Kardashev Scale

In 1964, Russian Astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev, created the Kardashev scale to measure the technological advancement of a civilization. The scale has three categories.

Type I (10^16 W)

A type I civilization has harnessed all available energy on their home planet.

Type II (10^26 W)

A type II civilization has harnessed the power of their local star, in our case the star. Here, we become a multiplanetary species.

Type III (10^36 W)

A type III civilization has harnessed the power of their entire galaxy. Here we become a multi-galactic species.

What type are we right now?

Right now, we are a Type 0 civilization. We will need to increase our energy production by 100,000 to achieve Type 1 status. Michio Kaku says that on our current trajectory, we can achieve Type 1 in 100-200 years. Imagine what our civilization would look like when we become a Type I, II, or III civilization. But will we destroy ourselves before we reach that point?

Further Reading

[1] The Kardashev Scale - Type I, II, III, IV, and V Civilization