#..#.#.###                                          .#.#.#...#
##.....#.#                                          ......#..#
.##......#                                          #......#.#
.###.....#                                          .#........
.#.##.....                                          ..#.......
...###....             #...--------...#             ...#......
...#.##...      ####.-- 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         ..###.....
.#........                                          ..#.##....
..#.......                                          ....###...
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