Planetary civilization

A planetary civilization or global civilization is a civilization of Type I on Kardashev scale, with energy consumption level near contemporary terrestrial civilization with an energy capability equivalent to the solar insolation on Earth, (between 10¹⁶ and 10¹⁷ watts). In social aspect — the worldwide, global, increasingly interconnected, international, highly technological society.

Planetary civilization — Type I civilization on Kardashev scale

Main article: Kardashev scale

Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev in a work "Transmission of Information by Extraterrestrial Civilizations", published in 1964, proposed the scale of technological development of civilization, based on the amount of energy that civilization is able to utilize, then named Kardashev scale.

A Type I civilization is planetary, consuming the sliver of sunlight that falls on their planet, or about 10¹⁷ watts. A Type II civilization is stellar, consuming all the energy that their star emits, or 10²⁷ watts. A type III civilization is galactic, consuming the energy of billions of stars, or about 10³⁷ watts.

Carl Sagan suggested defining intermediate values (not considered in Kardashev's original scale) by interpolating and extrapolating, according to his calculations, the modern state of the present human civilization is expressed by a value about 0.7.

Transition to a planetary civilization

Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku in a book "Physics of the Future", published in 2011, stated that humans with an average еconomic growth may attain planetary civilization status in 100 years. This means we can see evidence of this everywhere we go. The internet is the beginning of planetary telecommunication system. The European Union is the beginning of a Type I economy. English will probably be the planetary language, as you can go anywhere on the planet Earth and the educated already speak English and are bi-lingual.Also, on the Internet, the number one language on the Internet is English, followed by Mandarin. A planetary culture is emerging, based on youth culture (rock and roll and youth fashion), movies (Hollywood blockbusters), high fashion (luxury goods). That same kind of culture, youth culture, the culture of the rich, is now going around the planet Earth. You see the beginning of planetary sports, the Olympics, soccer games. Realize that in the old days, you had competition between tribes. Now we have games not just between small provinces, but games that envelop the entire planet Earth. Innovation and discovery are changing the entire economic, political, and social landscape, overturning all the old cherished beliefs and prejudices.

But where is all this technological change leading? Where is the final destination in this long voyage into science and technology?

The culmination of all these upheavals is the formation of planetary civilization, what physicists call a Type I civilization. This transition is perhaps the greatest transition in history, marking a sharp departure from all civilizations of the past.

Every headline that dominates the news reflects, in some way, the birth pangs of the planetary civilization. Commerce, trade, culture, language, entertainment, leisure activities, and even war are all being revolutionized by the emergence of this planetary civilization.

— Michio Kaku. "Physics of the Future".

Danger of a transition to a planetary civilization

Michio Kaku, in his interview "Will Mankind Destroy Itself?" with the website "Big Think" discusses a danger of a transition to a planetary civilization. The danger period is now, because we still have the savagery, but we also have nuclear weapons:

So whenever I open the newspaper every headline I see in the newspaper points to the birth pangs of a type one civilization information. However, every time I open the newspaper I also see the opposite trend as well. What is terrorism? Terrorism in some sense is a reaction against the creation of a type one civilization. Now most terrorists cannot articulate this. They don’t even know what the hell I’m talking about, but what they’re reacting to is not modernism. What they’re reacting to is the fact that we’re headed toward a multicultural tolerant scientific society and that is what they don’t want. They don’t want science. They want a theocracy. They don’t want multiculturalism. They want monoculturalism. So instinctively they don’t like the march toward a type one civilization. Now which tendency will win? I don’t know, but I hope that we emerge as a type one civilization.

— Michio Kaku. "Will Mankind Destroy Itself?", 2010.

Planetary civilizations in science fiction

Planetary civilizations are various civilizations we see in science fiction. Michio Kaku qualifies as one of a typical Type I civilization would be that of Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon, where an entire planet’s energy resources have been developed. They can control all planetary sources of energy, so they might be able to control or modify the weather at will, harness the power of a hurricane, or have cities on the oceans. Although they roam the heavens in rockets, their energy output is still largely confined to a planet.

Next status — stellar civilization

On the Kardashev scale, the next status is Type II civilization, where a civilization consumes all the energy that their star emits, or about 10²⁷ watts. Michio Kaku in a book "Physics of the Future" suggests that humans may attain stellar civilization status in a few thousand years.

See also

• Nikolai Kardashev
• Kardashev scale

External links

• Description of civilization types from Dr. Michio Kaku