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#§§**^~...      ####.«« 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 ...««^^^*§
£$^^~~.... MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!),  ....~~^^$£
£$$$$*^«~.      DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE      .~«^*$$$$£
#§§$*«««~.     COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS     .~«««*$§§#
##£§$*^«~.   FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS    .~«^*$§£##
##£§$*^«~. BEAMING  OF  ALL  OUR SECRETS  IN  EVERY .~«^*$§£##
##£§$*^«~.          DIRECTION KNOWN TO US,          .~«^*$§£##
###§$*^«~.                                          .~«^*$§###
##£§$*^«~. NO    .   ONE    .   HAS   .    ANSWERED .~«^*$§£##
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##£§$*^«~.     ####.«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««.####      .~«^*$§£##
§§**^^«...             #...««««««««...#             ...«^^**§§
##£§$*^«~.                                          .~«^*$§£##
##£§$*^«~.              SO WHY IS THAT?             .~«^*$§£##
##£§$*^«~.                                          .~«^*$§£##
##£§$*^«~. MOST  OPPONENTS TO  INTELLIGENT LIFE  IN .~«^*$§£##
###§$*^«~. THE UNIVERSE  SAY IT'S  BECAUSE YOU NEED .~«^*$§###
§*«....... A CLASS  ONE-OR-THE-OTHER  STAR AND  THE .......«*§
##£§$*^«~. PLANET  NEEDS  TO  BE  AT  A  SEE-AND-SO .~«^*$§£##
§*^^^~.... DISTANCE AWAY FROM  THE STAR (LIKE THERE ....~^^^*§
£$***«....           HAS TO BE A PLANET!)           ....«***$£
§§*^^««...                                          ...««^^*§§
§§§*«..... BUT   REALLY  ISN'T   THAT  KEEPING  THE .....«*§§§
§*^«~.....      DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX?      .....~«^*§
###§$*^«~.                                          .~«^*$§###
###£$*^«~. I THINK EVERYONE AGREES  THAT WE HAVE NO .~«^*$£###
##£§$*^«~. IDEA WHAT  WE'RE DOING (AND IT  PROBABLY .~«^*$§£##
§$****^«~.                  SHOWS)                  .~«^****$§
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##£§$*^«~.             #...««««««««...#             .~«^*$§£##
£$*«~.....      ####.«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««.####     .....~«*$£
##£§$*^«~.             #...««««««««...#             .~«^*$§£##
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§**«...... I'M  GONNA GO  SMOKE MY  THIRD CIGARETTE ......«**§
££$$*«~~.. THIS YEAR AND TRY  TO SNATCH SOME  BEERS ..~~«*$$££
##£§$*^«~.         FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING        .~«^*$§£##
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