How strong is the peak of a first-class civilization?

In 1964, Nikolai Kardashev, a famous astrophysicist, proposed the Kardashev Index (Kardashev Scale), a major reference for future generations, based on the maximum magnitude of energy that an intelligent civilization could use.

Kardashev pointed out that there are two criteria to judge whether a civilization is developed or not, one is their current level of technology, and the other is the energy they currently use.

In some ways, the amount of energy and the level of technology go hand in hand, because energy is the basis for technological development. The more energy a civilization consumes, the higher its technological level will naturally be, and the higher the technological level will naturally further stimulate energy consumption.

So relying on this symbiotic relationship between energy and technology level, Kardashov divided the civilization levels into Type I, Type II, and Type III in order from low to high, corresponding to Level I, Level II, and Level III.

To summarize these three levels, a civilization that can fully use and control the energy of its home planet can be called a Level I civilization. By the same token, a civilization that can master the star system in which it is located is a Level II civilization, and one that can master the large star system in which it is located is a Level III civilization.

The famous science writer and astronomer Carl Sagan has said that at this stage, the human civilization level can only be considered 0.7. Don't look from the first civilization only 0.3 gap, but this 0.3 gap is like a rift, the reality, and science fiction works that people aspire to scene apart.

So the question is, how developed is the peak of first-class civilization? As mentioned above, most scientists believe that it can meet all the beautiful fantasies of your future life.

According to predictions, when a human civilization reaches the level of peak of first-class civilization, for now, there is still a long way to go for controlled nuclear fusion, which has long been skilled and fully civilian.

Those familiar with clean energy, such as solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, etc., also have long been able to efficiently use popularly.

In contrast, in the mastery of nuclear fusion and other clean energy, fossil fuels have certainly been abandoned, or their use significantly reduced, on the one hand, they are non-renewable resources, and their exploitation of them will also cause great damage to the natural environment, from a macro point of view, this does not meet the concept of sustainable development.

On the other hand, compared with the traditional inefficient fossil energy, the new fusion energy has the advantages of lower cost, more sufficient raw materials, less environmental pollution, and a higher energy conversion rate. So in this case, who would use fossil energy? It is the inevitable choice of civilization development into the advanced stage of lower usage.

With the help of efficient energy sources, the scope of human exploration will also change dramatically, and activities in the deep sea, near-Earth orbit, and even inside the Earth will become extremely easy.

More efficient energy brings more efficient propulsion equipment, and chemical fuel propulsion rockets will completely exit the stage of history, after all, the use of chemical fuel rocket ceiling is very low, in the universe without the help of a "gravitational slingshot", can not even reach the third universe speed (solar system escape velocity). In this case, the colonization of the universe can only be a delusion.

Instead of chemical fuels, there could be laser pulse rocket engines, nuclear rocket engines, or even antimatter rocket engines, etc. These engines that use powerful energy sources can easily allow vehicles to break through the third cosmic speed and leave the solar system where we live now.

Not only the expansion of the exploration range, but the first level of civilization is also very comprehensive control of the home planet, such as the now elusive climate and weather, will become controllable and adjustable.

At this time, global warming and the fearful ice age, which is a headache for human beings, will be completely controlled by advanced technology, thus avoiding global disasters.

Weather forecasting will become very accurate, because of the drought and wet conditions everywhere, which mankind has been able to easily control. In this case, the daily weather forecast may slowly become once a year.

You can arrange your travel, work, and life according to the accurate weather conditions throughout the year, and no longer have to worry about the "magic spell" of rain after washing the car.

Of course, the first-class civilization can control not only the weather, Carl Sagan once believed that when a civilization reaches the first-class civilization, but it can also even control the geological activities of the home planet. This also means that humans may no longer have to worry about earthquakes, tsunamis, and other large disasters.

Of course, the power of the first-class civilization is not only reflected at the macro level, but the control of the micro level is also very handy. With the maturity of gene editing technology, in the case of ensuring basic ethics, human life expectancy will be greatly increased, the incidence of various diseases will be greatly reduced, and the quality of life will be unattainable now.

Because the scope of exploration and activities continues to expand, all human beings have a new goal, perhaps the global will usher in unification because such unification can burst out a more powerful development force, which is the basis for becoming a first-class civilization.

If there are extraterrestrial civilizations in the universe, then when it reaches the first level of civilization, they should have the qualification to look for and communicate with them, because the first level of civilization in the vast universe already has a certain ability to protect itself, at least not to be beaten passively and unable to strike.

After all, whether civilization or a third civilization, is to follow the basic laws of physics of the universe, there can not be a blow to destroy a civilization such only appear in the movie plot.

Here a very important question arises: when can humans really become the first-class civilization? According to the famous physicist Michio Calais, humans need at least 3000 years of steady development from the present to become a first-class civilization.

In general, a first-class civilization is certainly extremely desirable, after all, almost no one can refuse the charm of the starry sea. The thought of traveling to space in a few thousand years may be as simple as traveling across the province now, and it is estimated that most people will have a feeling of being born too early。