Terrestrial Chauvinism

"At present the most important aspect of the problem of searching for extraterrestrial civilizations seems to be the need for a logically consistent agreement on what is it that we are searching for. Unfortunately, such an agreement has not yet been reached. Most experimental searches for extraterrestrial civilizations proceed from a position of "Terrestrial Chauvinism"...

The main consequence of the assumptions made for the search for extraterrestrial civilizations, is the assertion that among the astronomical objects observed there should be some that are characteristic of intelligent activity. Most probably, these objects would have a very large mass, a large energy potential and a high information volume. They also would tend to exist over cosmological spans of time, i.e., billions of years, and be compact enough for a rapid exchange of information among them.
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All possible states of matter may be put to use with the active intervention of intelligence... A great number of such major cosmic projects have been discussed. F. Dyson, for instance, has shown that it is possible to build astroengineering structures (Dyson Spheres) several Astronomical Units in Size, using as building material the matter of the planets. The possibility of an artificial explosion of a star has also been discussed. Possible ways of changing the orbit of the Sun or of other stars in our galaxy could be suggested, as well as the use of star collisions to gain mass and energy.

Nikolai S. Kardashev, International Astronomical Union and NASA Astrophysics Data System. On the Inevitability and the possible structures of supercivilizations.