....~^^$&# #&$^^~....
.~»^$$&### ###&$$^»~.
.....»$$&# #&$$».....
.~»$$&#### ####&$$»~.
....~~^^$& &$^^~~....
.~»^$$&### #...»»»»»»»»...# ###&$$^»~.
....»^$&## ####.»» FERMI'S PARADOX »».#### ##&$^»....
.....~»^$& #...»»»»»»»»...# &$^»~.....
.....~»^$& &$^»~.....
....~»^^$# ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A #$^^»~....
..~~»^^$$# LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES #$$^^»~~..
.~»^$$$$&# OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE #&$$$$^»~.
.~»^$$&### 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 &$$^^»»~..
.~»^$$&&&# #&&&$$^»~.
.....~^$$& &$$^~.....
.~»^$$&### ###&$$^»~.
.~»^$$$&&# #&&$$$^»~.
..~~^$$$$& &$$$$^~~..