= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |subjectlink3= ignored (|subject-link3= suggested) (help)
9. Borowski, Steve K. (1987-07-29). "Comparison of Fusion/Anti-matter Propulsion Systems for Interplanetary Travel" (PDF). Technical Memorandum 107030. San Diego, California, USA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. pp. p. 1-3. Retrieved 2008-01-28. {{cite conference}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |booktitle= ignored (|book-title= suggested) (help)
10. Dyson, Freeman J. (1966), Marshak, R. E. (ed.), "The Search for Extraterrestrial Technology", Perspectives in Modern Physics, New York: John Wiley & Sons
11. Kardashev, Nikolai. "On the Inevitability and the Possible Structures of Supercivilizations", The search for extraterrestrial life: Recent developments; Proceedings of the Symposium, Boston, MA, June 18-21, 1984 (A86-38126 17-88). Dordrecht, D. Reidel Publishing Co., 1985, p. 497-504.
12. Galantai, Zoltan (September 7 2003). "Long Futures and Type IV Civilizations" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-05-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
13. Milan M. Ćirković (February 2004). "Forecast for the Next Eon : Applied Cosmology and the Long-Term Fate of Intelligent Beings". Foundations of Physics. 34. Springer Netherlands: 239-261. doi:10.1023/B:FOOP.0000019583.67831.60. ISSN (Print) 1572-9516 (Online) 0015-9018 (Print) 1572-9516 (Online). {{cite journal}}: Check |issn= value (help)
14. Kaku, Michio. Parallel Worlds: The Science of Alternative Universes and Our Future in the Cosmos. New York: Doubleday, 2005. ISBN 0713997281
15. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSoA1nBZlkI
16. http://hallawiki.a.wiki-site.com/index.php/Eelong#Technology
17. http://www.theforce.net/swtc/ds/index.html#power
18. Stapledon, Olaf Last and First Men and Star Maker New York:1968—Dover Chapters IX through XI Pages 346 to 396
19. Parkin, Lance (2005). The Gallifrey Chronicles. BBC Books. p. 56. ISBN 0-563-48624-4.
20. Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart: Evolving the Alien: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life, Ebury Press, 2002, ISBN 0-09-187927-2

Further reading

• Dyson, Freeman J. Energy in the Universe Article in September 1971 Scientific American magazine (Special September Issue on Energy)
• Rusinek, Marvin (1998). "Energy Consumption of Europe". The Physics Factbook.
• Wind Powering America
• Clean Energy for Planetary Survival: International Development Research Centre
• LBL Scientists Research Global Warming
• E³ Handbook
• Clarke H2 energy systems
• Holdren, John P. (2003). "Environmental Change and the Human Condition" (PDF). Bulletin Fall. pp. 24–31. Retrieved 2006-08-10. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Dordrecht, D. (1985). "Exponential Expansion: Galactic Destiny or Technological Hubris?". In B. R. Finney, M. D. Papagiannis (ed.). The Search for Extraterrestrial Life: Recent Developments. Reidel Publ. Co. pp. 465–463.
• Shkadov Thruster
• Korotayev A., Malkov A., Khaltourina D. Introduction to Social Macrodynamics: Compact Macromodels of the World System Growth. Moscow: URSS, 2006. ISBN 5-484-00414-4 .

• Kardashev, Nikolai (March 1997). "Cosmology and Civilizations". Astrophysics and Space Science. 252.

• Supercivilizations as Possible Products of the Progressive Evolution of Matter: also by Kardashev
• Search for Artificial Stellar Sources of Infrared Radiation, by Freeman J. Dyson
• The Radio Search For Intelligent Extraterrestral Life, by Frank Drake
• Freitas Jr., Robert A. Energy and Culture (chapter 15).

See also

• Astroengineering
• Clarke's three laws
• Drake equation
• World energy resources and consumption
• Orders of magnitude (power)
• Orders of magnitude (energy)

External links

• Kardashev civilizations
• Detectability of Extraterrestrial Technological Activities
• Flash Animation on Civilizations
• After Kardashev: Farewell to Super Civilizations

• Misplaced Pages articles in need of updating from January 2008
• Energy development
• Extraterrestrial life
• Fictional technology
• Futurology
• Scales
• Technology timelines
• Science fiction themes
• SETI