Kardashev Scale

 

Nikolai Kardashev designed this scale as a method of categorizing how advanced a civilization is. So if we ever meet aliens, we can observe their development, mark them on the scale, and know how advanced they are. The main parameter of the Kardashev scale is access to energy. Keeping this in mind, there are 5 levels on this scale.

 Type 1 means the species can harness all the energy of their neighbouring star. Earth will take possible 100 to 200 more years to even come close to doing that. 

Type 2 does not just harness the star's energy but also controls the whole star. How? There is this idea of a Dyson sphere that covers all area of the star and makes it a planet. This species is basically immune to extinction.

A Type 3 civilization can travel throughout the galaxy, make multiple Dyson spheres, basically take over control of the entire galaxy. They could possibly use wormholes or warp drives that travel faster than light.

Kardashev stopped at 3 because he thought nothing could surpass that. But scientists have thought of type 4 which harnesses the energy of the whole universe, and type 5 which is basically god, controls all of the universe.

But we'll probably all perish of covid before we even reach 1.