Just My Type: Kardashev Civilizations in SF and Beyond
arena, the Q Continuum could fall into the Type III category. I say "could" because we've never really been shown enough of them to judge the true nature of their civilization (which I think is part of the point: they are too far evolved for our comprehension, the message says). But from what I've seen, they're definitely not Type II. They're Type III or perhaps—what I've seen mentioned around the Web but not in the usual scientific literature—a Type IV (meaning they are extra-dimensional, which would explain how Q pulls off a lot of his tricks).
So Kardashev civilizations can actually be found in almost any SF story you read—even if it is only Type 0, our present status. Next time you dive into a novel or short story, see if you can judge where the tale's civilization falls on the scale.
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
If we aspire to be one of the civilizations we read about in our SF books,
what do we have to do to get there? Aren't we sufficiently advanced at this
point that we have an open road ahead?
Well, as far as science and technology go, I'd say all we need to do to get there is to continue as we are. We must continue to ask questions, continue to push the limits of our understanding of the universe. Certainly our minds can take us where we need to go.
But our minds can also be take us where we don't need to go. Our species is consumed in hatred and fear. We don't like the person across the street because their skin is a different color. We don't like the neighboring country because they believe that health care should be controlled by the government rather than by private companies. We don't like a given group of people because they communicate by connecting sounds in a different way than we do (in other words, they speak a different language). These inborn fears divide our planet into countless nation states. Even these nation states are divided within. We waste resources on war, kill millions, and ignore our real needs. What's wrong with us?
As it turns out there may be nothing wrong with us; or at least nothing unusual. When we
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