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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kardashev scale | 6/17 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T13:16:55.587707+00:00 | kb-cron |
=== Type II === A civilization capable of harnessing the energy radiated by its own large star – for example, by successfully completing a Dyson sphere or Matrioshka brain – with an energy consumption of ≈4×1033 erg/sec. Lemarchand defined such civilizations as being able to harness and channel the entire radiation output of their star. The energy consumption would then be comparable to the luminosity of the Sun, about 4×1033 erg/sec (4×1026 watts).
=== Type III === A civilization with energy on the scale of its own galaxy, with an energy consumption of ≈4×1044 erg/sec. Lemarchand defined civilizations of this type as having access to energy comparable to the luminosity of the entire Milky Way galaxy, about 4×1044 erg/sec (4×1037 watts). In accordance with the data available at the time, Kardashev did not go beyond a Type III civilization. However, new types (0, IV, V, and VI) have been proposed.
== Reassessments of the Kardashev scale ==
=== Sagan's finer classification === In 1973, Carl Sagan discovered Kardashev's work on the classification of civilizations. He found that the differences between the types Kardashev identified were so great that they did not allow for the best possible modeling of the evolution of civilizations. Consequently, Sagan proposes a more refined classification, still based on Kardashev's types, but integrating intermediate levels using the following logarithmic interpolation formula:
K
=
log
10
W
−
6
10
{\displaystyle K={\frac {\log _{10}{W}-6}{10}}}
, where K is the Kardashev type of a civilization and W is the amount of power it uses, in watts. Thus, a Type 1.1 civilization would be defined by a power of 1017 watts, while a Type 2.3 civilization would be able to harness 1029 watts. Moreover, the above formula could be used to extrapolate beyond Kardashev's original types. For example, a Type 0 civilization, not defined by Kardashev, would control about 1 MW of power (equivalent to having around 100 campfires burning at any given time); on Earth, the emergence of Type 0 civilizations is roughly concurrent with the rise of civilization in a general sense. Sagan estimated that, according to this revised scale, 1970s humanity would be Type 0.7 (about 10 terawatts), equivalent to 0.16% of the power available on Earth. This level is characterized, according to him, by the ability to self-destruct, which he calls "technological adolescence". In 2021, the total world energy consumption was 595.15 exajoules (165,319 TWh), equivalent to an average power consumption of 18.87 TW or a Kardashev rating of 0.73. Sagan also suggests that, for completeness, an alphabetical scale should be added to indicate the level of social development, expressed in the amount of information available to the civilization. Thus, a Class A civilization would be based on 106 bits of information (less than any recorded human culture), a Class B on 107, a Class C on 108, and so on. Humanity in 1973 would belong to the "0.7 H" class. According to Sagan, the first civilization with which humanity would come into contact could be between "1.5 J" and "1.8 K"; a galactic supercivilization would be at the "3 Q" stage, while a federation of galaxies could be at the "4 Z" stage. The information and energy axes are not strictly interdependent, so even a level Z civilization would not have to be Kardashev Type III. Sagan believed that no civilization had yet reached level Z, speculating that so much unique information would exceed that of all the intelligent species in a galactic supercluster, and observing that the universe is not old enough to exchange information effectively over large distances. In 2017, the total amount of information generated on the internet was 26 zettabytes (with an estimated 120 zettabytes in 2023), equivalent to 0.73 R/S on Sagan's combined scale.