Humanity evolves from a struggling past into a "magical future"

By Dick Pelletier

      

    Humans face what many see as the most important decision in our history: to move from fossil fuels as the primary energy source to a clean renewable energy that could, as many futurists believe; allow us to achieve higher civilization status.

    In 1964, astronomer Nikolai Kardashev categorized future civilizations based on energy consumption. Type-1 utilizes 100% of its planet's renewable energy, Type-2 controls all the energy in its solar system, Type-3 harnesses power from every star in its galaxy, and Type-4, a category added recently by other physicists, derives power from its entire universe.

    Scientists list societal and technological characteristics for each category. Type-1s are described as a global village, free of strife, with every citizen enjoying a scarcity-free economy. Powerful technologies enable Type-1s to eliminate earthquakes and destructive weather. Physicist Michio Kaku in Parallel Worlds believes we could reach Type-1 by 2100. Type-2s, reachable by 2200, some say, build space colonies throughout their solar system and beyond.

    Type-3s control wormholes and travel instantly to anywhere in the universe and backwards and forward through time. Forward-thinkers predict humans could reach this lofty status by 2500. Type-4s live in a world beyond our wildest imaginings of science fiction. They can visit their "other selves" in parallel universes; and create new worlds, playing "creator" to lifeforms that evolve. It may take several millennia to reach this wondertime, but experts say this is our future.

    Today, physicists rate Earth at Type-0.7. To understand this more clearly, Kardashev-type ratings have been assigned to evolutionary milestones beginning at the dawn of humanity:

    400,000 years ago, Type-0.0 – Wikipedia identifies this as the time when Homo sapiens split from great apes and evolved as modern humans in Africa.

    150,000 years ago, Type-0.1 – In Cooking and Cognition: How Humans Got So Smart, Philipp Khaitovich explains how emergence of the hearth enabled humans to eat cooked food causing brain growth, resulting in increased neuron activity.

    90,000 years ago, Type-0.2 – Humans left Africa; first for the Near East, next to Australia, then Europe, and eventually America. Adapting to new lands increased intelligence.

    75,000 years ago, Type-0.3 – The Sumatra volcano caused a 1,400-yr freeze which nearly drove us extinct, reducing population to under 10,000. This prompted cooperation among tribes.

    50,000 years ago, Type-0.4 – Jared Diamond in The Third Chimpanzee says this is when we first made clothes, buried our dead, created art, and improved hunting techniques.

    10,000 years ago, Type-0.5 – Culture began with agriculture, politics, and divisions of labor.

    2,000 years ago, Type 0.6 – Local communities merge into larger cities led by dominant leaders, with lower-class members producing food and products consumed by the upper-class.

    Today, Type-0.7 – We've mapped the human genome, equipped most people with cell phones, and we’ll soon develop regenerative medicine, self-assembling nanobots, and colonies in space.

    To reach Type-1 though, we must create a world where people can share emotions, desires, and beliefs without fear; establish democracy with equal rights for everyone, and harness all of our planet's energy. This may seem impossible today, but as we steadily gain more intelligence in the decades ahead, by 2100 it won't even merit comment. Welcome to this amazing "magical future."

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.