Humanity is achieving a type 1 civilization that should be reached as stages that society cannot avoid if it wants to touch the stars. These are factors that measure the advancement of human civilization from the stone age and the present. But a fundamental milestone leads to mankind leaving the confines of its home and moving to the stars.
Stages Vital To Advanced Civilization
These identified stages are the checkpoint that leads to this goal; population, rise and fall of conquering civilization; and last is the development of space-faring technology, reported Sciencealert.
Development of energy sources used to power human civilization at any point in history. Our ability to leverage power is one of humanity's most valuable skills as it has expanded and developed. If one assumes that cultures in other worlds possess similar attributes, a species' energy usage is a reasonable rough indicator of its technical strength. The Kardashev Scale is based on this concept.
Nikolai Kardashev, a Russian astrophysicist, devised the scale in 1964. He categorized civilizations into planetary, stellar, and galactic cultures.
Three classifications start with the Type I species about to use energy sources from the stars that reach the homeworld. Type II species is more advanced as it can harvest the power of its local star, which is immense, but Type III is near god-like able to draw in power from the galaxy it exists, noted Tech Explore.
The noted scientist Carl Sagan suggested an alternative classification that means the continual rise of humanity is not three subtypes, with type 1 civilization as an immediate goal.
Where Is Humanity Now?
How do we scale the Kardashev Scale with three subcategories mentioned by the Russian scientist? Even if the world uses much energy, it's not even Type I. For now, humankind can only use 1013 solar watt of the 1016 solar watts that reaches earth. Based on the scale, Sagan is only 0.73. It is mediocre for evolved apes but is Type I even reachable, cited Universe Today.
An article in arXiv covered this question; studied several sources of power like oil, nuclear, and green energy with calculations on how they would progress in time.
The Kardashev Scale Type 1 is most reachable via energy development as the primary goal. Though mastering the limits of all energies is crucial. But if all the fossil fuel is gone, that would lead to climatic change that will terminate mankind in the Great Filter, which means humans get extinct before going further. What to do and avoid killing the planet and humanity?
The study had a careful approach that means looking at the threshold of all energy sources and seeking a balance in their use. To limit the effects of climate change and pollution as dictated by a UN agency on climate change.
Mankind can reach Type 1 with reasonable limits, but that won't be it until three centuries later, in 2371. This delay is not bad. The Kardashev Scale is a tool for telling how advanced civilization is.
Advanced means more energy is used, which means the development of low-powered tech is needed while having more energy surplus, with nothing wasted. Humanity will have to suffer before reaching type 1 civilization, but it will take time, and the tech needed is just emerging or is already here; time will tell.
