Kardashev Scale

The Kardashev scale is a way to measure the technological advancement of a civilization. It was invented by soviet physicist Nikolai Semenovich Kardashev. It was created to not only rate our own civilization, but also the hypothetical technological capability of alien civilizations. It mainly measures the energy output of a civilization though it can also measure other feats of technology. Like a type 1 civilization can control the entire energy output of its own planet, and a type 2 can control the entire energy output of its own star, and a type 3 can control the entire energy output of its own galaxy. There are hypothetical even higher levels though these are unlikely as a type 4 controls the whole energy output of the whole universe, and a type 5 can create custom universes.