The Sandbox

The Kardashev Scale

The Kardashev scale tracks our journey from mastering a single planet to harnessing the power of the entire Universe - and multiverse!

Type 1

Type 1

Kardashev Scale Type 1

The original scale was proposed by astronomer Nikolai Kardashev in 1964 and consisted of three levels. Types 4, 5, and 6 are modern theoretical extensions added to the scale as our understanding of cosmic possibilities evolved.