.....,«;%$                                          $%;«,.....
......,«;%                                          %;«,......
.......,«;                                          ;«,.......
........,«                                          «,........
.........,                                          ,.........
..........             #...««««««««...#             ..........
..........      ####.«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««.####     ..........
..........             #...««««««««...#             ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... ON EARTH  (THE  PLANET  WHERE  I LIVE) A ..........
.......... LOT  OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON  OUR  HOUSES ..........
.......... OR  BALCONIES,   WE  HAVE  BUILT   LARGE ..........
.......... ANTENNAS  FOR LARGER  BANDWITH, WE  HAVE ..........
..........     BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR      ..........
.........,    SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM   ,.........
........,« INTO  ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT LARGE AS  FUCK «,........
.......,«;              ANTENNA ARRAYS              ;«,.......
......,«;% WE'VE VIRTUALLY BUILT AN  ANTENNA WITH A %;«,......
.....,«;%$          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        ##@§$%;«,.
..,«;%$§@#                                          #@§$%;«,..
...,«;%$§@                                          @§$%;«,...
....,«;%$§                                          §$%;«,....
.....,«;%$                                          $%;«,.....
......,«;%                                          %;«,......