In 1964, Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev proposed a method of dividing the Chinese level of the universe, that is, to master different energy levels as the standard, as follows:
Level 1 Civilization: Grasp the sum of the energy sources of the planet where the civilization is located and the surrounding satellites.
Level 2 Civilization: Master the energy of the entire star system (solar system) where the civilization is located.
* Civilization: Possess all the energy sources in the galaxy (galaxy) where the civilization is located and use it for it.
Obviously, human beings have not even reached the first level of civilization, because human beings have not yet been able to control the maximum energy that can be produced on Earth, nuclear fusion. As early as 1905, Albert Einstein pointed out the greatest amount of energy that can be obtained by human beings, that is, the conversion of matter into energy. Nuclear fission in the atomic bomb, as well as nuclear fusion in the hydrogen bomb, follow this principle. Humans controlled nuclear fission before the birth of the atomic bomb, so after World War II, humans soon began to use nuclear fission to generate electricity.
More efficient than nuclear fission is nuclear fusion. The principle of nuclear fusion is the same as that of the sun's luminescence, which is to rapidly collide with elements with smaller atomic weights (which must be ranked before iron in the periodic table) into elements with larger atomic weights. In this reaction, a huge amount of energy will be produced because there is a loss of mass.
Nuclear fusion has many advantages over nuclear fission. First of all, theoretically, the energy produced by nuclear fusion is hundreds of times higher than that of nuclear fission at the same mass, which is why the yield of a hydrogen bomb is hundreds of times higher than that of an atomic bomb. Secondly, the materials and fluorine required for nuclear fusion exist in large quantities in seawater, and if the gas and fluorine in one liter of seawater completely undergo a nuclear fusion reaction, the energy released is equivalent to the energy of 300 liters of gasoline, and this energy can be said to be inexhaustible.
The radioactive elements used for nuclear fission are found in limited quantities on Earth. Finally, nuclear fusion reactions are not radioactive, making them safer. At present, the biggest concern of mankind about nuclear power plants is nuclear radiation caused by a malfunction. But unfortunately, more than 60 years after the invention of the nuclear fusion hydrogen bomb, mankind still does not have the ability to control the nuclear fusion reaction.