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Scale for Understanding Advanced Civilizations

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Techno Kid, Apr 5, 2014.

  1. Techno Kid

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    *Was not sure where to put this, but the mods can move it if they think it would be better somewhere else.*

    Have any of you guys heard of the Kardashev scale?
    The Kardashev scale is a method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement, based on the amount of energy a civilization is able to utilize. The scale has three designated categories called Type I, II, and III. A Type I civilization uses all available resources impinging on its home planet, Type II harnesses all the energy of its star, and Type III of its galaxy. The scale is only hypothetical, but it puts energy consumption in a cosmic perspective. It was first proposed in 1964 by the Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev. Various extensions of the scale have been proposed since, from a wider range of power levels (types 0, IV and V) to the use of metrics other than pure power.

    BTW as of now we are a type 0 civilization range because we extract our energy, information, raw-materials from crude organic-based sources (i.e. food/wood/fossil fuel/books/oral tradition); pressures via natural disaster, selection, and societal collapse creates extreme (99.9%) risk of extinction; it's capable of orbital spaceflight; in fiction, societies that fail to improve social, environmental and medical understanding concurrently with other advancements, frequently accelerated their own extinction. Some have theorized that today we are about a type 0.7 civilization.

    I've always thought this was a really cool concept and would love to be alive when/if we get to the level of Type I!! :grin:

    Here is Wikipedia article if you wanted more info: Kardashev scale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    What do you guys think of this concept? :slight_smile: Sorry for being so nerdy... :icon_redf
     
  2. Kasey

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    Is this related to the great barrier or whatever it's called that most potential space faring civilizations have to overcome prior to leaving their solar system?

    We know so much but are capable of so little as a species.
     
  3. Techno Kid

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    I never heard of the "great barrier", but I would think this has something to do with it.

    Yeah if we all worked together as a united planet we would of been on Mars by like the 1980s/1990s and much further than that today. :dry:
     
  4. Kasey

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    It isn't called the great barrier I forgot what it means but it's a point where space faring civilizations need to evolve as a species to overcome and leave their solar system
     
  5. Argentwing

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    I have. Glad to see people are thinking of what happens if humans avoid stagnation or extinction. :slight_smile:

    And the great barrier is almost certainly the light barrier. Once we find out how to traverse space at faster-than-light speeds, we'll be well on our way. My money is on the Alcubierre concept of spacetime compression/expansion, and moving that wave. Unless I'm mistaken, nothing limits the movement of spacetime itself to c.
     
    #5 Argentwing, Apr 5, 2014
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2014
  6. Kasey

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    Well what the popular theory is with ftl travel is that it is possible via traveling through other dimensions from warping spacetime and allowing us to travel through other spatial dimensions that we cannot perceive but are closer in proximity as we travel through alternate dimensional coordinates outside of the traditional 3 dimensional polar or cartesian coordinates we understand.
     
  7. Argentwing

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    That was a long sentence, but I've sort of got you. They say that our 3+1 spacetime can be contorted around a bunch of higher dimensions, but at that point it's impossible to say what will happen. At least impossible for me lol.

    On topic, even with extremely advanced tech, I find it hard to imagine the ability to harness all the energy of a planet. I think we'll sooner get all the power out of a star really.
     
  8. Kat 5

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    I like the tier 1-7 graph. Used in the halo3 collectors edition.