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The Kardashev scale is a measure of a hypothetical alien civilisation’s technological advancement, categorising it into three levels based on the energy level it can harness.
Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev proposed the idea in a paper published in 1964 called "Transmission of information by extraterrestrial civilizations."
Image: International Astronomical Union
It's capable of harnessing the energy equivalent to the entire planet's power consumption. It means using energy reaching the planet from its star (solar energy) and the energy that it can produce.
Type I civilisation
A type I civilisation would also be able to harness the energy of volcanoes and earthquakes. Its energy consumption would be on a planet-wide scale, i.e., about 10^16 watts.
This civilisation would be capable of harnessing the entire energy radiated by its own star. This would be possible via a hypothetical piece of technology called the Dyson sphere.
Type II civilisation
The Dyson sphere, proposed by theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson, is a hypothetical artificial megastructure that would surround a star and collect its energy.
What is a Dyson sphere?
It is a civilisation capable of harnessing energy on the scale of its own galaxy, or about 10^36 watts.
Type III civilisation
According to scientists, human civilisation stands at Type 0.7276 on the Kardeshev scale, because we are far from harnessing the equivalent of the entire energy of Earth (Type 1).
Where do we stand?
Astronomer Carl Sagan dubbed the Kardesh scale overly simplistic, arguing that the levels represented too vast leaps in energy consumption, proposing a decimilised system, like type 1.1, 1.2, etc.
Image: Wikipedia.org/NASA
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