Being Types as discussed by Michio Kaku

[zoobyshoe]

I have no idea, but personally, I expect to live to be a type IV being.

What's this "type IV being"?

 

[kcballer21]

What's this "type IV being"?

I was wondering the same thing. I picked up my copy of 'Visions', by Kaku, to double-check but I saw it only went up to type III. What is type IV?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Q on Star Trek TNG is often used by Kaku as an example of a type IV being. I forget the precise definition, but it involves having complete control of time and space.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Q on Star Trek TNG is often used by Kaku as an example of a type IV being. I forget the precise definition, but it involves having complete control of time and space.

So, he thinks something like the Q exist? Is this some extraterrestrial race?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

So, he thinks something like the Q exist? Is this some extraterrestrial race?

I don't know the entire story, but this comes in part from a panel of experts in related scientific disciplines that considered how civilizations might evolve as a function of technology and their energy production [utilization] capacity - mostly how the Type I-IV get their classifications IIRC. It is all about energy and technology. I think type III has the technology to work with black holes. Type IV are masters of all energy - all time and space. These are just ways to imagine what might be possible; not "beliefs". However, it is reasonable to look at the age of the universe and compare that to how long we've been around. If a race lived to be a billion years more advanced than us, which, from what we know might be possible, then we can imagine that we could be talking about Type III or Type IV civilizations. And who knows? What would be our technology a billion years from now were we to survive that long [obviously another species by then].

According to Kaku, part of the afore mentioned panel discussion was intended to be used as the intro for the movie 2001, but at the last moment it Kubrick cut that scene, which eliminated the context and created the mystical aspect associated with the movie. The original cuts kept the ideas science based - based on the being types listed above. I would guess that Dave Bowman became a type IV...not sure.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Another interesting note: Again, I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but apparently it can be shown that the energy utiliazation capacity of the human race has increased at a rate of about 3% per century...I think...since we were limited to fire from wood gathered by hand, and is described as being amazingly constant over long periods of time. This is part of the basis for the extrapolations suggested.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I see. That really sounds different than the Q, though. Their powers were never associated with technology. It was presented as more of a mental accomplishment.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I see. That really sounds different than the Q, though. Their powers were never associated with technology. It was presented as more of a mental accomplishment.

...that is, speaking as a type 0 Zooby.

We hope to achieve type I status in the next century.


In the words of Kaku, type IV beings would seem like gods.