The observable universe is ninety-three billion light years wide. And the unobservable stretches,
perhaps infinitely, beyond what physics even allows us to comprehend. But, right now,
as humankind contemplates so-called “long distance” space travel, just Mars can feel
like it’s impossibly far away… when really, in the grand scheme of space, there’s so much more
to consider than just the relatively tiny gap between us and our nearest neighbors.
In fact, the sheer size and scale of space is one of the main reasons why scientists believe
that there must be other life out there, somewhere. And then, assuming that there is,
what are the chances that none of it is more intelligent than we are? Not very high. Therefore,
from some points of view, it’s as though we’re merely waiting to have the truth one
day revealed to us by a more advanced group… that we are not alone. Whether or not that
will be a happy day or a disastrous one, though, depends on exactly what it is that we encounter.
This is Unveiled, and today we’re answering the extraordinary question;
could a type three civilization ever invade the Milky Way?
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Nowadays, on the famed Kardashev Scale, type three sits somewhere around the center,
halfway between a civilization’s lowly beginnings
(type zero) and its eventual ascendence to perfection (type five-plus). However,
when Nikolai Kardashev first devised the scale in the mid-1960s, type three was actually the
highest original level. Types four and beyond have been added on only in the years since.
At type three, then, a civilization has harnessed all the energy potential
of its home galaxy - in our case, that would be the Milky Way. And, naturally,
it’s no mean feat. The Milky Way is widely considered to be an average-sized spiral galaxy,
but it still packs an estimated 100 billion stars, with almost all of them hosting at
least one planet, probably more. And this vast cosmic structure, itself, stretches around 100,000
lightyears across the universe. We’ve taken a closer look in past videos at
exactly what it could mean to have all that energy at your disposal - so be sure to check
those out next - but, suffice to say, a type three is an exceptionally strong, efficient,
innovative and smart society. It’s evolved far, far beyond us, twenty-first century human beings.
In most iterations of type three, there’s something of a hopeful outlook as to what
it might be able to achieve; predictions tend to paint a positive impression of the
world that it could create. And we’ve done it before, on this channel, too. Limitless
energy which leads to a society where no-one goes without; optimized bodies so that we no
longer need to suffer pain, feel sick, or even die; the abolishment of money to end inequality;
the advent of beyond lightspeed travel, to beam us to literally anywhere in existence. But,
alongside all of that hope, there are also various and mounting concerns. There are
multiple ways in which a type three might actually be not that great, after all.
First off, weapons and war. If you thought nuclear and hydrogen bombs were scary,
then consider how primitive they would probably seem to a civilization with whole
stars’ worth of power on tap. And, indeed, a stellar bomb, however it’s designed,
wouldn’t only be used to level cities, it could be launched to literally destroy worlds. Imagine what
would happen were Earth to suddenly and forcibly be bathed in all the energy of our own star,
the sun… nothing would survive a blistering, explosive and fiery doom. Consider also that
the sun isn’t even an especially large star in the Milky Way, as a whole,
and it’s clear that star-powered weapons would be immense, terrifying, and essentially unbeatable.
If it’s an invasion you’re after, though, perhaps you’re less likely to just blast everything into
non-existence from the outset. Maybe you would take a less heavy-handed approach to your
intergalactic affairs. The unsettling truth about the Kardashev Scale is that, if it is correct,
then there should be type three groups that are already out there… but the fact that,
so far, we haven’t been blown away by one arguably suggests that they don’t
all automatically crave death and destruction. So, what’s their game, instead? Unfortunately,
a stealthier, less noticeable type three could be just as ill-meaning.
While there’s little doubt that our collective understanding of astronomy has vastly improved,
and especially in recent decades, it’s still the case that whenever we look deep into the sky
above… we’re typically left with more questions than answers. The twinkling abyss of the rest of
the universe is still full of unknowns to us… including vast regions of high energy that are
difficult to decipher, as well as apparent “cold spots” in the wider cosmos. More hypothetically,
though, and despite all that we do know… would we ever realize if our telescopes were to pass
over a hidden-but-watching type three group? The James Webb Space Telescope is our best ever when
it comes to unpicking the atmospheric details of far off worlds… but even it still can’t deliver
certain proof of an alien presence; it can only highlight those planets that we should
focus more intently on, in the future. And, regardless, from some perspectives it could be
that it remains inevitably held back, anyway. The Webb is cutting edge for humanity, yes,
but it’s small fry to any hypothetically more advanced civilization that could be out there.
In the timeline of a type three, it will have developed tools like the Webb probably millennia
ago… and so, it’s a sure bet that it would be able to detect and evade it, if it wanted to.
According to some versions of type three, it’s at this level that you can begin to move planets
around, too, and even stars… which could be beneficial, were you ever trying to cloak
yourself from view during an invasion. Although, again, this degree of blatant interference might
not necessarily be wise. Even humanity understands when a distant object’s orbit is unusual… so it’s
likely that planetary rearrangement wouldn’t go unchecked by, say, a low type two civilization,
elsewhere in the cosmos. The type three, with all its immeasurable power, wouldn’t necessarily be
threatened by any smaller and less advanced group that rumbled it… but, again, if invasion is the
order of the day, then an especially intelligent type three would probably be less immediately
obvious about it. What it might need, then, is some kind of secret route into its target galaxy…
some kind of hidden back door, through which to sneak up on whatever it is it wants to conquer.
Black holes are, for us, perhaps the most unknowable, enigmatic structures in all of
space. But, to a type three, they’re a definitive and flexible tool. By the time of type three,
black holes have lost their fear factor, and are now tapped into (as well) to harvest yet
more energy. More than that, though, as they are capable of living in closer
proximity to a singularity… and as they boast a complete knowledge of physics,
including quantum… type threes potentially know what happens inside a black hole, too. Then,
by either converting that knowledge, or applying it to custom-built structures of their own,
it’s perhaps but a short step to fully functioning wormhole travel. And, when it comes to invasion,
this is probably the key technology. Bend wormholes to your every need, and you yourself
could be safely lurking far out of sight, literally lightyears away, but you’d still
have access to any unsuspecting, lesser worlds. Which, ultimately, is what human civilization is.
But, of course, all of this is wholly hypothetical. And, even if we knew for
a fact that there were type three groups out there, the assumption that they’d be even a
little bit interested in us, specifically, is probably laughable. That said, though,
the Milky Way is another galaxy… and as any ambitious type three steadily plots its route
toward becoming a type four, it needs as many galaxies under its belt as possible.
There’s a supermassive black hole anchoring the Milky Way at its center (as there is in
most other galaxies) and countless more dotted throughout our closest stars… so if there were
a link to be found between them and wormholes, then we’re essentially all living in a house
with unlocked doors, waiting for the intruder to breach. Again, it’s a little unsettling,
but if we follow the Kardashev Scale… then it’s one (possibly inescapable) future outcome.
What do you think could happen? Both if type threes exist at all, and if one of them ever
set its sights on the Milky Way? Given the sheer size of the Milky Way, could we actually fail to
notice that a takeover was even happening? And, if so, could it be happening right now,
at this very moment? It’s certainly something to think about, next time you’re doing a spot
of stargazing at night… because that’s how a type three civilization could invade the Milky Way.
What do you think? Is there anything we missed? Let us know in the comments, check out these other
clips from Unveiled, and make sure you subscribe and ring the bell for our latest content.