#####%**~- -~**%#####
##%%*~~... ...~~*%%##
####%**~-. .-~**%####
####%**~-. .-~**%####
#%*-...... ......-*%#
####%**~-. #...~~~~~~~~...# .-~**%####
####%**~-. ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.#### .-~**%####
###**~.... #...~~~~~~~~...# ....~**###
####%**~-. .-~**%####
####%**~-. ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A .-~**%####
####%**~-. LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES .-~**%####
####%**~-. OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE .-~**%####
##%%***~-. ANTENNAS FOR LARGER BANDWITH, WE HAVE .-~***%%##
####%**~-. BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR .-~**%####
###**~.... SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM ....~**###
#####**~-. INTO ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT LARGE AS FUCK .-~**#####
##***~.... ANTENNA ARRAYS ....~***##
####%**~-. WE'VE VIRTUALLY BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A .-~**%####
####%**~-. DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH. .-~**%####
####%**~-. .-~**%####
####%**~-. WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT OUR POSITION IN THE .-~**%####
###*~~.... SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS ....~~*###
####%**~-. PLACEMENT IN THE GALAXY, AND OUR .-~**%####
#####**~-. GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL CLUSTER, .-~**#####
####%**~-. AND ~OUR~ LOCAL CLUSTERS PLACE IN THE .-~**%####
##*~~..... GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS .....~~*##
####%**~-. .-~**%####
###****~-. AND WE'RE MOVING AROUND THE SUN AT .-~****###
##%*---... VELOCITY AND THE SUNS MOVING AROUND THE ...---*%##
#**~-..... CENTER OF THE GALAXY AT VELOCITY AND .....-~**#
##%%%**~-. THE GALAXY IS MOVING TOWARD ANDROMEDA .-~**%%%##
#%%%***~-. AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE .-~***%%%#
####%**~-. AROUND THE GALAXY. AND WE AS A SPECIES .-~**%####
#%%%***~-. HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT .-~***%%%#
####%**~-. .-~**%####
##***~.... AND DESPITE ALL THIS, DESPITE ALL OUR ....~***##
###***~-.. (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR ..-~***###
##%**~.... RADIO PROGRAMMES OUT IN FUCKING SPACE ....~**%##
#%%**~--.. AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT (LIGHT IS OUR ..--~**%%#
####%**~-. MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), .-~**%####
##**~~--.. DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE ..--~~**##
##%*-..... COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS .....-*%##
####%**~-. FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS .-~**%####
#***~..... BEAMING OF ALL OUR SECRETS IN EVERY .....~***#
####%**~-. DIRECTION KNOWN TO US, .-~**%####
####%**~-. .-~**%####
####%**~-. NO . ONE . HAS . ANSWERED .-~**%####
####%**~-. .-~**%####
####%**~-. #...~~~~~~~~...# .-~**%####
##%***---. ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.#### .---***%##
####%**~-. #...~~~~~~~~...# .-~**%####
####%**~-. .-~**%####
####%**~-. SO WHY IS THAT? .-~**%####
###%*~-... ...-~*%###
####%**~-. MOST OPPONENTS TO INTELLIGENT LIFE IN .-~**%####
#%%*~~.... THE UNIVERSE SAY IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED ....~~*%%#
####%**~-. A CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER STAR AND THE .-~**%####
#####%**-. PLANET NEEDS TO BE AT A SEE-AND-SO .-**%#####
####%**~-. DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE STAR (LIKE THERE .-~**%####
#%**-..... HAS TO BE A PLANET!) .....-**%#
####%**~-. .-~**%####
####%**~-. BUT REALLY ISN'T THAT KEEPING THE .-~**%####
#**~-..... DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX? .....-~**#
####%**~-. .-~**%####
##%**~~~-. I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO .-~~~**%##
####%**~-. IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING (AND IT PROBABLY .-~**%####
####%**~-. SHOWS) .-~**%####
##%**--... ...--**%##
##%**~-... #...~~~~~~~~...# ...-~**%##
####%**~-. ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.#### .-~**%####
##%***~... #...~~~~~~~~...# ...~***%##
###%***~-. .-~***%###
#%%**~--.. I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE ..--~**%%#
##%%***~-. THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS .-~***%%##
####%**~-. FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING .-~**%####
##%**--... ...--**%##
#%***~--.. ..--~***%#
####%**~-. .-~**%####
#####**~-. .-~**#####
####%**~-. .-~**%####