What If We Become a Type 1 Civilization?

imagine if we could control earthquakes and tsunamis to generate power or maybe even terraform every planet in the solar system these are just a couple of the things that might happen if human civilization was too advanced in the future so how can humans get to this point what other advancements will happen and what makes us think we'll even progress this far this is what if and here's what would happen if we became a type one civilization global civilizations can be categorized into what's known as the Kardashev scale this measures a civilizations ability to use all the energy available to it and is scaled from one to three currently humanity doesn't even reach type one civilization this is because humans don't use all the forms of energy on earth we use wood coal and oil but there's a lot more so what would change if humanity evolved into one of these types of civilizations being a type one civilization means we would have complete control over all the energy on earth this means that we'd say goodbye to fossil fuels since they're limited and unsustainable instead we could use the wind sunlight and water for our energy needs and since this energy is so accessible you may no longer need to pay for your power bill in a type one civilization we've continuously be using energy it would be as essential as oxygen we would also start using natural disasters to our advantage tsunamis could be used to produce energy and earthquakes could potentially be used to terraform parts of the world with us having complete control over our planets energy sources we could also control the weather if an area of the world were suffering through a drought we could disperse rain clouds over it and bring it back to life humanity could also say goodbye to global warming as we'd be able to bring the atmosphere back to carbon neutral and control our planets temperatures casualties from natural disasters would also be reduced as we'd be able to predict when and where they might happen and not only that but we'd be able to live on places on earth we'd never have dreamed of before like in the water as well as in climates that used to be unsuitable for us humans yep living in a type one civilization would be pretty great but with things being this perfect we might get a little bored so what if we took humanity one step further and became a type two civilization or even a type 3 a type two civilization means we could harness the energy of the Sun and use it not just on earth but throughout our services we could use its power to travel to and terraform Mars or even a planet like Neptune becoming a type 3 civilization would allow us to use all the energy in the galaxy and since the Kardashev scale was invented in the 1960s scientists have come up with potential fourth and fifth types of civilizations this is where things get a little tricky scientists aren't ready to fully define these as their past our current understanding of physics but it is safe to say that becoming either a type 4 or type 5 civilization means we could harness the energy of the entire universe and be able to travel it with ease and becoming a type 5 civilization means we'd all be practically God's we could control and manipulate the universe in whichever way we please there's no telling when we might evolve to these levels of civilization but experts generally agree that humanity might be able to reach type 1 in the next 100 years or so but that's only assuming that humanity lives long enough in the first place with global warming getting worse and worse and humanity not taking the correct measures to stop it fast enough there's no telling what might happen to become a type one civilization maybe we need to go back in time but we'll leave that story for another what-if you

Channel: What If

Views: 1,629,186

Rating: 4.8852773 out of 5

Keywords: what if, what happens if, scifi, science documentary, what if scenario, mysteries, what if humanity, what if earth, what if body, type 1 civilization, kardashev scale, civilization type, forms of energy, control of the energy, advantages of natural disasters, control of the weather, Advanced Civilization, Type 1, Nikolai Kardashev, Advanced humans, Future technology, The Most Advanced Civilization In The Universe

Id: 0w2l5-FTD-0

Length: 5min 5sec (305 seconds)

Published: Mon May 11 2020

Reddit Comments

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[u/Ignate]

The most important word to understand to answer that question is Scale.

Scale changes everything. If we were to build things at scale before we made much progress with efficiency, we could become a type 1 civilization in terms of raw energy consumption at an incredibly rapid rate.

Scale wasn't something we could really dig deep into until the rise of automation and AI. With basics smart robots, we could build absolutely astonishingly huge things.

We could build dozens of rings around our planet. We could build thousands of space colonies on the moon. We could build factory/production facilities that produce thousands of times more than the entire global economy does currently.

Everyone could have 20 houses and superyachts. Everyone could have their own private space station and even their own private super intelligent AI and supercomputer to go along with it.

We can do all of that despite the usual arguments about finite earth with limited resources. That's mainly because we are extremely small compared to the available raw materials and resource.

If we had to pick the fruits from naturally grown trees and only obtain our metals from what washes down the river, then no, we couldn't even sustain what we already have today. But through artificial means, we can pretty much build whatever we want up to a point.

And that point? That limit we'll eventually reach if we keep growing? That's called a type 3 civilization, where we're consuming all the energy available in our Galaxy. Beyond that, if we cannot go faster than the speed of light and known physics don't change drastically, then that's our limit.

[u/amerett0]

Not anytime soon, considering the direction and pace we're going.

[u/Odeeum]

I dwell on this periodically and it's more disheartening than uplifting given the current state of us as a species. We're just monkeys still "arguing over different pieces of ground". I try to be positive but until the global military spend starts to even out with R&D/SpaceExploration/etc. I don't think anything will change soon ("soon" as in next hundred years or so)

[u/nsnlol]

Considering the fact that human needs keep growing, even if we discover immortality, there's going to be a gap between the maximal efficiency scenario and reality. I don't know how big the gap is but I reckon it's sizable, the problem is subtle because it's not only a matter of whether people are willing to part from tradition, but can we prove that new technology is superior to tradition?

A simple example is meat - lab growth seems much better than waiting years for the animal to grow. But cows also produce milk and leather.

If we can make cows immortal, you've still got an animal that sees and hears. Milk can probably be synthesized artificially - but that probably requires centrifugal machinery, and energy, and most of all, time to develop the technology.

The trick is that all may go too well too fast, and we find ourselves stuck in a satisfactory life, but inferior to what could have been.

[u/AlbanicusX]

The estimation is that we (humanity) are at around 0.7 type Civilization (70% ) and between 2050 and 2100 will have acquired type 1.

[u/Don_Lupa]

Its strange how the scale of civilisations is only about the amount of energy harnessed. A MILLION TIMES MORE ENERGY!!

What about the new ways to utilize energy? Isn't that a better metric?

[u/ctudor]

sorry m8 but atm we are busy with one of the filters, talk to you later. :))