Becoming a Kardashev Type I Civilization

Cool Worlds
Cool Worlds
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Published 2018-09-11
The Kardashev Scale has become a standardized way of classifying (hypothetical) advanced civilizations. The lowest rank, Type 1, is still way ahead of us - but by how much? When will we achieve Type 1 status and exactly how could we plausibly do so? In this video, we go through some estimates of when humanity might become Type 1, and in particular what kind of energy sources we could harness to achieve this feat.

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► Kardashev (1964), "Transmission of Information by Extraterrestrial Civilizations", Soviet Astronomy, 8, 217: adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1964SvA.....8..217K
► Michio Kaku video clip from BigThink:    • Michio Kaku: Will Mankind Destroy Its...  
► Wind map movie credit to Rufinoman and earth.nullschool.net:    • Video  
► Wind energy calculation based off Smil (2004), "Inherent limits of renewable energies"
► References for the 3.7TW figure for tidal energy dissipation are: Cartwright 1993 (Theory of ocean tides with application to altimetry, in Satellite Altimetry in Geodesy and Oceanography, edites by R. Rummel and F. Sanso, pp. 99-141, Springer-Verlag, New York), Ray 1994 (Tidal energy dissipation: Observations from astronomy, geodesy, and oceanography, in, The Oceans, edited by S. Majumdaret al., pp. 171-185, Pa. Acad. of Sci., Easton, Pa.), Kagan & Sundermann 1996 (Kagan Dissipation of tidal energy paleotides, and evolution of the Earth-Moon system, Adv. Geophys., 38, pp. 179-266)
► Solar video comes from NASA SDO and GSFC: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12706
► Learn more about the Carno cycle here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnot_cycle
► Learn more about the planetary equilibrium calculation here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_equilibrium_temper…
► Tidal power map comes from Gunn & Stock-Williams (2012): www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148…
► Outro music by Thomas Bergersen "Final Frontier": www.thomasbergersen.com/
► Columbia University Department of Astronomy: www.astro.columbia.edu/
► Cool Worlds Lab website: coolworlds.astro.columbia.edu/

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All Comments (21)
  • @CoolWorldsLab
    Rest In Peace to Nikolai Kardashev who sadly passed away to become a Type IV civilization in the beyond on August 3rd 2019. What a wonderful mind, he will be missed.
  • @b.aleman8401
    I was watching this and it cut to an ad. The exact words I heard were "That leaves us with 2 options. Solar energy and - Explosive diarrhea? Upset stomach? Painful indigestion?".... I laughed for like 4 minutes straight.
  • @bumbixp
    Left the oven on all day. Doing my part!
  • @TeslaKuhn8
    Something I just now thought of, halfway through this presentation, is that we are also using less energy to do the same things as before. In other words, efficiency. That might throw the numbers off even more.
  • @Slider68
    I always assumed a type 1 lived on multiple planets, type 2 lived on multiple solar systems and type 3 lived on multiple galaxies. I don't see how you can control and consume so much energy on a single planet.
  • @Jabroney
    So what you’re telling me is that solar energy is just long-distance nuclear energy? 🤔
  • @xZack52x
    I thought I was subscribed to enough science related channels. I was wrong.
  • @redacted4125
    With fusion reactions finally having been used to create more energy than what is used in order to create the fusion reaction, it might actually be possible to become a kardashev type I civilization.
  • @ccboi7851
    One thing to keep in mind that it is not just about the energy consumption, it's also about controlling the energy and use it in effective and constructive ways.
  • @tejashmusaddi9309
    See you all in 2120 when we are a type 1 civilisation and YouTube algorithm re-unites us all
  • @torytrae1974
    We should probably focus more on not becoming type "extinct" civilization
  • @AlmostEthical
    Another quality video. Personally, I question Kardashev's assumptions, which I think are rather sci-fi. In time, energy use would ideally become more efficient and the measure of a civilisation's advancement would be ever less based on the energy they use and ever more on the amount of integrated information they process. The animal kingdom provides an example. Empowerment based on size had its limits, with increased information processing turning out to be more potent.
  • @ohhkennny766
    seeing stuff like this makes me depressed knowing I won't live long enough to see this happen, almost like how people in the 1800s can't see how much we've evolved from back then
  • @johnedwincamposano6172
    2020: "In hundred years we'll become a Kardashev Type I Civilization." 2120: Despacito 420
  • @andyjones336
    You are insane in such an amazing way. Amazing vids mate.
  • @TheStarDreamer
    This Was The Best Video, Very detailed indeed, Instantly Subscribed 👍
  • @MetalRhino42
    i'm already type 1 diabetic so i'm type 1 sooner then the rest of you.
  • @w.d.g.
    Love Cool Worlds. you make me want to make content. keep it up. you're inspiring.