Kardashev scale

The **Kardashev scale** (Russian: Шкала Кардашева, romanized: *Shkala Kardasheva*) is a method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement based on the amount of energy it is capable of using. The measure was proposed by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev (1932–2019) in 1964 and was named after him.

The scale is hypothetical, and refers to energy consumption on a cosmic scale. Various extensions of the scale have since been proposed, including a wider range of power levels (Types 0, IV, and V) and the use of metrics other than pure power (e.g., computational growth or food consumption).

Kardashev first outlined his scale in a paper presented at the 1964 Byurakan conference in Armenia, a scientific meeting that reviewed the Soviet radio astronomy space listening program. The paper was titled "Передача информации внеземными цивилизациями" ("Transmission of Information by Extraterrestrial Civilizations"). Starting from a functional definition of civilization, based on the immutability of physical laws and using human civilization as a model of extrapolation, Kardashev's initial model was developed. He proposed a classification of civilizations into three types, based on the axiom of exponential growth:

* A **Type I** civilization is able to access all the energy available on its planet and store it for consumption. Hypothetically, they should also be able to control natural events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.
* A **Type II** civilization can directly consume a star's energy, most likely through the use of a Dyson sphere.
* A **Type III** civilization is able to capture all the energy emitted by its galaxy, and every object within it, such as every star, black hole, etc.

In a second article, entitled "Strategies of Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence", published in 1980, Kardashev wonders about the ability of a civilization, which he defines by its ability to access energy, to sustain itself, and to integrate information from its environment. Two more articles followed: "On the Inevitability and the Possible Structure of Super Civilizations" and "Cosmology and Civilizations", published in 1985 and 1997, respectively; the Soviet astronomer proposed ways to detect super civilizations and to direct the SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) programs.

A number of scientists have conducted searches for possible civilizations, but with no conclusive results. However, in part thanks to such searches, unusual objects, now known to be either pulsars or quasars, were identified.

The **Recognised Civilisationary Levels** was a scale of civilizational development used in the Milky Way galaxy. The criteria used to define Levels (or stages) included societal and technological factors. The RCL was universally recognized by the 24th century CE,, and defined by the Galactic General Council by the 29th century CE.

## Contents

* 1Levels
* 2Interlevel relations
	+ 2.1Mentorships
	+ 2.2Technology transfers
* 3References

## Levels

 4
 5
* Low Level Involved
 6
 7
* Hyperspace propulsion
* Geseptian-Fardesile Cultural Federacy, 29th century CE
* Jhlupian polity, 29th century CE; Level 7 or Level 8
 8
* Nauptre Reliquaria, 29th century CE
* The Gzilt
* The Homomda

## Interlevel relations

### Mentorships

Many civilizations acted as mentors - whether overtly or covertly - to lower levelled civilizations. In some cases, the mentee could be considered a client civilization of the mentor.

The system of mentorship was designed to provide less developed civilizations a generally controlled environment in which to progress, without fear of being destroyed or overwhelmed by significantly more developed civilizations.

Mentor and mentee were typically not too disparate in terms of the civilisationary level they occupied. Civilizations could be mentees and mentors simultaneously; this formed a chain mentor-mentee relationships. Mentors significantly higher up the chain from any given relationship were generally not allowed to intervene directly in that relationship.

Some mentorships resulted from territorial protectorates granted by the Galactic Council, with the current civilizations holding protective custody becoming mentors.

### Technology transfers

Galactic interpolity treaties prohibited over-runging. They allowed technology to be gifted or sold no more than one level down from their associated level of technological achievement, and required the originator to maintain sufficient control to prevent the technology from being passed further down. Being a signatory of such treaties was typically a sign of being a responsible Involved.