Kardashev Scale – Type 0 Civilization Explained

Human beings always progress. We all have gone a long way from living in caves to reaching the
moon. But human’s desire is exponential. The more he achieves something, the more he likes to
achieves more. We can even say that human’s desire is limitless. If the whole universe is given to
him, he will not be satisfied. Instead, he will search and conquer other universes if there are any. If
there isn’t any, he will continue searching for them.
The Kardashev scale is a method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement
based on the amount of energy it is able to use. The measure was proposed by Soviet astronomer
Nikolai Kardashev in 1964. This scale is very useful in measuring how advanced a civilization is.
Originally, there were only 3 Kardashev scale – Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3. Now, we have added up
to Type 7. I am going to start from the beginning and explain each and every type of the Kardashev
scale from Type 0 to Type 7. Everyday, I am going to explain one type of the Kardashev scale. Today,
I am going to explain Type 0 civilization.
Type 0 Civilization is the type of civilization which has started to use the planet’s resources and
energy stored in the planet like coal, petroleum, lava, earthquake, hurricane, tidal energy. It is us
human beings. We are progressing to become a Type 1 Civilization but we are not there yet. We are
just Type 0 Civilization as we have only started using the energy stored in the planet like petroleum,
coal, etc. To become a Type 1 Civilization, we have to use all the energy available in the planet like
wind, tidal, gravitational energy, lava, etc. We must also be able to harness energy from natural
calamities like earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanoes, etc. Also, we must be able to harness all
the energy that fall on the planet from outer space like solar energy from the Sun.
The Kardashev Civilization is based on how much energy the civilization spends. To become a Type
1 Civilization, we must consume at least 4×1012 watts/second. But we are nowhere near that as it is
nearly the current energy expenditure of one year. So, we are a Type 0 Civilization. There are more
than this to Type 1 Civilization. I will explain more about Type 1 Civilization in tomorrow’s blog.