The Kardashev scale is a method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement based on the amount of energy it is capable of harnessing and using. Nikolai Kardashev outlined this scale in his 1964 paper "Transmission of Information by Extraterrestrial Civilizations" based on the axiom of exponential growth. Later, Carl Sagan defined the energy consumption in these three types of civilization.
- A Type I civilization is able to access all the energy available on its planet and store it for consumption. Hypothetically, it should also be able to control natural events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. (1016 W).
- A Type II civilization can directly consume a star's energy, most likely through the use of a Dyson sphere. (1026 W).
- 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. (1036 W).
