The Kardashev Scale Types 1 - 10

 

• Type I: A civilization that can harness all the energy available on its planet, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal energy. It can also control natural phenomena like weather, earthquakes, and volcanoes. A Type I civilization is estimated to have a power output of about 10¹⁶ watts. Humans are not yet a Type I civilization, but some experts predict that we will reach this level in the next century or two. This level can be described as planetary.
• Type II: A civilization that can capture all the energy emitted by its star, using structures like Dyson spheres, swarms, or bubbles. It can also colonize other planets and asteroids in its solar system. A Type II civilization is estimated to have a power output of about 10²⁶ watts. There is no evidence of any Type II civilization in our galaxy, but some hypothetical candidates include the alien megastructures detected by the Kepler telescope. This level can be described as stellar or solar system.
• Type III: A civilization that can access all the energy available in its galaxy, by colonizing and controlling hundreds of billions of stars and their planets. It can also travel across interstellar distances and communicate with other civilizations. A Type III civilization is estimated to have a power output of about 10³⁶ watts. There is no evidence of any Type III civilization in our observable universe, but some hypothetical candidates include the extragalactic radio sources detected by radio telescopes. This level can be described as galactic.
• Type IV: A civilization that can manipulate the energy and matter of the entire observable universe, by transcending the physical laws and dimensions of space and time. It can also create and destroy universes at will. A Type IV civilization is estimated to have a power output of about 10⁴⁶ watts. There is no evidence of any Type IV civilization, but some hypothetical candidates include the multiverse, the simulation hypothesis, and the Omega Point. This level can be described as universal or multiversal.
• Type V: A civilization that can access and control the energy and information of all possible universes and realities, by transcending the concepts of existence and nonexistence. It can also create and destroy anything and everything, including itself. There is no evidence of any Type V civilization, but some hypothetical candidates include the ultimate ensemble, the final anthropic principle, and the God hypothesis. This level can be described as multiversal+ or complex multiversal.
• Type VI: A civilization that can access and control the energy and information of all possible and impossible universes and realities, by transcending the concepts of possibility and impossibility. It can also create and destroy anything and everything, including logic and paradoxes. There is no evidence of any Type VI civilization, but some hypothetical candidates include the absolute infinity, the principle of plenitude, and the omniscience paradox. This level can be described as hyperversal.
• Type VII: A civilization that can access and control the energy and information of all conceivable and inconceivable universes and realities, by transcending the concepts of conception and inconception. It can also create and destroy anything and everything, including meaning and nonsense. There is no evidence of any Type VII civilization, but some hypothetical candidates include the ultimate reality, the principle of sufficient reason, and the incompleteness theorem. This level can be described as omniversal, outerversal+ or high outerversal.
• Type VIII: A civilization that can access and control the energy and information of all expressible and inexpressible universes and realities, by transcending the concepts of expression and inexpression. It can also create and destroy anything and everything, including language and silence. There is no evidence of any Type VIII civilization, but some hypothetical candidates include the ineffable reality, the principle of contradiction, and the undecidability problem. This level can be described as outerversal++ or transcendent.
• Type IX: A civilization that can access and control the energy and information of all knowable and unknowable universes and realities, by transcending the concepts of knowledge and ignorance. It can also create and destroy anything and everything, including truth and falsehood. There is no evidence of any Type IX civilization, but some hypothetical candidates include the ultimate truth, the principle of identity, and the halting problem. This level can be described as transcendent+ or omniscient.
• Type X: A civilization that can access and control the energy and information of all universes and realities, by transcending all concepts and principles. It can also create and destroy anything and everything, including itself and nothing. There is no evidence of any Type X civilization, but some hypothetical candidates include the absolute reality, the principle of non-contradiction, and the self-reference paradox. This level can be described as transcendent++ or omnipotent.